Groundwork SourcingChina production control
China sourcing · On-the-ground production control

The sample was perfect.
The bulk wasn't.

Most 1688 sellers ship and forget — no one runs QC between order placed and container loaded. We do. On the ground, in China, start to finish.

Get a free cost-down + risk read See how it works
Chain of custody

Every order, controlled locally — and re-inspected after the factory says “done.”

  1. Raw-material intake

    Materials checked in before a single unit is cut.

    ✓ Pass

  2. Production

    We control the line — not just relay your message to it.

    ✓ Pass

  3. In-line inspection

    Caught mid-run, while it's still fixable.

    ✓ Pass

  4. Final QC

    Color, spec and build verified against your sample.

    ✓ Pass

  5. Packing

    Labeled and packed to your spec.

    ✓ Pass

  6. Dispatch

    Handed off with paperwork that matches the goods.

    ✓ Pass

  7. In-house re-inspection

    The step almost everyone skips — we check it again after the factory is done.

    ✓ Pass

  8. Final packing

    Sealed for the container. What ships is what you approved.

    ✓ Pass
See it for yourself

We're on the floor. Not just on the phone.

A real visit, during production — press play (captions on).

On the floor, during production — from the founder's own walk-through
In one line

Groundwork Sourcing is a China sourcing and on-the-ground production-control partner for English-speaking apparel and consumer-goods brands. We physically verify that a factory is real, control production locally, and run full-cycle QC — including an in-house re-inspection after the factory finishes — so your bulk order matches the sample instead of arriving off-color, thinner, or as a different product.

Capacity — proven, and ready for your order

150,000 units in eight weeks.
Your volume fits.

150,000+

garments produced & shipped in eight weeks (Apr–May 2026). The same line, the same control — ready to run yours.

Production floor we run
500,000+
Units a year we're built to run — from your first test order to full volume
6
Apparel categories at scale — see what we make →
8-pt
QC checkpoints across the whole run — full QC breakdown →

MOQ and lead time depend on the product and volume — we quote both per order. Just want to start with a sample? That's welcome too.

Why 1688 orders go wrong

You're not buying units. You're buying production management.

A seller's job ends the moment goods ship — here's what happens in the gap they leave.

Order
placed
The gap

Nobody's watching the line — color drifts, fabric thins, specs slip.

Container
loaded

We close it: physically verify the factory, control production, inspect in-line — and own it if a batch comes back off-spec or a lead time slips.

Outerwear & paddingFleece & hoodies KnitwearDenim & pants Cold-weather gearAccessories

See the full category breakdown →

How we close it

Four checkpoints, real footage — not a claim.

Raw material checked in before cutting — IQC IQCRaw material in Worker at the sewing machine, mid-production — IPQC IPQCIn-process, on the floor Finished garment measured against the sample — FQC FQCFinal, vs. your sample Finished garments bagged and sorted before dispatch — OQC OQCPre-dispatch, before it ships

Full QC breakdown, at-cost pricing & footage →

Groundwork vs. a typical agent

Same fee bracket. Not the same job.

A typical agent
Groundwork

Relays your messages to the seller and takes a fee.

Controls production on the ground, in China, ourselves.

Trusts the listing — never sets foot in the factory.

Physically visits and verifies the factory is a real manufacturer.

No ownership of QC — inspection is “not their scope.”

Full-cycle QC, including a re-inspection after the factory says “done.”

When it arrives wrong, the problem is yours to eat.

We own defects, lead-time and revisions until it’s right.

No markup on QC

What "at-cost" actually looks like.

Deeper inspection is billed at the inspector's real invoice — nothing added. Here's a representative example so the mechanism isn't just a claim.

Finished goods racked and ready after QC
Example — representative at-cost QC invoice
Line itemDetailCost
PSI inspection3rd-party, pre-shipmentAt-cost
Inspector man-daysPer scope & volumeAt-cost
Total billed to youInspector's actual invoiceNo markup
What buyers say

The pattern our buyers notice.

Real feedback from brands we produce for. We don't publish their names — the same discretion we'd extend to you.

"My last agent did no real QC and the garments came out with a sloppy shape. Run through Groundwork, the shape came out right — and it landed cheaper than I'd been paying. That's been the pattern."

— A US outerwear brand

¥10¥9per unit · quality up

"What another agent billed at ¥10 a unit, Groundwork brought to ¥9 — I saved, and the quality came back better."

— A DTC label

Names are withheld on purpose — we don't broadcast who we produce for. When you're seriously evaluating, we back these up with proof you can actually check: a recent QC report and factory-floor footage from a real run.

Go deeper

The full picture, one page at a time.

Straight answers

Questions buyers ask first.

How is this different from a normal sourcing agent?

Most agents relay messages and take a fee — they don't own quality control. We control production on the ground and take responsibility for defects, lead time and revisions. The in-house re-inspection after the factory says “done” is the step that keeps your bulk matching your sample.

What does it cost to get started?

Nothing to get a read. Share 1–2 products you're sourcing now and we'll come back with where unit cost can realistically come down and where quality or lead-time risk is hiding — no obligation.

How do I know you're legit — not a reseller or a scam?

Fair question to ask a cold email. Three things to check us on: we physically visit and verify a factory is a real manufacturer before any order (1688/Alibaba are full of reseller listings); there's no upfront fee for a read or a quote, and you start with a small test order before any volume; and we operate from a real, verifiable office in Yiwu, China. Want proof of process before you commit? Ask, and we'll walk you through a recent QC report and factory-floor footage.

Do I need a big order — can I start with a sample?

No big order required. Samples are welcome — send 1–2 products and we can start with a sample or a small test run so you see the quality land before you commit to volume. MOQ and lead time depend on the product, so we quote both per order.

How do we start?

Send 1–2 product links (1688, your store, or Amazon) through the form below — or just email us. We reply by email with a cost-down + risk read within one business day; no call needed to get started.

More questions — on QC pricing, factory verification, or what we produce — are answered on the Quality Control, Factory Visits and What We Make pages.

Get a read

Share 1–2 products. Get a cost-down + risk read.

No pitch, no obligation. Here's exactly what the free read gives you back:

  1. 01

    Whether your unit cost can realistically come down — a straight yes/no, not a maybe.

  2. 02

    The top one or two places where quality or lead-time risk is hiding in what you sell now.

The read and the quote are free. Production orders run on standard deposit terms — a deposit up front, balance before shipping — and we'd start you on a small test order so you see the quality land before you commit to volume.

Prefer email? Write us No call required — we reply by email within one business day.