Month: April 2021

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Elksourcing：What Can a QC Company Do for You?

Apr 19, 2021 , by 露露

When importers sourcing in China, it is very important to make sure the quality of your products, so, you may need quality inspection service from a third-party QC company.

The main role of a QC inspection is to spot, and report issues based on the standards agreed upon by the client and supplier, the QC inspector will thoroughly check chosen goods per sampling plan, conduct visual inspection, function check, on-site test, and confirm packaging and other details.

The QC inspector visit the factory and check the products according to the customer or importer’s criteria. sampling the products according to AQL standard, any issues found are documented on-site in a detailed report, which is then sent to the importer for review.

Based on the actual findings shown on inspection report, the importer can make a decision whether to ship the products. If serious problems are spotted, the importer can reject the lot and ask the manufacturer to rework the whole lot and arrange a re-inspection.

The QC inspection company acts as your eyes and ears in facility is what QC inspector excel at. They give you a snapshot of order quality and status. But a third-party QC company doesn’t have the same relationship you have with your supplier. If your goal is to fix issues with an order or factory after reviewed the inspection report, you need to be the one to directly address these with your supplier and jointly determine what action is needed the next.

You know the kind of products you and your customers expect. Chinese suppliers are more likely to take action to fulfill a request of their client than of the third-party QC company. 

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Elksourcing：Tips about Finding a Supplier in China

Apr 19, 2021 , by 露露

Suppose you come up with an idea of certain products which you have market channels, and you want to find a supplier in China because of the low product development cost and low production cost there. 

If you Google the product name, you will find tons of China suppliers. However, it is difficult to choose. Many people get frustrated because they have been communicating with suppliers in China for months, but fail to move forward. The reason, most likely, is that they did not find the suitable one at the beginning. To successfully find a suitable China supplier, you need a strategy. Below are some practical tips to find a suitable Chinese supplier for you.

1. Understand what you need. You need to first know what is available and have a way to categorize the information. For example, if you need to import products in a narrow range, you may choose a manufacturer other than a trading company. If you are a small business and need dedicated attention, you may want to develop a good relationship with a small or medium sized supplier.

2. Use search engines to search information related to your product name. The first 50 results would be the most relevant websites related to your products. You can also find your competitors’ information and develop a better sense of market segment and marketing channels.

3. Use popular business directory websites to obtain very structured information for Chinese suppliers. The directory websites are also good resource to obtain industrial knowledge.

4. Narrow down the list of suppliers to a manageable amount. At this stage, you may already know what your real needs are and what is available. Initiate contact with the suppliers you want to work with, and further develop relationships with them. Eventually, you will find the one. If you feel the process is complicated, you may use a professional sourcing agent to assist you.

Analyzing the types of suppliers will help you to understand where you are, what kind of results to expect, and what are the things you need to take care of in the mutual cooperation. You may want to have an experienced person help you to analyze the information. You may seek advice from Chinese professionals who understand the Chinese mentality, culture and business practices. 

5. Visit the Chinese supplier in person is the most reliable way to truly know its capabilities. You can check the factory organization, process flow, quality of products, assembly and packing lines, facility, workers’ training level and overall working conditions. These will give you an indication of how the company is managed. A face-to-face meeting with the supplier’s management team will also give you an idea of their experience and willingness to embark on your project. You will also be able to create a friendly relationship, which is crucial for your project.

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Elksourcing：Checklist to Choose a Chinese Manufacturer

Apr 17, 2021 , by 露露

In many cases, small businesses make a factory selection based on completely irrelevant factors, such as your feeling to their website, the first impression to the company profile, or the promises made by a salesperson. However, I’d suggest you make decision per a solid checklist as described in the followings.

1: Main product

What matters the most when selecting a Chinese manufacturer, is their capability, expertise and experience of manufacturing the same product you intend to purchase.

Browse Alibaba for a few minutes and you find many suppliers, often registered as manufacturers, offering products that are very different in nature. There are plenty of reliable manufacturers selling related products. That said, if you are looking specifically for watch straps, better to find a watch strap manufacturer rather than a watch manufacturer, selling straps as a side business.

2: Main export markets

A reliable Chinese manufacturer is not necessarily a manufacturer primarily exporting products to the United States and Europe. There are plenty of manufacturers focusing on markets in Asia, Africa and Middle East – or the domestic Chinese market. However, their quality level are often lower. That said, the exporting rate to developed market is a major benchmark to consider.

3: Product safety compliance

Buyers based in the United States and Europe need to ensure that their imported items are compliant with one or more product standards (such as CE, UL, FDA and LFGB). There are various types of product safety standards and regulations to keep track of.

4: Quality level

There are reliable and highly sophisticated manufacturers specializing the low market segment. Nothing wrong with that, but make sure the supplier is able and willing to manufacture products matching your quality requirements before you put money on the table.

5: Quality management system

Manufacturing is not a science. It’s not a matter of “if” there will be defective items, but how many. In order to minimize the number of defective units, the manufacturer must monitor quality before, during and after production. 

6: Price

Surprised that I didn’t put pricing as top priority? Let me explain. Pricing is important, but only when attached to a product that is compliant with applicable product safety standards, in your country. Thus, it’s a complete waste of time to negotiate prices with a manufacturer that’s unable, or unwilling, to comply with product safety standards in your country.

7: Transparency

Manufacturers that don’t allow a quality inspection or factory audit always have something to hide. In order to weed out unreliable manufacturers early in the process, I suggest that you tell them about upcoming quality inspections and sample testing as soon as possible. This tactic tends to scare away scammers and low-end factories, while saving you a ton of time and money.

8: Communication

You shouldn’t need to wait for two weeks to get your emails replied. Manufacturers that lack interest in your order are not worth your time. Some Chinese suppliers also tend to avoid answering certain questions. If they deliberately avoid answering critical questions related to compliance, manufacturing capabilities and quality – dump them and go to the next supplier.

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Elksourcing：Can Quality Products be Obtained from China?

Apr 17, 2021 by 露露

Although in many western people’s mindset, China is famous for “cheap” products, in fact, quality products can be obtained from a manufacturer in China, if the buyer can make some efforts in the process. The following are my suggestions.

1) Provide clear instructions

Clear, concise, and detailed instructions are essential for obtaining high-quality products from a manufacturer in China. The more information that you provide, the more likely the manufacturer is able to make you the product in good quality. It is important to be as clear as possible and to set your minimum standards up front. Having someone to perform quality control in China on the ground will help ensure these standards are met.

2) Explain product’s function

Explaining what the product does, so as to help the manufacturer ensure that they are making it correctly. Knowing what a product is expected to do at beginning when it is completed allows quality control to effectively do their job at the end of the process. This is one of the key places where details become most apparent.

3) Obtain a sample 

Obtaining a sample before placing an order should be common sense, but many customers cannot wait to go right into a bulk order, confident that their design will speak for itself, this is rarely the case. Your designs often require tweaks before they are good enough to be mass-produced. Ordering a sample will help ensure that the product that you receive is correct before placing an order. This will avoid wasting money and valuable time.

4) Pay attention to quality control

Quality control at various stages throughout the process is important. Whether you’re using in-house or outsourced quality control, it is recommended that you have various checkpoints throughout the process, so your product is made per specifications. A good plan for quality control allows for customers to do this with confidence.

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Elksourcing：Tips about Working with Chinese Suppliers

Apr 17, 2021 , by 露露

Having your products manufactured in China can help you keeping costs down, but only if you work with the right suppliers, and with the help of a professional inspection company. Here are some tips about how to work with Chinese suppliers.

1) Have a clear quality standard

As the buyer, you need to be able to provide a supplier with the right quality standards. What may be important to you–such as the dimensions–may not be as important to other customers the supplier has. When you are able to clarify this early on, it will increase the likelihood that you will choose a supplier who can meet your criteria.

2) Learn about the supplier’s other clients

In particular, see if you can find out who the supplier’s top clients are. When you take a look at the work done for the supplier’s biggest clients, you will get an idea of their typical standard for quality.

3) Have sufficient order volume

Keep in mind that in China, large factories often turn down small orders. For small orders, many factories in China just go right into production, it is riskier because they will then have to addresses problems as those issues appear in the production in process. Lower-volume work may also have to be done in a more manual way, which can lead to an inconsistency in quality.

In short, make sure your order volume is big enough to avoid all of these problems, and always use the services of a China inspection company to confirm your products are what you need and expect before they land at your door or at the homes of your customers.

4) Remember that price and quality are linked

The lower the price, the smaller the margin for the supplier, and this means they have less interest in going that extra mile to produce perfect products for you. Like many other countries, in China, it’s “you get what you pay for” – if you are paying a very low price, you really can’t expect to get top quality.

Of course, as mentioned above, having product inspections done by a local company on the ground can help ensure your final products are what you need before they leave China. QC inspectors can examine your products for flaws in safety, function, and appearance, run tests to ensure they meet your standards, and confirm the packaging is correct. Even the best supplier can make mistakes, so pair your supplier with an inspection company to protect yourself from all the areas.

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Elksourcing：What is Fulfilment by Amazon?

Apr 17, 2021 , by 露露

Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) is an exclusive service provided by Amazon using which a seller can store their products in special warehouses of Amazon known as “fulfilment centres” and Amazon takes care of delivering their products to their final customers. Through FBA, you can relieve yourself with the responsibility of ensuring quick and reliable delivery of your products to your customers.

If you opt for FBA, Amazon will keep a track of your orders, pick the required product from the fulfilment centre, pack it and ship it right to your valuable customers. Moreover, Amazon will also provide a round-the-clock customer support regarding your products being delivered to your customers. This would ultimately help you increase the scale of your operations and widen your customer reach.

What benefits can you avail by FBA? Here are some of the key benefits you can avail if you opt for the FBA service of Amazon:

1) “Prime” Eligibility 

By choosing the FBA service of Amazon, you can make your products eligible for delivery for the Prime members of Amazon. This would facilitate your customers to get your products delivered to them using the exclusive two-day shipping and free shipping offers. All the products listed through FBA would be displayed on Amazon’s website with its signature Prime logo.

2) Trusted Service 

Amazon has garnered enough goodwill and trust in the online shopping market and you can make use of the same pertaining to your products. Amazon will also handle the return of your products effectively if your customers feel the need to do so according to their service and return policies.

3) Help Your Business Grow 

There is no limit for the number and type of products you can store with Amazon through FBA. This would not only ensure faster and more reliable delivery but would also help you in diversifying and growing your business enterprise ensuring high productivity.

4) Save Your Hard-earned Money

By choosing FBA, you will be charged for the storage space provided to you and the products shipped by Amazon as and when they are delivered. As all the shipping costs are included in your charges with no extra charge levied for Prime facilities, you can save decent money by going the FBA way.

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Elksourcing：Four Quality Checks You Should Know

Apr 17, 2021 , by 露露

In China sourcing practices, there are four key quality checks, each corresponds to a particular step in the production process. I recommend you keeping them in mind, when it comes to doing business with Chinese suppliers.

1. Initial Production Check

An Initial Production Check is the inspector’s visiting when all materials and components come in the factory. Factories are often suspected of lowering their costs by purchasing substandard materials, and this can be disastrous for the buyer. The Initial production check can also focus on the processes followed as production starts.

Sometimes this can also be critical, as Chinese factories very often cut corners and do not respect the buyer’s blueprints. 

2. During Production Check

A During Production Check allows the buyer to have an idea of average product quality, early in the production cycle. It is a useful and under-rated tool at the disposal of importers, who often only rely on final inspections. It usually takes place once some finished products have come out of the lines. If quality issues are found, what is already produced might be re-workable, and corrective actions can be taken for the rest of the job. It gives buyers the time to plan ahead and try to avoid delays.

3. Final Random Inspection

The Final Random Inspection is by far the most common type of quality check. It takes place once 100% of shipment quantity is finished and at least 80% is packed. So, it can be a real random inspection and suppliers cannot play games. It puts pressure on suppliers and gives power to buyers. Its objective is to confirm a shipment’s quality, rather than catching issues early.

Therefore, we usually suggest our clients to arrange both final random inspections and during production check, to avoid catching big problems at the last minute. 

4. Container Loading Check

It can be a worthwhile option in the case when the shipment requires special container loading. It can also ensure that the right kind of products are shipped out in the right quantity, or when several suppliers bring their products for consolidation.

Only the most sensitive projects require all types of inspection. Generally, only one or two of these tools are used, depending on the risks identified by the buyer.

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Elksourcing：Choose an Inspection Company or Do It Yourself?

Apr 17, 2021 , by 露露

After you place an order to a factory in China, you must be anxiously wait for the products. Besides of lead time, the most important thing is to make sure the products are made to your spec. How to insure it? You may choose an inspection company to do quality control on behalf of you, or you want to do it yourself? 

1) Choosing an Inspection Company

Choosing a China inspection company often makes sense for those who plan to have products manufactured in a factory there. Company selection should be as thorough a process as choosing a manufacturer, as you want to ensure that you will be able to communicate with the company effectively. This is the key to receiving high-quality goods from China without having to visit by yourself.

Do your homework. Choosing a company that is easy to work with to represent your interests is a big decision, and you should feel confident that the company is able to accurately represent your interests throughout the process and communicate necessary changes or adjustments to be made.

2) Confidence in the Process

Enlisting the help of a quality control company allows for a customer to have confidence that the end-product that will be delivered to them is as accurate as possible. This is one of the primary reasons to utilize a third-party company to provide oversight to the manufacturing process in China. Inspection company responsibilities include clearly communicating about and understanding a customer’s needs, clarifying information that may be unclear or too open for interpretation and providing the customer with feedback throughout the process to ensure that expectations are being clearly communicated to the manufacturer. It is also their responsibility to monitor that these expectations are being met or letting you know why they are not.

A customer should have confidence in the company that they choose to conduct the inspections on their behalf. Open communication is a significant confidence builder, and the best inspection companies are used to dealing with customers from a variety of locales. This can help bridge communication, language and cultural gaps that may otherwise interfere with the manufacturing process.

3) Cost Savings

A trip to China can cost you $3000 or so, depending on where you are traveling from. A local China inspection company is likely to cost a small fraction of that price, providing a significant savings to the customer. These savings are also often seen throughout the manufacturing process, as the inspection company can provide the customer with real-time updates on the process. This gives them an opportunity to address issues immediately, which results in fewer wasted materials and resources.

Choosing an inspection company is a wise decision if a customer does not plan to make a trip to China themselves to ensure proper product completion. It is a viable way to help ensure that the process goes smoothly and tends to be significantly more cost-effective for the customer in the long run.