Sourcing PPE without getting burned
The pandemic created a supplier class that existed for eighteen months. Here is what separates a real supply chain from a broker with a website.
Ask who owns what
There is a real difference between a company that owns factories, one that has contracted capacity, and one that is reselling whatever it can find this week. Ask directly, and ask which legal entity will be the contracting party — groups of this kind often trade through several.
Ask for the test report, not the certificate pack
A generic folder of certificates proves very little. A third-party test report against the specific product line, with a date, is evidence. Where the old site names a testing body — SGS, in this case — ask for reports issued by it.
Check the claim that can be checked
Public records are the cheapest due diligence available. A government contract, for instance, leaves a trace: the Brazilian federal award referenced on this site is published in the Diário Oficial da União. Claims that leave no trace anywhere deserve more scepticism.
Stage the payment against inspection
Pre-shipment inspection against the actual cartons, with payment staged behind it, protects both sides. A supplier confident in the goods will not object.
Where this applies in the catalogue
The guidance above is general. Applied here, it lands hardest on the disposable gloves family.
