Choosing an industrial automation supplier in Iraq:
a buyer checklist.
Choose the industrial automation supplier that can show where each part comes from, states lead times per line and documents every shipment. This guide from DAC for General Trading Ltd., Erbil, runs seven checks: traceability, documents, stock, lead times, panel testing, after-sales and references. DAC's own practice is the worked example under each check.
Ask DAC a question or email your part numbers- The short answer
- 1. Traceability
- 2. Documents
- 3. Stock or sourced
- 4. Lead time wording
- 5. Panel testing
- 6. After-sales
- 7. References
- How to use the checklist
The short answer
Choose the supplier that can show where each part comes from. The quotation should state the lead time per line, and every shipment should arrive with a complete document file. Price still matters. A delay at customs or a part without a certificate costs more than the difference between two offers.
1. Genuine parts with traceability
Ask where the supplier buys. A genuine part arrives factory-sealed and in current revision, with the manufacturer's label and documentation. The supplier should be able to say how it buys each brand it offers.
DAC buys through established European distribution via its sourcing desk in Germany. Genuine new material arrives factory-sealed, in the current revision, with manufacturer documentation on every unit.
2. Documents and certificates
Ask for the document list before you order, not after delivery. A complete shipment file holds the commercial invoice, the packing list, certificates of origin and the manufacturer's documentation. That documentation means datasheets, test reports and certificates.
Every DAC shipment travels with that file, assembled before the goods leave. DAC quotations carry HS codes per line, so the customs broker has what the file needs.
3. Stock or sourced
Ask which lines are in stock and which are sourced, item by item. A supplier who answers “available” for every line has not checked. Ask for the condition of each sourced item in writing.
DAC states availability per line in the quotation. Stock items dispatch within 1 working day; items not in stock usually arrive in 5 to 10 days door-to-door; configured or factory-built items follow the manufacturer’s production lead time, stated in every quotation.
Beyond the 23 featured brands, DAC can source from 2,266 manufacturers on request, with condition and warranty stated before you commit.
4. Lead time wording
Read the lead time clause closely. “Ex works”, “ready to ship” and “delivered to site” are three different dates. Ask for the delivery date to your site, per line, written into the quotation.
DAC writes delivery terms and the lead time per line into every quotation. Terms are agreed per order, so the offer can go straight into a tender file. Delivery runs door-to-door to site, warehouse or camp across Iraq's 18 governorates.
5. Panel building and testing
If the order includes a control panel or an MCC, ask who builds it, where, and how it is tested before delivery. Ask for the test report and the as-built drawings to travel with the panel.
DAC builds and tests control panels and MCCs in its own workshop in Erbil, from the components it supplies. Every panel ships with as-built drawings, test reports and component certificates. The factory acceptance test can be witnessed on request, and the build and test time is stated in the quotation.
6. After-sales and warranty
Ask which warranty applies, how the condition of each item is marked in the offer, and in which language the supplier answers.
The manufacturer warranty applies to genuine new material. For sourced items, condition and warranty are stated in the quotation before you commit. The DAC team works in English, Arabic, Kurdish and German, by phone, WhatsApp and e-mail.
7. References on request
Ask for references in your sector and your governorate. A supplier who has delivered to a refinery or a power station can name the equipment and the governorate, with the customer's consent.
DAC shares references on request and names sector, equipment and governorate for comparable supplies, with the customer's consent. Government institutions, oil companies and refineries already send DAC their tender annexes.
How to use the checklist
- Send the same request to every supplier: part numbers with quantities, the site, and the date you need the goods.
- Compare the answers line by line: availability, lead time to site, documents, warranty and price.
- Prefer the supplier who answers every line in writing. That is usually the one who delivers.
To run this checklist on DAC, send part numbers with quantities by WhatsApp or to info@dac-iq.com, or attach the BOQ. DAC replies within one working day with availability, unit prices, HS codes and the lead time per line.