Factory Sourcing & First Production Run Checklist

Sourcing a factory and placing your first production order can feel overwhelming, and it’s easy to miss something important. This factory sourcing checklist helps you quickly see if your product is truly production-ready and highlights the gaps you should close before you request quotes or place a PO. Instead of guessing, you get a clear, structured list to work through with your team.

Download the checklist
Top Manufacturing Country Alternatives to China.

What’s Inside the Factory Sourcing Checklist...

This isn’t just a one-line reminder to “get a quote.” The checklist walks through the major areas that matter before your first production run, including:

  • Project basics – Clarifying your product, target customer, and reference products so factories understand what you’re building
  • Design & engineering readiness – A quick way to gauge whether you truly have production-ready CAD, tech packs, BOMs, and a usable prototype
  • Costs, volumes & pricing – Prompts to define realistic first-order quantities, target landed cost, and margin expectations before you start negotiating
  • Country & region short list – High-level questions to help you think about where you should manufacture (China, Vietnam, Mexico, etc.) based on your goals
  • Factory sourcing & vetting – Checks to make sure you’re comparing factories on more than unit price, including capabilities, communication, and certifications
  • Samples, tooling & pre-production – Reminders around sample rounds, tooling decisions (if needed), and when you’re ready to approve a golden sample
  • Quality, testing & compliance – Key prompts around specs, testing, certifications, and inspections so quality is not an afterthought
  • Orders, terms & logistics – Basic considerations for payment terms, Incoterms, shipping mode, timelines, and seasonal slowdowns
  • Risk & communication – A short section to help you think through IP, backup plans, and who owns factory communication on your side
Product design and development | Klugonyx

Who Should Download This Checklist...

This guide is built for:

  • Founders and brand owners planning their first overseas production run
  • Operations and product leads who need a simple, practical framework to check readiness
  • Teams moving from pilot runs to larger orders and wanting to tighten up their process

If you’re unsure whether you’re ready to talk to factories, or you’ve gone through a painful first run before, this checklist will help you see what to fix before you repeat the same mistakes.

Download the Checklist
Top Manufacturing Country Alternatives to China.

Download the Checklist.