What information should I provide when requesting a custom product?

A practical enquiry checklist

• Intended use and operating environment
• Dimensions, drawings and any important tolerances
• Order quantity and likely repeat requirements
• Materials, colour, finish and branding
• Performance or functional requirements
• Packaging and presentation needs
• Applicable standards or project specifications
• Target delivery timing and destination
• Reference photos, existing products or physical samples
• Budget guidance where it helps assess feasible options

Mark priorities and unknowns

Separate essential requirements from preferences. A particular dimension may be critical to installation, while a finish may be open to alternatives. Tell us which features cannot change and which could be reviewed with a supplier.

If information is uncertain, label it as uncertain. A reference image without scale, an approximate dimension or an undecided material should not silently become a production instruction. Suppliers need to know what is still under review.

Keep files consistent

Use clearly identified drawing versions and explain any changes between files. Reference images, artwork and physical samples should point to the same intended product. For branding, approved artwork is more useful than a screenshot of a logo.

The delivery date also needs context. Distinguish an event, installation or site date from an ideal arrival date, and identify whether development, testing or approvals must happen first.

How TL supports this

We review the information with you and coordinate supplier questions before it is treated as an agreed manufacturing brief. This helps connect the design discussion, sampling, quotation and production requirements. The accommodation case illustrates how drawings and room layouts can guide custom furniture and fit-out supply.