How should the shared brief be written?
State approximate quantity, destination and the customer use the vehicles must serve. List mandatory body, equipment or drivetrain requirements separately from preferences. If the buyer welcomes alternatives, identify which changes can be considered rather than leaving every requirement open.
Select new, used or either explicitly. A mixed sourcing discussion can be useful, but the eventual vehicle list needs condition per line. The condition guide explains why new delivery checks and used history evidence should not be merged into a generic complete-record label.
When should a candidate enter the list?
Give each proposed vehicle a reference and retain its VIN when available. Connect specification, photographs, quotation and relevant evidence to that entry. If identification is pending for a new-car proposal, record the stage and when the information will be supplied.
A sourcing lead is not the same as an accepted unit. Use statuses that make the difference clear to the purchasing team. Avoid circulating one vehicle’s photographs as though they establish the appearance or condition of several others unless the limitation is stated explicitly.
Can one inspection standard cover the batch?
A shared scope can make assessments more consistent, but the conclusions remain individual. Each used X1 needs its own findings, and each new candidate needs the appropriate delivery record. A report on one car should never be treated as evidence that all the other units passed.
The inspection guide helps identify the required observations and limitations. Keep exceptions visible in the batch summary. One car may need further diagnosis while another meets the brief; combining their outcomes into one general acceptance obscures the decisions the buyer still needs to make.
How do you handle replacements?
If an offered vehicle is replaced, create or update its individual entry and review it against the brief. Do not transfer acceptance from the original car just because the model designation is similar. Equipment, history and scope may have changed.
Record the buyer’s decision on any permitted alternative and identify which unit it concerns. A concession for one vehicle does not automatically change the standard for the rest of the order. This makes the final list understandable to people who were not present for every sourcing conversation.
How are costs and readiness reconciled?
Match the accepted vehicle list with current quoted terms, agreed preparation and included equipment. Distinguish shared service amounts from individual vehicle amounts. The quotation guide helps prevent a total from being interpreted without its underlying scope.
Use a release status that reflects evidence, not merely the desired quantity. If a car still needs work or documentation, identify the outstanding item and responsible party. A buyer should be able to see why a vehicle is ready, pending or unsuitable without opening every file in the batch.
A mixed-condition order needs visible separation
A batch discussion can include new and used candidates if the buyer welcomes both. Keep condition visible in the list and assign the relevant evidence requirements to each vehicle. A common pickup arrangement or sales contact does not make their acceptance standards identical.
If a new proposal becomes unavailable and a used alternative is offered, record it as a change requiring comparison. The original open enquiry is not itself acceptance of that substitution. Review specification, history, preparation and quoted scope before moving the replacement into the selected list.
The same discipline applies to changes in body version or mandatory equipment. A buyer’s decision on one exception should identify the vehicle concerned and should not silently relax the standard for the entire batch. This makes the list easier to hand between sourcing staff and the receiving dealer without losing the commercial meaning of individual choices.
What should the receiving dealer get?
Provide a vehicle list that can be matched to arrivals, with accepted condition and relevant exceptions. The handover plan links release evidence with receiving observations. Keys, accessories and separately transferred items should be identifiable where they differ between vehicles.
Start through the dealer enquiry with an honest approximate quantity and the common requirements. Refine the individual list as candidates and evidence become available. The initial enquiry opens a sourcing discussion; it does not reserve a batch or establish payment terms. The actual vehicle records and agreements define what is eventually purchased.
