---
name: dropshipping-supplier-brief
description: "Creates supplier evaluation and communication templates for dropshipping businesses with quality standards, SLAs, and order management workflows. Use when vetting dropshipping partners."
allowed-tools: Read Write Glob
metadata:
  author: matthewhitcham
  version: "1.0"
---

# Dropshipping Supplier Brief

## When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:
- Evaluate and vet potential dropshipping suppliers
- Create communication templates for supplier outreach and management
- Define quality standards and SLAs for your supply chain
- Build a supplier management system for your dropshipping business

**DO NOT** use this skill for product sourcing strategy, e-commerce store setup, or marketing. This is for the supplier relationship and management side of dropshipping.

---

## Core Principle

YOUR SUPPLIER IS YOUR SILENT PARTNER — THEIR QUALITY, SPEED, AND RELIABILITY DIRECTLY DETERMINE YOUR CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AND BRAND REPUTATION.

---

## Phase 1: Brief

### Required Inputs

| Input | What to Ask | Default |
|-------|------------|---------|
| **Product niche** | "What products will you dropship?" | Must be provided |
| **Target market** | "Where are your customers? (US, EU, global)" | United States |
| **Order volume** | "Expected monthly order volume?" | 50-200 orders/month |
| **Price range** | "Target product cost and selling price?" | Must be provided |
| **Shipping expectations** | "Maximum acceptable shipping time to customer?" | 7-14 days |
| **Current suppliers** | "Have you worked with any suppliers already?" | Starting fresh |
| **Platform** | "Where are you sourcing? (AliExpress, Alibaba, US-based, private label)" | Mixed |

**GATE: Confirm brief before building supplier management framework.**

---

## Phase 2: Design

### Supplier Evaluation Criteria

Score each potential supplier (1-10) on:

| Criteria | What to Evaluate | Minimum Score |
|----------|-----------------|--------------|
| **Product quality** | Sample review, material quality, consistency | 7 |
| **Shipping speed** | Average delivery time to your target market | 7 |
| **Communication** | Response time, language clarity, professionalism | 6 |
| **Reliability** | Order accuracy, stock availability, consistency | 8 |
| **Pricing** | Unit cost, shipping fees, bulk discounts | 6 |
| **Returns handling** | Return policy, defect replacement process | 6 |
| **Scalability** | Capacity for volume increases, backup inventory | 5 |

### Supplier Vetting Process

1. Initial contact and inquiry
2. Sample order (always order before selling)
3. Evaluate sample quality and shipping time
4. Place 3-5 test orders over 2 weeks
5. Assess consistency and communication
6. Negotiate terms and sign agreement

**GATE: Present the evaluation framework and confirm standards before building templates.**

---

## Phase 3: Build

### Deliverables

**1. Supplier Outreach Template**
- Professional introduction email
- Product inquiry with specification requirements
- Pricing and MOQ negotiation template
- Sample request format

**2. Supplier Evaluation Scorecard**
- Scoring matrix for each criteria
- Pass/fail thresholds
- Comparison table for multiple suppliers
- Decision recommendation

**3. Supplier Agreement Template**
- Quality standards and expectations
- Shipping timelines and tracking requirements
- Return and defect handling process
- Communication expectations (response time SLAs)
- Payment terms and schedule
- Termination conditions

**4. Order Management Workflow**
- Order forwarding process (manual or automated)
- Tracking number communication flow
- Quality check procedures for first 10 orders
- Escalation process for issues (late shipments, wrong items, quality problems)

**5. Supplier Performance Tracker**
- Monthly metrics: order accuracy, shipping speed, defect rate, communication score
- Red/yellow/green status indicators
- Quarterly review trigger points

---

## Phase 4: Polish

### Ongoing Management

- Weekly: check tracking updates and customer complaints
- Monthly: review supplier performance metrics
- Quarterly: formal performance review with the supplier
- Semi-annually: market check — are better suppliers available?

### Backup Supplier Plan

Always have a secondary supplier vetted and ready. Single-supplier dependency is the biggest risk in dropshipping.

---

## Example 1: Fashion Accessories (AliExpress suppliers, US customers)

**Vetting:** 3 suppliers contacted, samples ordered from each. Supplier B wins: best quality, 10-day average delivery, responsive on WhatsApp. Agreement includes 48-hour processing SLA and defect replacement policy.

## Example 2: Home Goods (US-based supplier, premium positioning)

**Vetting:** 2 US-based warehouses evaluated. Supplier A wins: 3-5 day shipping, branded packing slip option, real-time inventory API. Higher cost ($2-5/order more) justified by faster shipping and fewer complaints.

---

## Anti-Patterns

- **Selling before sampling** — listing products you have never seen or touched is a recipe for refunds and negative reviews. Always order samples.
- **Choosing on price alone** — the cheapest supplier often has the slowest shipping, worst quality, and most headaches. Evaluate the full picture.
- **No written agreement** — verbal promises mean nothing when a shipment goes wrong. Get commitments in writing.
- **Single supplier dependency** — if your one supplier runs out of stock, your business stops. Always have a backup.
- **Ignoring communication quality** — a supplier who takes 3 days to respond to inquiries will take 3 days to resolve customer issues.

---

## Recovery

- **Supplier quality drops:** Document the issues with photos and tracking numbers. Contact the supplier with evidence and request corrective action. If unresolved in 2 weeks, activate your backup supplier.
- **Shipping times increase suddenly:** Investigate (holiday delays, supply chain issues, or supplier deprioritizing your orders). Communicate proactively with affected customers.
- **No English-speaking suppliers available:** Use a sourcing agent as an intermediary. The agent manages supplier communication and quality control.
- **Customer complaints mounting:** Pause new orders, audit recent shipments, and address root cause before scaling further. Short-term revenue loss prevents long-term brand damage.
