Step 1 — Discovery (Days 1-3)

Purpose of this step

Discovery call: confirm volumes, timing, decoration, sustainability minimums, audit-doc requirements, payment terms. Output: requirements doc. This is one of four steps in our 30-day onboarding flow — see the full overview.

Agenda / what we cover

• Annual volume by item category
• Decoration methods (silkscreen, embroidery, digital, sublimation, laser)
• Sustainability minimums (EcoVadis tier, recycled-content %, take-back)
• Lead-time targets and inventory model (JIT vs buffer)
• Payment terms, currency, FX hedging needs
• Audit-doc requirements (EcoVadis, Sedex, OEKO-TEX, ISO)
• Existing supplier relationships and migration timeline

Outcomes / what you receive

• Requirements doc (volumes, timing, items, decoration)
• Sustainability and audit-doc requirements list
• Compliance and payment-terms baseline
• Stakeholder map and decision-rights

Deliverable

A 4-6 page requirements doc that becomes the basis for the RFP — your team reviews it before we proceed to step 2.

How long it takes

This step typically takes 3-10 calendar days, depending on your internal review cadence. We track elapsed time against the 30-day target and flag risk if any step exceeds plan by more than 50%.

Common questions in this step

• Can we customize the deliverable? Yes — adapt to your existing procurement templates if you already have them.
• What if we need more time? Fine. The 30-day plan is a goal, not a hard deadline. Most clients land in 35-45 days.
• Can we run this remotely? Yes — every step is fully remote-capable. On-site visits available for premium tiers.
• What if we don't proceed after this step? No obligation. There is no penalty for stopping at any step before the master agreement.

Next step

Once this step closes, we move to the next phase. Return to the full onboarding flow for the bigger picture, or email onboarding@merch.am with questions.