Shortlisting Czech Suppliers Before You Travel
Build a supplier shortlist in Czechia that holds up, from the conditions that rule a company out to the first contact in Czech.
Finding names is rarely the hard part of sourcing in Czechia. Companies in metalworking, plastics, electronics assembly or food production appear in the public register, the official record of companies that anyone can search.
What takes effort is finding the ones that will quote for your volume this year.
Start with what rules a supplier out
A brief that describes only the ideal supplier produces a long list nobody can use. Write down first the conditions that exclude a company.
- Minimum order quantity
- Certifications you cannot work without
- Tooling costs you refuse to pay
- Lead times you will not accept
Check each company before you contact it
- Is it trading, or is only the registration left? Its entry in the public register is the first thing to read.
- Does its size fit your volume? Too large a supplier causes as much trouble as too small a one.
- Has it worked for your industry before, or would you be the first client?
- Can it show the certifications you require?
Make the first contact in Czech
A cold email in English to the production manager of a smaller Czech manufacturer often gets no reply. Write in Czech.
Introduce yourself, then ask one specific question that is easy to answer. Phoning in Czech works the same way.
Qualify candidates before you book flights
Each meeting on a sourcing trip needs a clear reason. A few well-checked visits are worth more than a long run of hopeful ones.
Keep the dead ends in the shortlist too. Note who declined, who had no capacity and who quoted outside your range.