Minimum order quantity: what to confirm
Please confirm the minimum order quantity with the supplier before placing an order. That confirmation should cover the quantity for the order as a whole and, if the order mixes styles or colours, whether the minimum applies per style, per colour or per order. A minimum that applies per colour can change an order that mixes many colours, and that distinction should be settled before the order is placed.
Also ask whether a quantity below the minimum is possible at a different price, or whether the minimum is a hard threshold. Some makers will accept a smaller quantity on different terms, and some will not. Either answer is useful, but only a written answer can be relied on.
Lead time: what to confirm
Please confirm the lead time with the supplier before placing an order, and confirm what the lead time runs from: from order confirmation, from artwork approval, from sample approval, or from payment. Those starting points differ by weeks in some cases, and a lead time quoted without a starting point is not a commitment a buyer can plan around.
Also ask whether the lead time includes the sample stage, and whether it includes shipping. A production lead time and a delivery lead time are different figures, and a buyer who needs caps by a particular date should confirm the delivery date, not just the production period.
Mixed orders and changes
Mixed orders need extra care on both quantity and timing. A mixed order that combines styles, colours or logo treatments may have a different minimum and a different lead time from a single-style order, because each variation adds setup and handling. State the full mix in the inquiry and ask for the quantity and timing terms for that mix specifically.
Changes after confirmation also affect timing. A change to artwork, colour or quantity after production has started can restart the lead time, and a buyer should ask how changes are handled before making one. That question is free at the inquiry stage and expensive after production.