10 questions to ask a mahjong manufacturer before ordering

Why these ten questions

This list is ordered by the decisions most likely to change the product brief before production. It is an editorial procurement checklist, not a supplier ranking or a substitute for your company’s due diligence.

1–2. Who makes what, and what is included?

Ask which categories the factory makes and which components are sourced. Then request an itemized tile and accessory inventory. Tiles-only, a coordinated bundle and a complete retail kit are different buying scopes.

3–4. What are the dimensions and materials?

Ask for measured tile dimensions and the exact construction. Confirm accessory compatibility with a sample. Terms such as premium acrylic, large rack or luxury fabric need a corresponding specification.

5–6. Who owns the artwork, and what gets approved?

Clarify the right to use supplied art, ownership of newly developed artwork and any exclusivity terms. Agree on a physical sample, revision process and written approval record. A digital mockup cannot show the entire finished product.

7–8. How is MOQ allocated, and what gets inspected?

Ask whether minimums apply per design, color, material or package format. Set inspection requirements and acceptance criteria before ordering. Do not assume the supplier’s usual checklist covers everything important to your brand.

9–10. What is the spare plan, and what is the full cost?

Define spare tiles and retained batch references. Compare sample, tooling, goods, packaging and logistics charges separately, with the delivery term and destination. Any testing or documentation requirement also needs an explicit scope.

Turn answers into an approval record

Keep the agreed inventory, artwork version, sample photos, dimensions and commercial scope together. If a supplier’s answer changes, update the specification rather than relying on an old conversation. Clear records make both production and repeat ordering easier.

Compare evidence at the correct level

A factory photograph shows a setting or process; it does not prove a stated capacity or a particular certification. A sample demonstrates that sample, not an entire future batch. Ask what each piece of evidence actually supports and identify the remaining questions. This keeps due diligence useful without treating every image as either proof of everything or proof of nothing.

Where identity, address or company documents are not yet published, ask for verified information before a commercial commitment. Do not fill missing details with assumptions drawn from a website’s visual polish. Our supplier-verification page distinguishes available information from items to request.

Turn questions into a comparison record

Use confirmed, open and excluded statuses for each quotation item. Add the document or sample reference and the person responsible for resolving it. This is more reliable than an unexplained five-star score. If a supplier cannot answer a key compatibility question, keep it visible until a sample or specification resolves it.

Review the final inventory, material, packaging and schedule together. A manufacturer may answer every question individually while the resulting documents still describe different versions. The accepted order should form one consistent record that a second person can understand without reconstructing the entire message history.