2026-06-10 / identity timeline / supplier due diligence / evidence file

How to Build a Supplier Identity Timeline

A timeline helps buyers see when names, addresses, websites, and bank details change across a sourcing project.

Why it matters

Supplier risk often appears through changes over time. A company name changes between quotation and invoice. A payment account appears late. A website footer uses a different entity from the license. A timeline turns these scattered details into a pattern the buyer can review before payment.

Evidence to collect

Record the first contact date, website identity, sales contact, quoted company name, business license, production address, invoice issuer, bank beneficiary, certificate holder, and any later changes. Keep screenshots with dates, especially when the supplier edits web pages or sends updated documents.

How to review it

Look for unexplained shifts. Some changes are normal: a revised invoice, a corrected address, or an affiliate collection company. The risk rises when changes are late, undocumented, or inconsistent with the supplier's stated role.

Where buyers get misled

Buyers get misled when they evaluate each document separately. One mismatch may be explained. Five mismatches across time may show that the supplier's commercial story is unstable.

Practical next step

Create a one-page identity timeline before approving a first deposit. If the timeline shows unexplained changes, ask for clarification in writing and pause payment until the entity chain is clear.