Key Partner Selection
How we find suppliers that actually deliver
Most small businesses in the UK find a supplier on a massive website and send a deposit within three days. That is how you lose money. Since 2019, Khiri Vietnam has vetted 83 different suppliers across Vietnam and Thailand for firms in Manchester and the North West. We have seen that 31% of manufacturers show photos of machines they do not actually own. Our job is to walk into the factory and see those machines running before you sign a single document. We provide straight talk about Asian trade because we know how much a bad shipment can hurt a small warehouse's cash flow.
On-site inspections and floor audits
We do not rely on Zoom calls or fancy PDF brochures. When you ask us to check a factory, a member of our team of 4 on-the-ground specialists gets on a train or a motorbike and visits the site. They take photos of the raw material piles, check the safety gear, and look for signs of sub-contracting. In July 2024, we visited a textile mill for a client in Leeds and found they were outsourcing 43% of the work to a shop down the road with no quality control. We spotted it because the labels didn't match the boxes. (Heads-up: we don't take commissions from the factories we vet, so we have no reason to lie to you.)
Financial deep dives and tax records
A supplier can look successful but be weeks away from closing. We look at more than just a balance sheet; we check if they pay their electric and water bills on time. If a factory is behind on utility payments, they might use your deposit to pay off old debts instead of buying your materials. For a project in March 2023, we ran a check that cost the client £470 but saved them from a £12,400 loss because the factory owner was already in legal trouble with a local bank. We check tax registration numbers and cross-reference them with local government databases to make sure the business is legitimate.
Reference checking that goes beyond the list
Every factory has a list of 'happy clients' they want you to call. We ignore those lists. We use shipping data to find out who they actually send containers to. Then we pick up the phone and call those companies. We ask if the quality stayed the same after the fourth order or if the lead times started to creep up. Last year, we interviewed 12 different procurement managers to get the real story for our clients. This process usually takes 12-14 business days, but it gives you a clear picture of who you are dealing with.
The shortlist and first introductions
Once the vetting is done, we give you a shortlist of 3 partners. Not a list of 20 names you have to sort through, but 3 that we know can handle your specific order volume. We handle the first video call to make sure the technical specs are understood. We don't use fluff or long-winded introductions. We get right to the unit costs and the shipping dates. We are not the fastest agency in Manchester because we actually do the legwork, but we make sure the partner you pick is still there in six months.
- Physical site visits within 72 hours of request
- Verification of export licences and tax status
- Deep-dive interviews with previous UK or EU buyers
- Assistance with initial sample orders and testing