It's Not About the Money

Production problems, sourcing issues or timing delays are not always directly related to dollars and cents.

It's A Lot Like Banking

Manufacturing in China is a lot like a trip to the local bank.  All the waits, crowds, the responses and the communication level that you find in dealing with your vendor, you’ll also find in a basic window transaction.

Sampling Strife

In the Western mind;  you pay for a product, you expect it to be right.  But how do you define the term “right”?  You expect it to be “right” as far as your mind, background and surroundings define the term.

Going Cold on Offshore Projects

Avoid going cold on your projects.  Whether it’s a downtime in communication with your supplier, a delay from your brand in approval or whatever the reason, do what you can to avoid it.   

Worker at Material Dying Kiln: This guy is probably not too concerned
with your brand/client and if they had proper time to sign-off on the next campaign. 

I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating;  if you don’t seem concerned and motivated over your project, guess who else is not going to be highly motivated? That’s right, the overseas (China specifically) factory and supplier…. 

Reasons Against Doing Small Quantities Offshore

Factories feed off large volumes.
Is your order paying the bills?

In the promotional product and branded merchandise industry:  when is the right time to take your inquiry offshore?   Usually the answer to that question is directly related to the quantity of the order. 

As China, on the surface, is becoming more and more accessible, I can sense confusion among offshore buyers as to what quantity is worth pursuing, what quantity is worth taking offshore and what quantity is worth to bring to the beast that is the factory.  

Know What’s Happening with Your Order

Typical Holiday Door Coverings

Chinese New Year:  for all practical purposes it’s here if not knocking on the door. 

We had an order to be rushed out, ahead of schedule because the workers were hurrying to rush home.  I don’t blame them.  The workers in factories, for the most part, work very hard for very low pay.  This is the time of year, they want to kick back, go to their hometown and slip away to a time period that was simpler, easier… They spend time with family, play cards, share memories with loved ones and for 20+ days forget about production lines, money issues and the obstacles they encounter day-to-day. Most of them have the basic goal of providing for their families that are usually in a distant city.    

Due-Diligence: Developing a Product Offshore (Info, Material, Price)

Don't Expect Factory to do Research, Legwork
~ Do in Planning Stages

Here’s a list of basic steps in sourcing a customized item or developing a non-existing product.  This stuff is very basic but easy to overlook and with the frequency I see overseas importers/buyers not do this, you would think it’s rocket science.

 Keep in mind non-existing could mean an item the factory doesn’t currently produce (non-existing to the factory’s capabilities) and for them it will be a first-time run.  Also this could mean tweaking an existing product but requiring quite a bit of change, creativity and design legwork. 

Educate your Supplier on the Product

Although fine production line workers, these ladies are not
up-to-date on the latest trends

“Educate the factory on the product???  Is that a typo?  Shouldn’t they be the ones educating the customer?”

The following are areas where your Chinese supplier / factory may be in-the-dark and it’s up to you to shed some light.

Use

Target Market

Life-after-Production 

Proceed with Caution in Asking for Lower Price

If you want quality, it comes with a cost. 

Keep in mind, for the majority of the time, especially in the promo, branded, retail merchandise industries, when you tell a factory you need a low price;  that directly translates into “I need low quality”.

Nobody is Willing to Quote?

Factories include real people, doing a real job.
You send an inquiry, you're connected to every worker in there.

Quoting, purchasing and importing from overseas can be tricky business.   There are many factors involved in closing an order and making that sale.  Some of the contributing factors of success or failure can be on the production-side but just as many can be on the purchasing-side.  In this day and age of globalization and offshore production, it’s imperative that any importer maintains solid contacts with his overseas suppliers and potential suppliers. 

Promo Products: Should you Narrow Down your Item Range?

As an overseas promo item importer (supplier, distributer); you know that unless you work specifically in one material, you will not find one or even a handful of factories that can handle your inquiries and production.

Why is Your Inquiry (RFQ) Important to a Chinese Factory?

News flash** Just because you brought an inquiry to a factory or supplier doesn’t mean they are going to fall all over themselves to quote you. 

Many overseas buyers act as if there is an empty factory over here, all the machines are turned off, all the workers are playing cards, leaning against the wall and sleeping.  The boss is wringing his hands and pulling his hair out.  As soon as your email comes through, somebody blows the steam whistle and everyone runs into action, diligently working to make sure you get a perfect, detailed and exact quote as soon as possible.  Of course we all obviously would answer that we know that’s not how it works…..