However, accreditation is a procedure imposed by most manufacturers to protect themselves from unreliable suppliers. Some suppliers post the lowest bid, but deliver products that fall short of the specifications, delayed shipments, or may not be able to deliver at all. Manufacturers have production schedules and timetables to beat. Any disruption to their raw material supplies could mean tremendous losses. If a supplier fails to deliver on time, the buyer maybe forced to buy from other suppliers for a 'prompt shipment' deal and the price would be much higher than those contracted on a 'forward shipment' deal.
Forward shipment means the price is set for a future shipping period.
For example, in November, you make an offer for a shipment in February, next year. Prompt shipment means your supplier has to execute shipment as soon as they received the payment, normally the Letter of Credit. To contact some of your prospective buyers, make some phone calls with the purchasing departments of manufacturers and buyers of your product. This will allow you some headway to present your product or your supplier easily as soon as you have one. Making initial contact with your buyers is very important to your future relationship with them.