| Company Legitimacy | Business registration and export eligibility | Current Chinese business licence, unified social credit code, registered address, and export documentation where applicable | Confirm that the legal entity on the quotation, sales contract, bank account, and invoice is identical | Documents are consistent and independently verifiable; payment is not requested to an unrelated personal account | 0–10 |
| Factory Capability | Production control and capacity | Factory address, equipment list, production-flow photographs or video, staffing information, and monthly capacity stated by product type | Compare the stated capacity with your required quantity, peak-season schedule, and requested delivery window | Supplier clearly separates in-house work from outsourced cutting, welding, sewing, coating, or assembly | 0–10 |
| Material Specification | Fabric, frame, coating, and hardware traceability | Fabric composition, mass per square metre, coating type, colour reference, frame alloy or steel grade, fastener material, and corrosion-protection method | Compare like-for-like specifications rather than comparing price alone; record all values in the purchase specification | The quotation includes measurable material values and permits approval of a pre-production sample | 0–15 |
| Structural Design | Wind, snow, anchoring, and drainage design | Engineering drawings, design loads, anchor layout, foundation requirements, drainage details, and installation tolerances | Check the design against the project location, local building rules, exposure conditions, and intended use | Supplier identifies assumptions and provides calculations or a qualified engineering review instead of guaranteeing a universal wind rating | 0–15 |
| Testing and Compliance | Suitability of test reports and certificates | Reports showing product model, tested material, test method, laboratory, issue date, and performance result; fire testing should match the destination-market requirement | Reject generic certificates that do not identify the supplied material or product configuration | Reports are traceable, current, and relevant to the exact canopy assembly; regulatory requirements are confirmed before production | 0–15 |
| Quality Assurance | Inspection checkpoints and defect control | Incoming-material inspection, in-process inspection, final inspection checklist, dimensional records, packing photos, and corrective-action process | Request the inspection plan before placing the order and define acceptance criteria for fabric, welding, stitching, coating, and packaging | Supplier accepts written inspection criteria and allows independent or third-party pre-shipment inspection | 0–10 |
| Sample Validation | Pre-production sample approval | Approved colour swatch, fabric sample, frame finish, hardware sample, seam detail, packaging sample, and signed approval record | Compare the mass-produced goods with the approved sample before shipment | Production is not started until specifications and sample deviations are documented and approved | 0–10 |
| Quotation Quality | Completeness and comparability of the quote | Itemised pricing for canopy, frame, hardware, foundation or anchors, packaging, documentation, tooling, samples, freight, insurance, taxes, and installation | Convert every quote to the same scope, currency, quantity, delivery term, warranty, and payment basis before comparing totals | No unexplained exclusions; validity period, lead time, currency, Incoterm, and payment milestones are clearly stated | 0–10 |
| Delivery Planning | Lead time and logistics risk | Sample lead time, production lead time, inspection date, dispatch date, estimated transit time, packaging dimensions, gross weight, and shipment split plan | Compare total landed schedule, not only factory lead time; allow time for approvals, inspection, customs, and site readiness | Supplier provides a milestone schedule and identifies dependencies that may delay dispatch | 0–10 |
| Commercial Terms | Payment, Incoterms, warranty, and remedies | Written payment schedule, applicable Incoterm, warranty duration and exclusions, spare-parts policy, replacement process, dispute venue, and inspection rights | Compare contractual risk and after-sales coverage together with the unit price | Terms are written into the sales contract; verbal promises are not treated as binding commitments | 0–10 |
| Reference Checks | Comparable project experience | Anonymised project scope, product type, installation environment, order quantity, delivery period, and permission to contact a prior buyer where available | Prioritise references with similar climate, dimensions, loading conditions, and compliance requirements | References confirm product consistency, communication quality, delivery performance, and warranty response | 0–5 |
| Maximum Supplier-Assessment Score | 110 |
