Identification
You can get a list of potential suppliers by searching online. But almost always, the make or break pieces of information for China-side manufacturers and suppliers do not exist on the internet. And certainly do not exist on the English internet. We approach supplier and manufacturer identification with a problem-solution methodology. Our focus is on clearly understanding what you need and want, then systematically sifting through potential partners to identify the best fit. Whether you are just starting to get your products from China or you have been sourcing from China for years, we can identify the optimal factories or suppliers based on your product requirements and business needs. Read more…
- Identify long list of options based on your requirements.
- Create a short-list of options based on screening by questionnaire, verification, background checks and research.
- Investigate general factory information such as location, area, business license, annual sales, number of staff, product capabilities, legal status, and year founded.
- Verify documents including official licenses and certificates, as well as discover evidence of other customer or employee experiences.
- Get quotes on lead times promised per factory or supplier.
- Obtain price quotes per factory or supplier.
- Gather information on the claimed quality management systems of each factory
In-Depth Audits
We believe it is mission critical have an intimate understanding of your product’s manufacturer. You should know the facility, people, processes, controls, workflow and other systems that create your product. We conduct a full-fledged audit of your current or potential factory to paint a clear picture of your manufacturing capabilities. Read more…
- Verify documents including official licenses, certificates and evidence of other customer or employee experiences.
- Observation and Rating of physical production area (facilities, equipment, workers, product flows).
- Observation and Rating of factory facilities and machinery conditions.
- Observation and Rating of Hygiene and security.
- Verification of the quality control system.
- Investigation of company compliance issues (check whether the factory respects national regulations and other advertised standards).
- Photos of the facility (office, exterior, interior, business license, workers, managing staff, workshops, warehouses).
- Production workflow chart.
- Production line breakdown and capacity.
- Identify potential bottlenecks or fail points.
- Warehouse capabilities assessment (area, capacity).
- Shipping capabilities assessment.
- Quality system management report (certificates, last updated date, inspected by whom)
- Quality Control (photos, setup overview, types of testing equipment, reports available, final QC tests, incoming QC)
- Estimate manufacturer costs 1. Suppliers list and materials sourced 2. Input costs of existing product-lines being produced
Product Assembly
We manage your product assembly and packaging processes so you can ship high quality finished products straight from China. Many international companies opt to completely finish and package their customer-facing product in China. This is often a great option that reduces logistical complexity and cost after the product leaves China. But if a customer gets a product with an incorrect label or feature set that does not exactly match their expectations, your brand is damaged. Far too often this is what happens when final product packaging and assembly is put into the hands of a supplier or manufacturer. We ensure that your needs, requirements and product vision are fully intact when your product ships.
Quality Control
Our local staff will perform on-site inspection of your products to make sure quality standards are implemented and maintained. First, we work with your team to develop a detailed list of acceptable and unacceptable product variabilities. Next, we audit the existing quality systems (certificates, last updated date, inspection reports) and control processes (photos, setup overview, types of testing equipment, reports available, final QC tests, incoming QC) already conducted at your factory. Finally, we plan and execute product testing to uncover defects and deviations from your product requirements.
Logistics
We build or optimize your logistics system and ensure you get products on time at the best price possible. Internal logistics are fragmented and hitting delivery deadlines can be a challenge. If you already have a logistics system in place, we will audit your current system and propose an optimized alternative plan if necessary. If you are just getting started, we will build the optimal strategy according to your requirements.
Trademarking
If you don’t trademark your product in China, your supplier will. That means your supplier or manufacturer owns your brand. This potential nightmare has sadly become a reality for many foreign companies in China. It is critical that you protect your legal interests by registering your logo and brand names. We can handle this for you. We will perform a comprehensive trademark search and register your trademark under relevant trademark categories.
We take the pain out of sourcing from China.
