№16 · Bot Profile · Design / Merchandising
Fabric & Trim Sourcing Bot
Supplier inquiries and a side-by-side quote compare.
Paid once. Checkout by Polar, our merchant of record, which works out any sales tax or VAT.
In these sets: All-Access, $49
Or included in membership.
- Format
- Bot Profile
- Made for
- Solo founders, small brands, creators with their own label
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Time to value
- ~30–45 min
Times are estimates until a platform test run confirms them.
CompatibleChatGPT · Claude · Gemini · Grok · Any model
Overview
- The problem
- “I know the fabric and trims I want, but I don’t know what to ask mills and suppliers. When quotes come back, they’re in different units, minimums and lead times, so I can’t compare them.”
- What you get
- A sourcing pack for one style or collection: a clear spec request (what you need per fabric or trim), inquiry drafts for the suppliers you chose, a side-by-side compare sheet of the quotes you get back (price per unit, minimums, lead time, sampling cost, what’s missing), and a swatch/sample checklist. You pick and contact suppliers.
- What’s included
- Bot profile instructions
- Fabric & trim spec-request template (fiber, weight, width, color, finish, certifications to ask about)
- Supplier inquiry template + follow-up
- Quote compare sheet (normalizes to the same unit and quantity)
- “questions they didn’t answer” list
- Swatch & sample checklist
- Sourcing glossary
- 3 starter prompts (+ full prompt set)
- Review checklist
- Platform setup notes
- Ready-made skill (SKILL.md folder + zip)
- PDF guide
- Illustrative example
- What you’ll need
- Style or collection list with the fabrics and trims each needs (or Tech-Pack Assistant BOM)
- Quantities you’re planning
- Target cost per garment (if known)
- Suppliers you found yourself (names, public info)
- The quotes they send back (yours to share)
- Any certifications you want to ask about
How it runs
7 steps- Load the style list or BOM
- Bot drafts a spec request per fabric/trim. Unknowns are [MISSING]
- You approve the specsYour call
- Bot drafts an inquiry for each supplier you chose
- You send them yourselfYour call
- Paste the quotes you get back. Bot builds the compare sheet in the same units and lists what each supplier didn’t answer
- You pick, order swatches and decide. The bot never orders or acceptsYour call
Your call marks a step where you review and decide. Nothing moves on without you.
Estimated time: ~30–45 min for spec requests and inquiries, ~15 min per quote compare.
Starter prompts
- Turn my BOM into supplier spec requests
- Draft an inquiry to {supplier} for this fabric
- Compare these three quotes in the same units
Fill in the parts in braces. The full prompt set is in the kit.
Sample output
Illustrative, fictional brand “Marlow & Pine” and fictional suppliers, written for this kit, not a platform test: “Compare: 12-gauge merino jersey, 300 m needed. Supplier A: $14.20/m, MOQ 300 m, lead 6 wks, sample yardage $40 · Supplier B: €11.90/kg → [VERIFY: convert, need g/m² to get per-meter price], MOQ 100 kg, lead [MISSING] · Supplier C: $16.80/m, MOQ 50 m, lead 3 wks. Unanswered: B lead time and width. C shrinkage after wash. Note: A is cheapest per meter only if you really need all 300 m. C lets you test 50 m first. Your call.”
It will be replaced with real output after a test run.
Platforms
| AI tool | Label | Setup note |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | Compatible | Project + data analysis |
| Claude | Compatible | Project or skill. Reads swatch photos and quote PDFs, can’t judge hand-feel |
| Gemini | Compatible | Skill, compare sheet kept in your own sheet |
| GrokRuns as a Grok Bot (beta) | Compatible | No limits noted |
| Any modelAny capable chat model | Compatible | Paste quotes as text |
We ran it ourselves on this tool. Shows the date and model of the run.
No piece carries this yet. Tested means we have run it ourselves. We update the label as each piece is tested.
Built to run on this tool. Not yet confirmed by our own test run.
Works with a limit we name.
Tools required
Any chat model (one that reads PDFs helps for quotes). Spreadsheet for the compare sheet. Your own email to contact suppliers.
House standards for this piece
All our standards- Human review gate
- You approve every spec request, send every inquiry yourself, order the swatches and make every supplier choice.
- Data grounding
- Only the designer’s BOM/style list and the quotes they received. Conversions shown with math. [MISSING]/[VERIFY] on gaps.
- No invented results
- No “save X% on fabric” claims. No invented prices, minimums or lead times.
- AI disclosure
- Inquiries are AI-assisted drafts sent by the designer. Internal compare sheet.
- IP & bias
- No copying another brand’s fabric spec or proprietary materials. Sustainability/certification claims are the supplier’s and must be verified with certificates before any marketing use.
- Privacy
- Quotes stay in this project and are not saved to memory. Don’t paste supplier contracts or other brands’ pricing.
- Approval boundary
- Never contacts suppliers, requests samples, accepts quotes, places orders, negotiates or pays.
Questions people ask
Will it find suppliers for me?
No. You bring the suppliers from your own research (trade shows, directories, recommendations). The bot never searches for or guesses contacts.
How does it compare a per-kilo quote with a per-meter one?
It needs the fabric weight (g/m²) and the width. Weight per meter = g/m² × width in meters ÷ 1000 kg. Without both, it marks the line [VERIFY] and adds them to your questions list.
Can it tell me if a fabric is sustainable?
No. It reports what the supplier states, labeled “supplier claim, ask for the certificate”. Check the certificate yourself before you mention it anywhere.
Does it negotiate?
No. It can point out trade-offs in the compare, such as a lower minimum that lets you test first. Any negotiating, ordering and paying is yours.
Which AI tool should I use?
Whichever you already use. Tools that read PDFs and photos save you retyping quotes. Every route works if you paste quotes as text. ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and the any-chat-tool route work on free plans. Grok Bot needs a paid plan that includes it: The X Subscription Premium, Super or Ultra (Plus and Free don’t include it), or an existing SuperGrok, SuperGrok Plus, SuperGrok Heavy, paid Cursor or Cursor Teams plan.
Can I use it commercially?
Yes, for your own brand. The kit is licensed for one business (you and anyone who works on your business may use it). It’s not licensed for agency or client-service use, and please don’t resell or republish it.