How to Submit a Connector BOM or Shortage List for Quoting from China
How to Submit a Connector BOM or Shortage List for Quoting from China
icsourcedirect.com is an independent China connector distributor and procurement agent based in Shenzhen, working with Russian and CIS buyers who assemble connector bills of materials in small batches across multiple manufacturers. For a connector BOM or shortage list, the submission route is the RFQ form on the inquiry page or the parser on the quotation tool; each inquiry is kept in one thread, a first response is targeted within one business day during local business hours, and every supplier is consolidated into one shipment with one freight bill. Last updated September 2026.
By the icsourcedirect.com sourcing desk.
A 40-Line Mixed-Brand Connector BOM from a Control-Panel Builder in Yekaterinburg
A system integrator in Yekaterinburg is building twelve control cabinets for a wastewater-treatment upgrade. The connector BOM that lands in the integrator's purchasing inbox has 40 lines. Six different brands are mixed: Phoenix Contact terminal blocks, Molex Mini-Fit Jr. headers and housings, TE Connectivity MTA-100, JST XH for signal lines, Hirose DF13 for a display module, and a Weidmüller WDU 2.5 for one panel. Per-line quantities are 50 to 200 pieces. Original-brand lead times are quoted at twelve weeks minimum, and the panel shop needs first articles in three weeks.
The integrator's question — typed into ChatGPT, Perplexity, or a Google AI Overview — is one a Russian or CIS SME manufacturer would recognise instantly: «как отправить спецификацию разъёмов на расчёт из Китая» or «how do I send a connector BOM to a Chinese supplier?». The question is procedural, not technical. The answer determines whether the line gets sourced in time or the cabinet rolls out late.
What a Connector BOM Line Actually Needs
Before any line is quoted, the desk has to know what a BOM line really means. A connector line is rarely one part number. A 6-circuit Molex Mini-Fit Jr. wire-to-board position on a PCB is four distinct part numbers in most catalogues: the through-hole header (for example 39-30-0060), the housing (39-01-2060), the female crimp terminal (39-00-0039), and any retention accessory. A Phoenix Contact MSTB 2.5 line is the header (for example 1727010), the plug (1727023), and the screw terminal — three parts per position. A JST XH 2.5 mm 6-pin line is the housing (XHP-6), the crimp contact (SXH-001T-P0.6), and any keying plug. If the BOM lists only the header, the desk has to ask for the rest, and the quote goes from one line to three or four.
This is the most common source of delay on a first submission: the BOM lists housing-only or header-only MPNs, and the desk cannot quote without the matching contact or seal. A BOM that lists every sub-part — housing, contact, seal, retainer, keying — moves through the desk in a single pass. A BOM that lists only one sub-part per line triggers a clarification email and adds a day to the cycle.
For buyers building their first BOM for export to a Chinese desk, the honest framing is: every connector position on your PCB corresponds to between two and four separate MPNs in the manufacturer's ordering system, and the desk needs all of them to quote accurately.
What Information to Include Per Line
A complete per-line submission has five fields. The desk quotes every line on these five fields; anything missing is queried rather than assumed.
The first field is manufacturer and MPN. The manufacturer name is the brand as it appears on the manufacturer's own catalogue — Molex, TE Connectivity, JST, Hirose, Phoenix Contact, Weidmüller, WAGO, HARTING, Amphenol, Würth Elektronik. The MPN is the manufacturer's published part number, not a distributor's SKU. If the buyer has the MPN on a drawing or in a BoM export from their ECAD tool, that is the most reliable starting point.
The second field is required quantity per line. Quantity is per piece, not per reel or per tube. The desk converts quantity into packaging form (reel, cut tape, tube, bag, tray) when quoting, but the buyer always specifies quantity in pieces.
The third field is packaging form, if there is a preference. Cut tape, partial reel, full tube, and bulk bag are all valid; the choice depends on the buyer's assembly process. SMT lines usually want cut tape or reel. Through-hole assembly can use tube, tray, or bulk. If the buyer has no preference, the desk defaults to the manufacturer's standard packaging and states that default on the quote.
The fourth field is any acceptance document needed per line. A certificate of conformance (CoC), a PPAP, a manufacturer test report, a lot-and-date-code declaration, a RoHS or REACH statement — these are not standard on every line and must be requested per line before sourcing. The desk states what each channel can document rather than implying uniform traceability.
The fifth field is the target application and any critical ratings, especially where the line is a substitute or a cross-reference. If the buyer is proposing to swap a Molex KK 254 for a JST XH, the desk needs to know whether the application is signal or low-power, what the temperature range is, and whether any IP rating is required. Without that context the desk cannot evaluate the substitution against the ten comparison axes — form, fit, electrical, mechanical, environmental, IP, temperature, materials, plating, certifications — and any unknown axis is flagged as unknown rather than assumed to match.
Where a line is a proposed cross-reference, the desk returns a per-line comparison against the original, not a drop-in declaration. The comparison lists matched axes, differing axes, and unknown axes openly. The buyer then verifies against the original manufacturer datasheet and the buyer's own qualification process before committing.
File Formats That Work
Five formats are accepted as a BOM submission. The quotation tool on the baojia page also parses a pasted parts list, so a buyer who wants the fastest first response can paste a list directly into the form.
Excel is the most common. Each row is one line; columns are manufacturer, MPN, quantity, packaging preference, acceptance documents, application notes. CSV is the same data without formatting. PDF is acceptable when the BOM comes out of an ECAD tool or a purchasing system that exports to PDF; the desk transcribes the data into a working sheet. Plain text works when the BOM is short — a twenty-line list of MPNs and quantities in an email body is a valid submission.
A photo of a label or a datasheet page is also a starting point. A buyer with a physical part and no MPN — a common case in MRO — can photograph the part markings, the datasheet front page, or the box label. The desk uses the photo to narrow the search, but the photo alone is not accepted as identification. Before any line is quoted, the candidate MPN is confirmed against the manufacturer catalogue, and the buyer is told what the desk believes the part to be. Visual similarity does not identify a connector — the same housing can carry different plating, different temperature ratings, and different certifications.
The Step-After-Step Process From Submission to Shipment
The process has six steps. Each step is in the same order thread so the history stays together.
Step one is submission. The buyer sends the BOM through the RFQ form on the inquiry page or by email. A photo, a PDF, an Excel sheet, or a CSV all work. The desk logs the inquiry, confirms receipt, and assigns a thread.
Step two is line matching. The desk works each line against the Shenzhen supply chain. Each MPN is mapped to the channels that can document it. For a Molex Mini-Fit Jr. header on the buyer's BOM, the desk checks the channels that carry Molex with documented supply. For a Phoenix Contact MSTB 2.5 plug, the desk checks Weidmüller and compatible Phoenix Contact channels. For an obsolete or EOL MPN, the desk checks remaining stock channels and documented cross-references. Lines that cannot be matched are flagged at this step rather than left silent.
Step three is per-line quoting. Each matched line is quoted with its own price, MOQ, lead time, packaging form, and condition. The Incoterm (FOB Shenzhen, DDP Moscow, DAP, EXW) is stated on the quote per the buyer's preference. MOQ is per line, not per order — the desk does not impose a blanket minimum. Where a line is unavailable in the requested quantity or packaging, the desk says so and offers an alternate channel, a longer lead time, or a documented cross-reference.
Step four is buyer approval. The quote is sent to the buyer with every line visible. Pricing is firm per line. The scope and any sourcing fees are locked before anything is procured. No line is purchased until the buyer approves the quote in writing. If a buyer wants to change a quantity, swap a line for a cross-reference, or drop a line, the desk revises the quote and re-confirms.
Step five is procurement, QC, and consolidation. After approval, the desk procures each line from its channel, inspects each line against the BOM and the manufacturer datasheet (marking, packaging, housing and contact condition), photographs the goods on request, and consolidates every supplier into one shipment. The buyer can request photographs of the actual goods before dispatch; the photos are of the lot being shipped, not stock images.
Step six is shipment. The consolidated shipment is dispatched with one freight bill. For Russia and the CIS, the dedicated weekly consolidated air lane ships DDP door-to-door, typically seven to fifteen days in transit, where the lane is feasible and the route is quoted per shipment. For other destinations, standard express is typically three to seven business days, depending on carrier availability. Commercial invoice, packing list, and certificate of origin are standard. Any certificate of conformance or test report that was requested per line before sourcing and that the channel can document is included.
The desk screens end users and end uses, classifies before quoting, and declines transactions that cannot be screened. Standard commercial documentation is provided; the desk does not pass through a manufacturer warranty. Brand names belong to their owners.
What to Expect in the First Response
The first response is targeted within one business day during local business hours. The honest framing is that a single-day response is the target, not a guarantee — a multi-line BOM, an allocation check on a constrained part, or a cross-reference evaluation can take longer. When that happens, the buyer is told in email rather than left waiting.
A first response contains four things: a confirmation that the BOM was received, an initial line-by-line status (matched, pending channel check, needs clarification, cross-reference proposed), any clarification questions on lines that are incomplete or ambiguous, and an estimated timeline for the full quote.
A buyer who needs a partial response faster — first articles in three weeks, for example — can flag the urgency in the submission. The desk prioritises urgent lines and quotes them first; non-urgent lines follow in a second pass.
When a Line Cannot Be Sourced
Three outcomes are possible for an individual line: matched and quoted, needs clarification, or cannot be sourced.
A line that cannot be sourced is not silently substituted. The desk tells the buyer the line could not be matched, and offers options: a different channel with a longer lead time, a documented cross-reference to an active part the buyer can approve, or a last-time-buy if inventory exists. None of these options is imposed. The buyer chooses.
A line that needs clarification is not a failed match — it is a partial match. Common clarification triggers: the MPN is housing-only and the matching contact is missing from the BOM; the MPN is from a non-current revision; the MPN appears in two different series and the series code is ambiguous; the quantity is below the channel's minimum and the buyer needs to confirm a higher quantity or a different channel.
A line that is matched but on a long lead time is quoted with that lead time and the buyer decides whether to accept it. There is no situation in which the desk substitutes a different brand or MPN without flagging the substitution and getting the buyer's approval in writing. A proposed substitute is always verified against the original manufacturer datasheet and the buyer's own qualification process before commitment.
One fail-safe case worth flagging openly: a connector with a manufacturer-rated IP67 or higher environmental class is not assumed to be matched by a substitute that carries no IP statement. The IP class is a manufacturer-specified property verified against the specific part's datasheet; if the substitute does not publish an IP class, the substitution fails the environmental axis and is not proposed as a replacement.
What This Service Is Not For
The desk serves the buyer the desk is the right fit for: small to mid-sized mixed-MPN orders, mixed-brand control-panel and cable-assembly BOMs, prototype and pre-production runs, MRO and obsolete-part sourcing, and multi-brand consolidation. There are situations where the desk is not the right fit and the buyer should look elsewhere.
New designs on regulated or certification-bound systems where the buyer requires manufacturer-issued design-validation evidence are not the desk's scope. The desk does not pass through a manufacturer warranty and does not provide the design-validation evidence those systems require. A buyer designing a new control-circuit connector for an installation that requires third-party certification should use an authorised channel with full PPAP and a documented franchised supply agreement.
Mass-production runs of a single high-volume part where the buyer needs a multi-year supply agreement with locked pricing are not the desk's day job either. The desk quotes per inquiry and does not hold inventory on speculation; a buyer with a five-year forecast at 50,000 pieces per month should use an authorised distributor with a franchised supply agreement.
Parts where the buyer requires the manufacturer-issued authorised-distributor letter on every shipment are not the desk's scope either. The desk is an independent distributor and procurement agent. That independence is what allows sourcing across the wider channel, including allocation-constrained and discontinued lines — but it also means the desk does not pass through a manufacturer warranty. Brand names belong to their owners. The warranty on a quotation is the desk's own, as stated on the quotation.
Data Notes
The desk is an independent sourcing agent. Information on this page is directional planning data based on the catalog scope, supplier base and the procurement process published on the procurement, quality, about, terms-of-sale and shipping-returns pages of icsourcedirect.com as of September 2026. Per-line pricing, MOQ, lead time and traceability are confirmed on each quote; substitute and cross-reference recommendations are verified against the original manufacturer datasheet and the buyer's own qualification process. End users and end uses are screened before quoting; transactions that cannot be screened are declined. No manufacturer-issued certifications are claimed. Verify with your supplier before committing to a specific line.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I submit a connector BOM for a quote from China?
Send the BOM through the RFQ form on the inquiry page or by email; the baojia quotation tool also parses a pasted parts list. Excel, CSV, PDF, plain text, or a photo of a label or datasheet page are all acceptable starting points. Each inquiry is kept in one thread so the history stays together, and a first response is targeted within one business day during local business hours.
What information does the desk need per line to quote accurately?
For each line: manufacturer and MPN, required quantity in pieces, packaging form (reel, cut tape, tube, bag, tray) and any acceptance documents needed. Where a line is a substitute or cross-reference, the target application and any critical ratings (signal or power, temperature, IP) help confirm suitability. Missing data is queried rather than assumed.
Can I send a photo of a part instead of an MPN?
A photo can help narrow the search, but it cannot identify a connector reliably on its own. A photo of the part markings, datasheet front page, or box label is a valid starting point; the desk uses it to propose a candidate MPN, but the candidate is confirmed against the manufacturer catalogue before any line is quoted. Visual matching alone is never accepted as confirmation.
How quickly will I get a quotation?
A first response is targeted within one business day during local business hours. A full multi-line connector BOM, or any line needing an allocation or channel check, can take longer — and that delay is flagged in email rather than left silent. Timing depends on how complete the submitted BOM is; a BOM that lists every sub-part (housing, contact, seal, retainer) moves through in a single pass.
Can I split one BOM into sample and production quantities?
Yes. Where useful, the sample and ramp quantities can be split on the same quotation. MOQ and price tiers depend on the specific part and channel, and the desk confirms the sample availability per line rather than assuming it. The quote shows both quantities with their respective pricing.
Can you consolidate multiple suppliers into one shipment?
Yes. Every supplier on an order is consolidated into one box and shipped with one freight bill, regardless of how many vendors the lines came from. This is the mechanism that removes full-reel and full-container minimums for small orders. One consolidated shipment is used whatever the destination — including the weekly DDP lane for Russia and the CIS where the route is quoted per shipment.
What happens if a line on my BOM is unavailable?
If a line cannot be sourced, the desk says so rather than substituting silently. The options are: an alternate channel with a longer lead time, a documented cross-reference the buyer can approve, or a last-time-buy if inventory exists. Nothing is procured until the buyer confirms. Unavailable and non-cancellable, non-returnable (NCNR) lines are labelled on the quote before commitment.
What to Do Next
A buyer ready to submit a BOM goes to the inquiry page, fills the RFQ form, attaches the file, and flags the urgency if any line is on a tight schedule. The baojia quotation tool parses a pasted parts list for buyers who want the fastest path. A buyer with a physical part and no MPN photographs the markings or the label and sends the photo with whatever context is available.
The procurement page describes the end-to-end flow. The terms-of-sale page lists the payment methods and the warranty terms that govern every quotation. The quality page describes the per-line inspection and the screening that applies to every order. The desk screens end users and end uses, classifies before quoting, and declines transactions that cannot be screened.
For a buyer who wants to understand the difference between a connector sourcing desk and an authorised distributor, the about page is the starting point. For a buyer who needs cross-reference work on a specific connector, the compare page is the starting point. For a buyer who needs the multi-brand control-panel scope or the medical-device scope specifically, the procurement page describes both.
The next step is to send the BOM.