| 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
- Initial contact and inquiry
- Sample order (always order before selling)
- Evaluate sample quality and shipping time
- Place 3-5 test orders over 2 weeks
- Assess consistency and communication
- 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.
