A multi-category project package from China — furniture, doors, sanitaryware, tiles, lighting and joinery from several factories — rarely ships with the scope it started with. At FBM Sourcing a change is handled by the same rule as the original order: an item we source gets a direct price, with our work inside it and no commission on top; an order with a supplier you nominate carries a 5% commission. An added category, a changed finish or a phase 2 order is simply more items under one of those two modes.
This article is written for developers, general contractors, builders, commercial project owners, interior design and construction companies and FF&E solution providers planning a China package whose scope is likely to move.
Where Does a Multi-Category Package Change?
- Categories are added. A furniture package acquires the doors; the doors acquire the ironmongery; the bathrooms acquire the accessories.
- Specifications change. A finish that photographed well is rejected against the physical sample; a fabric is re-selected; a stone is re-cut.
- The inspection finds problems. The value of an inspection is what happens when it finds a problem, and who holds the contract to act on it.
- Complex categories need more attention. Fire-rated door schedules, certified windows and sequence-matched veneer are where a package needs the most care.
- Phase 2 arrives. Matching finishes across phases depends on someone holding the production record and having a reason to use it.
Each of those is a normal event on a hotel or apartment package.
How Does FBM Sourcing Charge?
All quotations, invoices and shipping documents are issued by FBM Sourcing — you deal with us, and we carry the responsibility. For suppliers you nominate, we charge a 5% commission; for products we source for you, we quote a direct price.
- Products we source for you — a direct price. Our work is inside that price and there is no commission on top: sourcing, drawings, quality control, consolidation, loading and after-sales are included, and sea freight is quoted to you before shipment.
- Suppliers you nominate — a 5% commission. This covers suppliers you bring to the project. We manage the order for a 5% commission; after-sales is not included, because claims fall under the supplier’s own warranty, but we help you communicate with the supplier.
Is your project package likely to change as it goes?
FBM Sourcing works with developers, general contractors, builders, commercial project owners and FF&E solution providers on multi-category packages. Send your BOQ and our team will review it and get back to you.
How Does Each Kind of Change Work Under the Two Modes?
| Scope change | Products we source for you | Suppliers you nominate |
|---|---|---|
| A category is added | The new items are quoted at a direct price | The new order carries the 5% commission |
| A specification changes | A changed specification is a different product, so the item is quoted again for the new specification | Your supplier prices the change; the 5% commission applies to the order placed |
| The inspection finds non-conforming goods | We contract with the factory in our own name, and that contract sets how non-conforming goods are handled | Claims fall under the supplier’s own warranty; we help you communicate with the supplier |
| Phase 2 repeats a category | We keep the factory for your following projects so quality stays consistent; any change is agreed with you in advance | The supplier stays yours; the 5% commission applies to the new order |
Who Answers for the Goods When Something Changes?
The more a package moves, the more it matters who is inside the transaction. At FBM Sourcing, all quotations, invoices and shipping documents are issued by FBM Sourcing, and your purchase order is placed with FBM Sourcing rather than with each manufacturer. For products we source, we contract with the factory in our own name: how non-conforming goods are handled, penalties for late delivery and warranty terms are set in that contract and enforceable under Chinese law, and we carry the responsibility for drawings, inspection, loading and after-sales.
Quality control on those goods is one inspection by our own team at the factory after bulk production is finished, before shipment, with photo and video records, and you or someone you send are welcome to attend it; how that inspection works is set out in factory QC and inspection when sourcing from China.
Does a Percentage Reward Higher Spending?
It is a fair question for any commission, and the answer at FBM Sourcing depends on the mode. On products we source there is no percentage at all: each item has a direct price, which you accept or not, and a changed specification is quoted again as a new item. On suppliers you nominate, you chose the supplier and you approve the order; the commission is 5% whatever the size of the order.
What Should You Settle Before the Package Starts Moving?
- Which items, if any, will come from suppliers you nominate, and which you want us to source
- The drawings or BOQ each direct price is quoted against, so a later change is visible as a change
- Which categories are likely to repeat in later phases
- The destination port, so sea freight can be quoted to you before shipment
For how the phases themselves are delivered, see phased delivery aligned to your construction schedule; for what a sourcing partner’s work covers, see how much a China sourcing agent costs.
Is your project package likely to change as it goes?
FBM Sourcing works with developers, general contractors, builders, commercial project owners and FF&E solution providers on multi-category packages. Send your BOQ and our team will review it and get back to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens to the sourcing charge when categories are added to a China package?
At FBM Sourcing the added items fall under the same two modes as the original order: items we source are quoted at a direct price, with our work inside it, and orders with suppliers you nominate carry a 5% commission.
Is a changed specification re-quoted?
For products we source, yes: a changed specification is a different product, so the item is quoted again for the new specification. For suppliers you nominate, your supplier prices the change and the 5% commission applies to the order placed.
What happens if the inspection finds a problem?
For products we source, we contract with the factory in our own name, and that contract sets how non-conforming goods are handled. For suppliers you nominate, claims fall under the supplier’s own warranty, and we help you communicate with the supplier.
Does the commission rate change with the size of the order?
No. The commission on suppliers you nominate is 5%, whatever the size of the order.
How does FBM Sourcing charge?
All quotations, invoices and shipping documents are issued by FBM Sourcing — you deal with us, and we carry the responsibility. For suppliers you nominate, we charge a 5% commission; for products we source for you, we quote a direct price. Sea freight is quoted to you before shipment.
About FBM Sourcing
FBM Sourcing manages the entire China procurement package for overseas construction projects. Since 2014 we have worked with developers, general contractors, builders, commercial project owners, interior design and construction companies and FF&E solution providers across more than 20 countries and over 1,000 containers, as their sourcing partner in China — from the schedule or BOQ through factory selection, sampling, inspection by our own team before shipment, consolidation and shipping. All quotations, invoices and shipping documents are issued by FBM Sourcing, and sea freight is quoted to you before shipment. If you have a project package to price, start at China building materials and FF&E procurement.
