| Product Safety and Regulatory Readiness | 18% | Check whether the finished product is designed and documented for the destination market. Requirements depend on product construction, power supply, wireless functions, and country of sale. | Applicable test reports and declarations; electrical safety and EMC documentation; market-specific records. For EU sales, confirm applicable requirements rather than treating a CE mark alone as a test report. | Incomplete or inapplicable compliance documentation can delay customs clearance, listing, or market access. |
| Light Quality and Photobiological Safety | 14% | Assess color consistency, dimming behavior, flicker performance, glare, and suitability for the intended indoor use. Review photobiological risk assessment where relevant. | Photometric and color measurements, test conditions, dimming test results, and an applicable photobiological safety assessment such as IEC 62471 when required. | Mood lighting depends on comfortable, predictable light output as well as visual appearance. |
| Reliability and Lifetime Substantiation | 14% | Evaluate thermal design, driver quality, operating limits, warranty terms, and how lifetime or lumen-maintenance claims are supported. | Reliability test plans and results, warranty policy, failure analysis process, and clearly stated test conditions. LM-80 data and TM-21 projections may support LED package or module lumen-maintenance claims, but do not by themselves establish whole-product lifetime. | Credible, well-qualified claims help buyers compare products and manage returns and replacement costs. |
| Materials and Environmental Compliance | 10% | Review material traceability and the supplier’s process for tracking restricted substances and product-related environmental obligations in each target market. | Material declarations, supplier records, and applicable conformity documentation. For EU products, assess obligations under RoHS and REACH as applicable to the product and supply chain. | Documented material controls reduce compliance and supply-chain risks. |
| Design, Functions, and User Experience | 10% | Compare color modes, brightness range, controls, timers, memory behavior, power-loss recovery, and ease of use. For connected products, assess app support and update practices. | Production samples, operating instructions, function tests, app and firmware documentation, and a defined process for software or firmware updates. | Clear controls and dependable functions are important to customer satisfaction and product reviews. |
| Customization and Engineering Capability | 9% | Confirm capabilities for housing, finish, packaging, light settings, control interfaces, and market-specific electrical configurations. | Approved drawings, sample-development process, engineering change controls, tooling terms, and written confirmation of product specifications. | Formal change control helps ensure samples, approved specifications, and mass production remain aligned. |
| Production Quality Management | 9% | Review incoming-material inspection, in-process checks, final inspection, traceability, corrective action, and control of nonconforming products. | Quality procedures, inspection records, sample test reports, lot traceability examples, and corrective-action records. Verify any claimed management-system certification and its scope. | Consistent quality processes help limit defects across production batches. |
| Capacity and Supply Continuity | 7% | Assess realistic production capacity, component sourcing, seasonal planning, lead-time assumptions, and contingency plans for supply interruptions. | Capacity and lead-time statements tied to order assumptions, component risk reviews, production schedules, and documented continuity plans. | Capacity claims are most useful when supported by current constraints and a clear delivery plan. |
| Packaging, Shipping, and Export Readiness | 5% | Check protective packaging, carton specifications, shipping marks, export documents, and the supplier’s ability to support the buyer’s preferred shipping terms. | Packaging specifications, transit-test results where available, sample shipping documents, carton measurements, and written Incoterms® details for the quotation. | Suitable packaging and complete documentation help reduce transit damage and shipment delays. |
| Commercial Transparency and After-Sales Support | 4% | Compare quotation scope, minimum order quantities, payment terms, spare-parts availability, response times, and responsibility for warranty claims. | Itemized quotations, written warranty terms, service contacts, spare-parts policy, and a clear process for handling complaints and returns. | Transparent terms make supplier comparisons more reliable and clarify support after delivery. |