| 1. Product Definition | Candle format | Granular wax or “sand wax” supplied with a wick and heat-resistant container; define whether the product is sold as refill granules, a complete candle kit, or a finished candle. | Review product drawings, component list, intended use, and assembly instructions before quotation. | Create one approved product specification sheet for every SKU. |
| Wax material | State the wax type, colorant type, fragrance status, melting point range, and country of origin. Common commercial candle wax categories include paraffin, vegetable waxes, beeswax, and blends. | Request technical data sheets, safety data sheets where applicable, and a retained reference sample. | Do not approve a material substitution without written approval. |
| Target dimensions | Example finished-candle tolerance: container diameter ±2 mm, container height ±2 mm, net wax weight ±5%, and wick length ±3 mm from the approved sample. | Measure with calibrated scales and dimensional tools using the approved golden sample as the reference. | Confirm final tolerances in the purchase order rather than relying only on catalogue dimensions. |
| Packaging configuration | Define units per inner carton, cartons per master carton, gross weight, net weight, carton dimensions, cushioning, barcode position, and multilingual markings. | Approve a packaging mock-up and perform a carton compression or transport simulation appropriate to the distribution route. | Calculate pallet quantity and container utilization before confirming the order. |
| Intended market | Record destination countries, sales channel, age restrictions if relevant, language requirements, environmental claims, and applicable candle or consumer-product rules. | Complete a destination-market compliance review before mass production. | Treat regulatory approval as a release gate, not as a post-shipment task. |
| 2. Supplier Screening | Production capability | Confirm monthly capacity, minimum order quantity, lead time, equipment, workforce, subcontracting policy, and peak-season capacity. | Review a completed supplier questionnaire, facility photographs or video, and recent production records. | Score suppliers using the same criteria to make quotations comparable. |
| Traceability | Each production lot should be traceable to wax, fragrance, wick, container, packaging materials, production date, and inspection records. | Request sample lot codes and a mock traceability exercise from incoming material to finished cartons. | Require lot identification on cartons and commercial documents. |
| Quality system | Look for documented incoming inspection, in-process checks, final inspection, nonconformance handling, corrective action, and retained samples. | Audit procedures and inspect records from at least three recent lots, with sensitive commercial information redacted. | Give higher scores to suppliers that can demonstrate repeatable controls rather than only visual inspection. |
| Commercial terms | Compare price by Incoterms® 2020 rule, payment terms, tooling charges, sample charges, replacement policy, currency, validity period, and insurance responsibilities. | Normalize all quotations to the same product specification, packaging, quantity, and delivery point. | Select the best total landed cost, not simply the lowest unit price. |
| 3. Sampling Plan | Sample quantity | Request 3–5 units per proposed SKU for appearance, assembly, burn, packaging, and transport review; retain at least one approved sample. | Inspect samples under consistent lighting and record dimensions, weight, component details, and photographs. | Issue written approval, conditional approval, or rejection with numbered comments. |
| Burn evaluation | Evaluate ignition, flame stability, excessive soot, smoke, wax-pool behavior, container heating, wick performance, and safe extinguishing. | Use the same wick, wax quantity, container, room conditions, and observation intervals for each comparison. Follow the product’s safety instructions. | Approve only after the sample performs consistently across repeated tests. |
| Color and fragrance | Define color reference, fragrance name or code, fragrance load, odor strength, and acceptable batch-to-batch variation. | Use a retained standard, visual comparison, and documentation for fragrance and colorant inputs. | Do not accept “similar color” or “same fragrance family” unless the contract permits it. |
| Sample approval record | Record SKU, revision number, date, material composition, measurements, test results, packaging artwork, and approved deviations. | Use a signed or digitally approved sample report linked to the purchase order. | Make the approved sample the visual and functional reference for production inspection. |
| 4. Order Planning | Pilot order | Use a controlled first order sufficient to validate production, packaging, transport, and market response before a larger commitment. | Compare pilot-order defect rates, actual lead time, carton condition, and customer feedback with the approved specification. | Set a scale-up decision after the first accepted shipment. |
| Forecast horizon | Provide a rolling 3–6 month forecast while keeping firm purchase orders separate from non-binding estimates. | Review forecast accuracy, supplier capacity, raw-material availability, and seasonal demand monthly. | Reserve capacity only when the supplier’s commitment is documented. |
| Lead-time allowance | Use a planning allowance of 35–50 calendar days for a repeat order when materials and packaging are available; add time for new tooling, fragrance approval, holidays, and peak seasons. | Measure lead time from approved order and artwork to cargo-ready date, then track actual performance by lot. | Build safety stock or an earlier reorder point for long-distance supply routes. |
| Order documentation | Purchase order should state SKU, revision, quantity, unit price, packaging, tolerances, inspection standard, delivery term, ship window, and required documents. | Perform a document cross-check before deposit or production release. | Use one controlled revision to prevent outdated artwork or specifications. |
| Payment milestones | Structure milestones around order confirmation, approved pre-production sample, production completion, inspection, and shipment documents. | Align payment release with objective acceptance evidence and the agreed contract. | Avoid paying the final balance before agreed inspection or document review is complete. |
| 5. Quality Control | Incoming material checks | Check wax identity, color, odor, wick type, container integrity, packaging material, lot code, and quantity before production use. | Review supplier certificates and compare materials with the approved specification and retained sample. | Quarantine unidentified or damaged materials. |
| In-process controls | Monitor fill weight, wick position, granule consistency, container cleanliness, label placement, and packaging assembly. | Use an hourly or batch-based check frequency agreed with the supplier and record results. | Require corrective action when a trend approaches the tolerance limit. |
| Final inspection sampling | Use a recognized attribute-sampling method such as ANSI/ASQ Z1.4 when appropriate; sample size depends on lot size and inspection level. | Define the sampling plan, inspection level, defect classification, and acceptance number in the purchase contract. | Do not change the sampling plan after seeing the inspection result. |
| Defect classification | Critical: safety or legal risk. Major: likely to make the product unusable or commercially unacceptable. Minor: cosmetic or low-impact deviation. | Example contract limits may be Critical 0, Major AQL 2.5, and Minor AQL 4.0; the final limits must be agreed by both parties. | Document every defect with a photo, location, quantity, and classification. |
| Functional checks | Check ignition, flame behavior, wick stability, container heating, visible smoke or soot, packaging opening, and component completeness. | Use a documented test procedure and compare results with the approved sample and safety instructions. | Place functional failures on hold regardless of cosmetic pass rate. |
| Release decision | Shipment status should be Approved, Approved with documented deviation, Rework Required, or Rejected. | Issue an inspection report with lot number, sample size, defect count, photographs, measurements, and inspector details. | Release payment and shipment only after the agreed acceptance decision. |
| 6. Global Logistics | Shipping mode | Select ocean, rail, air, or courier service according to order volume, delivery window, landed cost, and route reliability. | Compare transit time, handling points, seasonal congestion, insurance, and destination charges. | Use a freight forwarder to confirm current carrier requirements and product classification. |
| Heat and moisture protection | Protect wax granules, containers, labels, and cartons from excessive heat, moisture, compression, odor transfer, and direct sunlight during storage and transit. | Review packaging performance after a representative transport test or first shipment. | Define storage conditions and maximum stacking height on handling instructions. |
| Shipping documents | Typical documents include commercial invoice, packing list, transport document, certificate of origin where required, and product or safety documents requested by the destination. | Match product description, quantities, weights, values, marks, and consignee details across all documents. | Complete document review before cargo departure. |
| Landed-cost model | Include product cost, packaging, tooling, inspection, inland transport, freight, insurance, duties, taxes, customs fees, storage, and expected damage or rework. | Update the model using actual shipment data and the correct tariff classification confirmed by a customs professional. | Compare suppliers on delivered cost per saleable unit. |
| 7. Performance Review | Core supplier KPIs | Track on-time shipment rate, inspection pass rate, major-defect rate, claim response time, lead-time variance, document accuracy, and cost variance. | Review performance monthly or after every shipment during the first three orders. | Use a weighted scorecard and define escalation thresholds. |
| Corrective action | Require root-cause analysis, containment, corrective action, responsible person, due date, and evidence of effectiveness. | Verify the next production lot or conduct a focused follow-up inspection. | Escalate repeated failures to requalification or supplier replacement. |
| Reorder trigger | Set the reorder point using average demand during lead time plus safety stock, adjusted for seasonal demand and transport variability. | Review inventory, open orders, confirmed production dates, and current transit status at least weekly. | Reorder before available stock reaches the calculated trigger level. |
