Procurement partner, a standing team instead of an in-house desk

Firms that repeat buying, need priority access to the team and do not want to build an in-house China desk.

Typical profile: several suppliers, monthly or quarterly orders, and a need for management to see status without running WeChat themselves.

When sourcing has already passed the first import and needs continuity: the same suppliers, new SKU lines, risk follow-up and a clear monthly report.

If you are just entering China, a better start is sourcing discovery or project sourcing execution, then a monthly partner.

Up to three active product categories. Up to 30 working hours a month for sourcing and project running. Ongoing communication and supplier relationship. RFQs and comparison tables inside agreed capacity. Standard talks. Sample alignment inside capacity. Order-status and risk follow-up. A monthly management report. Priority access to the Papillon team.

Monthly engagement, minimum three months.

Work above the agreed hour count. OEM or ODM product development. Factory visits and travel. Independent QC, testing, freight, duty and taxes. Legal services. Unlimited categories and different products. A standing physical representative in China without a special arrangement.

Goods, samples, courier, QC, lab, freight, duty and taxes are shown separately from the Papillon fee.

Fees are on request. The quote depends on product family, number of SKUs, factories, customisation, timeline and operating scope.

Per order a commission is agreed separately only when Papillon takes running of a confirmed commercial order. That commission is not a fee for the same monthly hours.

A procurement partner is for a firm that already repeats orders and does not want an in-house China desk. Standard is up to three active categories, up to 30 working hours a month, minimum three months. A fourth category and hours above the agreed go as an add-on. OEM development, a factory visit and a standing person in China are not in the monthly fee.

If you are just entering China, discovery or running of one order go first. A monthly partner makes sense when you already know suppliers and need continuity: a new model, the same spec, a report management can read without a WeChat thread.

Each new order still needs a written spec and an approved sample when the model changes. Inspection above 2,000 USD stays the execution standard, and inspection price is separate. Sea of about 35–52 days does not sit in the monthly report as a promise. The report says where goods are, not that they will arrive before season if the factory is late.

A per-order commission, when we take running of a confirmed order, is not the same line as monthly hours. Both sit in the quote, separately. The fee is not hidden in the goods price.

A procurement partner is for a firm that already repeats orders and does not want an in-house China desk. The monthly fee covers agreed hours, up to three active families and a management report. It is not a substitute for a first entry into a category. That first entry is discovery or project execution.

A commission activates only when we take running of a confirmed order. OEM development, travel and third-party inspection are not in the hours. QC above 2,000 USD remains the standard of that execution, as a separate cost. We do not turn it into an invisible monthly-fee line.

The report says what is in production, what waits for a sample and what should not be ordered. It does not say everything is fine if the factory is silent. A sample still takes 2–5 weeks. Sea still takes about 35–52 days. A monthly rhythm does not shorten a vessel.

Before each new lot the same rules still apply: spec, written sample approval, Incoterms and two duty scenarios. The agreement from 1 July 2024 needs a COO per shipment, not one paper for the whole year if description or exporter changes. HS is checked when a new line enters.

Stop with a new family if hours do not cover a serious brief. Then it is an add-on or a separate project, not by the way in the report. MOQ of a new line can still be a reason not to order, even when the partner is already there.

The monthly report has open samples, lots in the plant, inspection date and what waits for your decision. It has no sense as a letter that everything is underway. A decision that is late with you stops the plant the same as factory silence.

Up to three families holds attention. A fourth in the same month is an add-on or waits for the next cycle. Otherwise none gets a serious RFQ.

Travel, tool and lab do not enter the hours. If the report proposes them, you get a separate quote before anyone books a ticket or a mould.