Put the unit and tolerance in writing
Confusion between millimetres, centimetres and inches is among the most expensive mistakes in export orders. The unit must be stated explicitly on the order document and, where possible, one unit used throughout.
Equally, the direction the tolerance applies in (plus, minus or both) must be written down. The buyer's acceptance criteria and the production tolerance have to agree.
The product description must match the paperwork
The product description on the invoice, the packing list and the production record must be identical. Species, grade class, joint type and impregnation status are all part of that description.
Kaswood already records this information for every batch; settling the description you use at order stage means the documents line up exactly with that record.
Packaging and marking
The destination country may have its own rules for wood packaging material. Stating the packaging type and any required marking at order stage avoids surprises during shipment.
The language and content of labelling also vary by buyer; having the batch number visible on the label is valuable for later traceability.
Moisture follows the destination climate
The target moisture should be set according to the climate of the country where the material will be used. Material shipped to a region with a different equilibrium moisture content will move towards it in transit and in storage.
Tell the technical office the destination region and the target moisture can be set accordingly.
Headings to settle
Putting these in writing before the order prevents most delays:
- Unit of measurement and tolerance direction
- Product description: species, grade class, joint type, impregnation status
- Packaging type and required marking
- Label language and batch number display
- Destination region and target moisture