Inventory how-to

How to communicate with overseas suppliers

Treat overseas supplier communication as a written, scheduled habit, not a reaction to stockouts.

Short answer: Treat overseas supplier communication as a written, scheduled habit, not a reaction to stockouts. Use short, clear emails with fixed fields (SKU, quantity, case pack, ship date), confirm time zones and holidays in writing, and always get written confirmation of order, ship date, and quantity before you count stock as on order.

Set a communication rhythm

Pick one channel for anything that matters, usually email, so there is a record. Chat apps are fine for quick questions but confirm anything about price, quantity, or dates in writing afterward. Send purchase orders and follow-ups on a fixed schedule, for example every Monday, so your supplier learns when to expect you and you are not chasing them at random times.

Write messages suppliers can act on fast

Keep each email to one purpose: a new order, a status check, or a change request. Lead with the PO number and SKU, state the quantity and case pack, and ask one clear question, such as "can you confirm ship date" or "do you have stock for 400 units of SKU-123". Avoid long paragraphs explaining why you need it faster, suppliers respond quicker to short requests with specific numbers.

Account for time zones and local holidays

Find out your supplier's working days and public holidays and mark them in your own calendar, since a lead time of 20 days can quietly become 30 days around a holiday period. When you send an order near a holiday, state the deadline explicitly, for example "need this confirmed by Friday your time before the factory closes." Build extra safety days into your reorder point for suppliers in regions with long holiday shutdowns.

Confirm everything that changes your numbers

Any time a supplier changes quantity, price, or ship date, ask for it in writing, even if it was agreed on a call or chat. Keep a simple log per supplier with lead time, minimum order quantity, case pack size, and the person you usually deal with, so you are not relearning this each time someone new answers your email. Update your own records as soon as a shipment date changes, since your reorder planning is only as good as the dates you have on file.

Plan for delays as the default

Overseas shipping and customs can add time beyond what the supplier promises, so treat their quoted lead time as a floor, not a guarantee. Ask suppliers for a realistic worst-case lead time once a year and use that figure, plus your safety days, to set reorder points, rather than the best-case number from their website.

Step by step

  1. List every overseas supplier with their lead time, minimum order quantity, case pack size, and main contact
  2. Agree a fixed day each week or month to send orders and check-ins
  3. Write a short template for new orders and a separate one for status checks
  4. Note the supplier's public holidays and factory shutdown periods in your calendar
  5. Add extra safety days to lead time for any supplier with a known holiday shutdown
  6. Get ship date and quantity confirmed in writing before marking stock as on order
  7. Review actual delivery times against quoted lead times every few months and adjust safety days

Worked example

A store orders from a supplier in Vietnam with a quoted lead time of 25 days. Daily sales for the SKU are 6 units and the store uses 10 safety days, so the reorder point is 6 x (25 + 10) = 210 units. Before Lunar New Year, the store emails the supplier two weeks earlier than usual and gets written confirmation that the factory will be closed for 12 days, so it raises safety days to 20 for that order, giving a temporary reorder point of 6 x (25 + 20) = 270 units.

How SteadyShelf helps

SteadyShelf does not send messages to suppliers or manage your communication threads, it only drafts purchase orders from your lead time and safety days and emails them to the supplier on your approval. You still need to handle follow-ups, confirmations, and holiday planning manually, but you can enter a longer lead time or extra safety days for suppliers with known shutdown periods so the order-by date accounts for it.

$29/month flat, unlimited products and suppliers, 30-day free trial. Run the numbers now with the free reorder point calculator.

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FAQ

Should I use phone calls instead of email for urgent supplier issues

Calls can be faster for urgent problems, but always send a follow-up email summarizing what was agreed, including quantity, price, and dates. Without a written record, it is easy to end up with mismatched expectations on an order placed overseas.

How do I handle language barriers in supplier emails

Use short sentences, simple words, and numbers or tables instead of long explanations, since specific figures like SKU, quantity, and date are easier to translate correctly than prose. If a supplier has a contact who writes in clearer English, address future emails to that person directly.

Let SteadyShelf do this math for every SKU

Order-by dates per supplier, seasonal forecasts and draft POs for your Shopify store. $29/month after a 30-day free trial.

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