Manufacturing and Quality Control blog

Trade shows offer you the opportunity to discuss production capabilities and your own requirements first-hand, typically in English. But trade shows can often be a frustrating experience, especially your first time or early on. By following our 5 simple survival tips you can ensure you are putting yourself in the best position to get the most out of your valuable time while at the show. .

Topics: Sourcing

I wanted to learn about the processes involved with sourcing in China and the kinds of challenges buyers might face trying to find a quality supplier. To that end, I sat down with Sourcing Specialist Terry Zheng of InTouch for a manufacturing podcast interview where he gave me an insider's view of what it's like to search for a quality supplier in China. The following is a transcript of that interview:

Topics: Sourcing

If you've yet to be involved with a factory in China that has abruptly shut its doors for good, then consider yourself lucky. More and more factories in China are shutting their doors. Your factory could close at any time without refunding your order deposit or shipping your goods.

Topics: Sourcing

Why would anyone want to buy through a trading company when they can cut out the middleman? Can’t I save money by going factory direct?

Topics: Sourcing

“Are prices in China really so low?” This is not an easy question to answer. Prices for goods imported from China used to be very competitive but are beginning to look less attractive. Sourcing in China has become more difficult as negotiating with a Chinese supplier for a much lower price is not as easy as it was ten years ago.

Topics: Sourcing

When importers are selecting among an endless list of possibilities, factory location can often take a back seat to factors like price, product quality and shipping deadline. But what if we told you that factory location can, and almost always does, greatly impact all of those factors and more?

Topics: Sourcing

Working factory direct sounds like a good idea, right? Well, not necessarily. There are a few considerations to make before deciding if that is the best option, especially when there are existing relationships in place. In this article, we’ll walk you through four major points to consider before going factory direct.

Topics: Sourcing

Importers often insist on working directly with the factories that manufacture their products. There are many reasons why: factory-direct pricing, having a direct line of communication to the factory itself, and other benefits generally associated with “cutting out the middleman.”

Topics: Sourcing

Bangladesh continues to make headlines as new revelations about the tragic Rana Plaza factory collapse come to light. This publicity is causing importers and international analysts to wonder about the pros and cons of sourcing products from a center for ultra-cheap labor such as Bangladesh in comparison to other options, notably China.

Topics: Sourcing

Even with the advent of websites like Alibaba.com and MadeInChina.com, sourcing products from China can be a daunting task. This is a major reason why many buyers forgo sourcing altogether and rely on agents or trading companies to do the legwork.

Topics: Sourcing