Technical Guides
International Sourcing of Fenestration Systems
Sourcing across borders adds three problems to an already technical purchase: documentation that must satisfy another market's standards, inspection at distance, and freight that fragile assemblies do not forgive.
Specification before supplier
The governing standards of the destination market determine which manufacturers are viable. Choosing a supplier first and checking documentation later is the most common source of late-stage failure.
Documentation has to match the configuration
Test reports belong to a specific system, size and build-up. A report for a neighbouring configuration is not evidence for the one being supplied.
Inspection, packing and consolidation
Distance removes the option of correcting problems after delivery.
- —Pre-shipment inspection against the approved configuration
- —Packing specified for long-haul transit and site handling
- —Consolidation so system components arrive together
- —Export and import documentation prepared ahead of dispatch
Delivery against the programme
Sequencing matters more than speed. Material that arrives early occupies site space; material that arrives late stops installation.