Author: 露露

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Elksourcing：What Does A Procurement Outsourcing Company Do?

Apr 16, 2021 , by 露露

Nowadays, importing from China becomes more and more popular. For new importers who want to source from China, it’s highly recommended hiring a sourcing agent. So, what does a procurement outsourcing company do? 

1. Conduct research on suppliers

A good procurement outsourcing company maintains a database of suppliers. The database consists of names of the companies, the owners, their contact numbers, e-mail address, website URL, office address and so on. The agents conduct a thorough research on the suppliers’ products and decide which supplier is suitable for you. Some suppliers sell only a certain type of products. Agents can approach niche suppliers if you want to purchase niche products.

2. Negotiate prices

After having selected some suppliers, the procurement outsourcing company speaks to them in person. This is the time when they discuss about prices. Agents negotiate prices with suppliers on your behalf. The suppliers, who agree to offer products at your preferred rate, are selected for further consideration.

3. Communicate full details

Hiring a procurement outsourcing company in China is useful to ensure clear communication with the suppliers. The Chinese agents can speak with the suppliers in Chinese. If you send a representative from your country, the business dealings may not favor you. An outsider can easily be made to agree to a high purchasing price because of communication gap. On the other hand, a local sourcing agent China can cleverly handle dealings and avoid being manipulated.

4. Verify quality of product

A sourcing agent with offices in China can offer you complete insight into the quality of the products you are about to buy. They can send their representatives to check the products at the warehouse of the supplier. Since, the agencies have offices in China; the quality experts have no difficulty in traveling to different supplier warehouses. By checking the products, they can determine if the quality caters to international export standards.

5. Check compliance with regulations

A reliable sourcing agent employs tax experts who can inform you about the tax regulations in China and in your country. Tax experts can offer you knowledge about the compliance of the products with the tax norms of both nations.

6. Assist in transportation

Sourcing agents work in close collaboration with freight companies. The freight company transports goods from the warehouse to the dockyard. Sometimes, a supplier takes the responsibility to transport goods to the dockyard. In such cases, the freight company handles only the shipping of the products from the supplier’s country to the buyer’s country.

Procurement outsourcing is important to your business, you really need someone on the ground to help you to do above work, and a good procurement outsourcing company can offer manifold services to you, they can assist you with the right procurement practice.

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Elksourcing：A Complete Guide for Amazon FBA Beginners

Apr 16, 2021 , by 露露

When you send your first shipment to Amazon to be fulfilled, you will need to comply to certain criteria. You need to make clear how many parts make up each item and where you are sending them from. Then you select the shipping method and carrier for the shipment. Amazon has favored partners for carrying services which offer competitive rates. Amazon will inform you about where to send your fulfilled shipment. 

Once they arrive, they will then become available to UK Amazon buyers. If you are shipping from other countries, there are corresponding fulfilment services in other countries which you can take advantage of. You can select a Multi Country Inventory if you ship products to different countries. Amazon will send your most popular items to the country where they sell the most, but also send the same items to Fulfilment Centers in the countries where they are to be shipped from.

Amazon may require you to supply the dimensions of your packages if you are new to Amazon Fulfilment, so make sure you have these available.


You will need to tell Amazon exactly how many packages you are sending to the fulfilment center. It will delay processing your order if you enter incorrect amounts on the Send/Replenish Inventory page. You will need to prepare your packages for distribution, and again, in put this information on to your company page on Amazon. You have a list of packaging options to select from a drop-down menu, so highlight the appropriate packaging details. You will then be taken to a page where you can print appropriate labels for each of your boxes or individual items, according to your preferences.

Then, you will have a carrier tracking number, you enter this onto your account, and mark the item as shipped and you are ready to send the items. If there are any inconsistencies in the process, you can select the Reconcile tab and use the Shipment Reconciliation Tool.

(1) Extra Options

Marketplace Web Services
Amazon’s marketplace web services or MWS allows companies to integrate their Amazon FBA transactions within their own management systems. This is achieved through various interfaces which allow you to perform various FBA functions within your own system. These functions include sending shipment inventories to the FBA centers. Even orders generated from non-Amazon sales can be stored on this inventory system. MWS can also store records of your inventory at their fulfilment centers. It costs nothing to take advantage of the MWS system. It is all included in your fees for using the Amazon FBA service.

(2) What actually happens to your goods?

So, once you have shipped your goods to the fulfilment center with a carrier, what actually happens? We can look at the step by step process until your goods are dispatched. Firstly, the items are received and scanned by receiving staff at the FC. You can check the status of your order by looking on your company page within your Amazon account. The fulfilment center aims to process your shipments within three days, and if this is not the case, you can contact the Seller Support Centre.
The items that you have sent to the FC are then put on shelves within the FC until they are picked for distribution to clients.

(3) Pallet Deliveries

If you are sending your goods to Amazon using a pallet, you need to be aware of certain requirements. For instance, the pallet cannot be higher than 1.7m if it is single stacked, or 1.5m high if it is double stacked, and this includes the height of the pallet.

The actual pallet needs to conform to the measurements of 1200mm by 1000mm or it will not be accepted. The pallets also have to be securely wrapped in stretch clear plastic or tape and marked with a “do not break down” sticker. You should also mark any items that are heavier than 15kg as a heavy load.

When the pallets are delivered to the Fulfilment Centre, the staff need to be able to access the goods using their own Power Pallet Truck, so the lorry that delivers the goods needs to be 7.5 tons or heavier. It also needs to be able to reverse to the door of the FC loading bay.

Any carriers have to request a delivery appointment. You should fill out your booking form and give it to the carrier so he can inform the FC by email.

(4) Common problems

You want your goods to be shipped to the fulfilment center safely and quickly. You can help this process to run more smoothly. Delays can occur in shipments being received if you do not follow the procedural instructions carefully.

Make sure your items are packed correctly;

Make sure your labels are attached securely and easy to read;

Make sure you have put the correct item in the correct package.

There are different customs requirement for different countries, so you will have to make sure that the goods you are sending comply with the country you are sending them to and their regulations. You can use a customs broker to help you with this side of the distribution if you find it too daunting. You will then have the reassurance of knowing that these complex issues have been handled by a professional.

(5) Starting a business using Amazon FBA

An established business which is already importing or manufacturing products will find it a logical step to enroll with Amazon FBA. However, if you are starting a business, you can plan to use Amazon’s fulfilment services when you are preparing your business plan.

Once you have sourced your products and arranged for them to be manufactured, they can be sent straight to the Amazon Fulfillment Centre, and cut you out of the equation completely. Obviously, you will still be at the heat of the business, and process your inventory and keep track of orders and sales. But in terms of storing products, and arranging for them to be distributed, Amazon FBA will take care of all those headaches for you. Even with the costs you need to pay to Amazon for distribution, you will still be making a healthy profit on your goods if you have priced them realistically. You will need to set up an Amazon professional account as you will be a business seller rather than an individual seller, and aim to sell items in bulk rather than one at a time.

As an Amazon business customer, you can benefit from other perks as well. When you start selling on Amazon you are an unknown quantity to the buyer. It is beneficial to have reviews and star ratings to give the buyer confidence. Amazon can arrange all this for you using an algorithm. They can rate your selling profile by balancing it with sales and reviews. So, when you start out, get all your friends and family to buy and / or review your products. This gives you a start and a foot up on the ladder of being an Amazon recommended seller. If you want to make your living as an Amazon seller, and wish to take advantage of FBA, you can enroll on a course to learn the basics of how to get started. Courses provide a blueprint of how to use Amazon FBA if you are a new starter or even an existing seller.

(6) Summary

It is obvious of the benefits to a business of using the Amazon Fulfilment Service. Your business will run more smoothly and you will save time and cut costs in your own workplace. Your customers will be impressed as they will have the Amazon customer service and delivery options available to them when they buy your products. This means you will generate more sales and improve your customer satisfaction.

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Elksourcing：Advantages of Hiring a Sourcing Agent

Apr 16, 2021 , by 露露

Are you interested in sourcing products from China? If that’s the case, you have two options – you can either take the trouble of handling all the sourcing activities, or you can hire a sourcing agent China. Calling the suppliers, verifying authenticity of suppliers, negotiating prices, conducting paperwork, and making a deal are not easy. It is a tedious and time-consuming work for business owners. But, if you hire a sourcing agent, you can give attention to important aspects of your business. The followings are the benefits of hiring a sourcing agent for procuring from China.

1. Passes on knowledge about local suppliers

By approaching a sourcing agency with offices in China, you can learn about different suppliers and their fields of expertise. The agency experts can speak in the local language and can easily communicate with the suppliers. Sourcing agents are linked with major players in the suppliers’ market and can verify suppliers’ credentials. Their knowledge assists you to choose the most reliable and efficient supplier in China.

2. Helps reduce expenses

You may think that by handling sourcing activities on your own, you can save the money. However, visiting China repeatedly to address different purposes can lead to huge expenditure. Moreover, your lack of knowledge about the suppliers’ market in China can make you an easy target of exploitation.

A sourcing agency with offices in China performs all the necessary tasks related to your sourcing needs. A sourcing agent China closes your deal at the best price. Ultimately, you can save money and use it for further development of your business.

3. Ensures quality supply

Chinese sourcing agents can speak the local language. Therefore, they can communicate clearly with suppliers. Proper communication convinces the supplier that the agents are locals and thus, cannot be taken advantage of. They visit the supplier’s warehouse to check the quality of products at their disposal. The agents make sure that the products reach you in sound state and not in broken condition.

4. Reaches solutions to on-floor warehouse problems

It is natural to face problems in an overseas sourcing transaction. You cannot keep stalling important business meetings or other essential work to visit China every time the supplier needs you. Sourcing agencies make sure that the issues are solved in time, so that you don’t have to travel to China repeatedly. They send representatives to the supplier’s warehouse to address issues and offer you efficient service.

You might have to pay a certain amount to the sourcing agent as remuneration. However, you are saved from incurring hidden costs that are involved in directly dealing with factories. Dealing with a good sourcing agent is time-saving and cost-efficient. Also, you don’t have to involve yourself in lengthy sourcing activities.

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Elksourcing：Key Stages of Strategic Global Sourcing

Apr 16, 2021 , by 露露

Companies across the world strive to offer quality products and services to their clients and at the same time, earn considerable amount of profits. International purchasing is a unique procurement strategy offering you the facility to procure quality goods at reasonable rates from developed and developing economies. You can hire a global sourcing agency to ensure a smooth and profitable outcome of your international purchasing endeavor.

Pls read the following steps to get an idea about the global sourcing process.

1. Investigation

This is the primary stage where the sourcing agents identify the primary and the secondary operational activities, analyze market needs and identify competitors in the field. The insight gained will assist in knowing the prospective market and the objective of the brand in procuring from a different country. In this step, the sourcing specialist creates a baseline and work strategy for performance measurement. 

2. Evaluate supplier and market

This is the phase where the agents create an elaborate benchmark to select suppliers. Depending upon the findings from the market evaluation, the agents can help you to create a final cost model. This is when the economic as well as the operational advantages are considered and calculated

3. Supplier Selection

The sourcing agent will assist you in selecting the suppliers, so that you can negotiate the price of the products to be procured from them. In this stage, the agents conduct a technical assessment of the suppliers who have been finalized. This helps in understanding the tentative savings of each and every supplier, so that you can decide which supplier to choose. The supplier with maximum savings is a good option as you can be rest assured of service, even if the economy faces a financial crisis. After this, an implementation schedule is drafted, which draws the timeline for various suppliers. This is the stage in global sourcing where you can finalize on the supplier you are going to choose for your procurement needs.

4. Implementation

In this stage, a schedule for performance analysis is created where the sourcing agent outlines all activities performed as per the implementation schedule. The procurement agents constitute the implementation team and they publish the strategy as well as the schedule. This is when the supplier and the business owner – the latter with help from the sourcing agents – reach an agreement, which is related to resources, shared supply and logistical arrangements. If you expect any external and internal reports from suppliers, make sure to document it for later use. You never know when you might need them. You can also measure and report the actual performance of the suppliers regularly, with the help of the sourcing agent.

5. Keep an eye on performance

You can measure the performance of suppliers in response to the procedures and resources that are applied by supply partners. Independent measuring is also possible. This performance measurement should be routinely carried out and documented on a regular basis. This is the stage where you can analyze the efficiency of the partnership developed with each supplier. You need to identify the developmental areas and try to get rid of the problems faced. This approach results in improving the overall performance of suppliers.

6. Get an insight into the spend category

In this stage, the sourcing agents try to get an idea about spend category. This refers to the knowledge gained about the usage style, and why the specific grades were mentioned. You must also know about the different stakeholders involved in the procurement process. Starting from shipping details to handling, you need to understand the following areas.

a.   Expense as per sub-commodity and commodity

b.   Expense as per supplier

c.    Total historic expense 

d.   Projection of future budget and demand 

e.   Expense as per department

7. Stay in touch with new suppliers

Any change in delivery process, specifications and pricing model is communicated to suppliers and people in your organization. Building a proper communication plan is essential to ensure a smooth transition from old to new. 

Conclusion

Now, that you know about the various steps involved in the process of strategic procurement, it’s time you hire a sourcing agency for smooth procurement.

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Elksourcing：How to Improve Communication with China Suppliers?

Apr 16, 2021 , by 露露

Many Western importers find it’s relatively easy to find suppliers online, however, to properly communicate with China suppliers is usually daunting. Are there any tips about how to improve communications with your suppliers? Here are some.

1. Keep emails simple when communicating with suppliers

Importers sometimes send a barrage of emails to a supplier in a short period of time—all relating to the same issue. These emails sometimes contain technical English, slang or spelling mistakes. You may feel your Chinese supplier’s English is pretty good. But there’s a strong chance they’re regularly copying your emails directly into an online translator to understand the meaning in their native language. Sending many different emails, using complicated language or including spelling mistakes in your message can all lead to misunderstandings. And in doing so, you also risk having your supplier miss the key points of your email. Limit your email correspondence to one simple email chain per topic when possible. Use short words, short sentences and bulleted or numbered lists to help the supplier more easily respond to different points.

2. Follow up with a phone call

Getting your contact on the phone is one way to quickly improve communication with suppliers.  It’s often best to contact your supplier by phone if they don’t respond to an email within a reasonable amount of time or become generally unresponsive. Reviewing details over the phone can also help you avoid misunderstandings and gauge whether a supplier genuinely understands your message. If you doubt your supplier’s understanding, simplify your message like you might if you were explaining to your grandmother. Speaking slowly and in simpler terms will go a long way in ensuring your expectations are clear.

3. Limit the number of contact people

Having to deal with several different people can complicate buyer-seller communication. Requirements can easily get lost in translation as they’re transferred from one contact to another. Limiting the number of people, you talk to can help. Whenever possible, designate one person from your organization to act as the key contact to liaise with your supplier. That person should ideally be someone sensitive to the local culture with the ability to communicate in simple, easy-to-understand English, or even better, in the local language. Likewise, your communication can improve by having a single point of contact on the supplier’s end. It’s often best to have a contact that’s actually working in the factory where your goods are being made.

4. Make contact with suppliers through QQ

QQ can be an effective mode of communication with Chinese suppliers who are hard to reach by email and phone. While email remains the preferred communication tool in the West, Chinese professionals largely prefer online chat as their method of choice. Partly due to a lack of desktop PCs at the time email emerged, China never quite fully adopted the Western custom of habitually checking email. That’s not to say you shouldn’t still rely on email or phone calls for more formal communication like negotiating contracts. But QQ can be great for informally checking in on your supplier’s progress. You’re more likely to reach suppliers wherever they are—on a train, in a taxi or in the office—with QQ than with email.

5. Create a QC checklist to set clear quality requirements

Are your requirements spread out in multiple email chains, embedded in a long-winded paragraph or split into several different email attachments? If so, important details are likely lost in the process.

In the quality control industry, this kind of document is known as a QC checklist. Along with any approved samples, a QC checklist can serve as a reference of your requirements for both factory staff and QC inspectors. Sending a QC checklist to your supplier before production even begins is a great way to limit miscommunication. This gives the supplier an opportunity to review your requirements and confirm their ability to meet them, ask questions and offer feedback.

6. Share product inspection results with your supplier

Some importers just glance at a product inspection report, check if the result is pass or fail and advise whether to hold or release the shipment accordingly. Then they set the report aside and don’t bother to review it again. They “rinse and repeat” when placing the next order, following the same process but expecting different results. Whether performed by you or a professional third party on your behalf, outside inspection can pinpoint issues and help your supplier improve. Inspectors may find quality issues you didn’t expect could appear. This often happens if you’ve omitted a requirement from your checklist. And if you want to prevent the same issue from reoccurring, you’ll need to communicate the issue and your tolerance for it to your supplier.

7. Meet with your supplier in person

Not all importers have a budget that allows them to visit their suppliers overseas.  But arranging a visit can be well worth the investment if you’re serious about improving communication and cultivating a long-term relationship with your supplier. Meeting suppliers in person helps put a face to your name. Large suppliers handle thousands of purchase orders a year. And your requirements can easily get lost in stack of others’. But if you go the extra mile (literally) to visit them, they just might prioritize your orders a little bit more.

8. Involve your third-party inspection company when liaising with suppliers

Even if you’ve sourced from China for years and routinely visit your suppliers, you might not speak Chinese. And there’s nothing wrong with that—chances are you’ve got much higher priorities!

Working with a third-party inspection company can improve your communication with your supplier in ways you never could without Chinese language abilities. If you involve your inspection company early enough in the process, they can also support you by clarifying requirements to prevent potential problems later.

9. Trust your supplier (but always verify)

This last point might seem contradictory to some of the above advice. But even the most experienced importers know due diligence is essential when working with a new supplier, no matter how credible that supplier may appear. You’re never wrong to appropriately confirm the information your supplier communicates to you. In fact, you’d be reckless to blindly trust your supplier if you have any expectations at all for what you’re buying. Failure to investigate a supplier’s claims early often leads to a breakdown in communication and in your supplier relationship later.

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Elksourcing：How to Identify Right China Sourcing Agents?

Apr 16, 2021 , by 露露

China is a vastly populated nation where coming across efficient and cost-effective sourcing, however, for new importers, it is daunting considering the far distance and vast culture difference.Sourcing agents play a great hand in the success of a sourcing strategy of a company. With the help of sourcing companies, organizations can lower the prices of their products while focusing on key operations. Seek help from sourcing agents if you want to accelerate the growth of your organization.

Firstly, observe the market condition

The concept of perfect market exists solely in academic books and economic theories. The concept of marketing service in China does not function in perfect market situations. The exercise of marketing strategies depends on the supplier’s expertise and strength of resource. Transactions are often affected by information asymmetry which leads to market failure. Therefore, you should never think of paying a sourcing agent on an hourly basis; you incur loss in this process. Novice entrepreneurs and marketing personnel are an easy catch for high cost vendor companies. However, you have to remember that you can gain high quality result and that too on time from some of the low budget sourcing companies.

Secondly, emphasize on increasing efficacy by reducing cost of alignment

Sometimes, you might have to opt for a costly vendor despite having access to reasonably charging sourcing companies. This is because; the costly sourcing agency understands your business much better than the agency that charges less. Hiring a low-cost company entails investment on vendor alignment. Making the agents aware of the needs and tone of communication involves a lot of time as well as energy which could otherwise be used in earning revenue. You do not have to unnecessarily spend time and effort if you hire a sourcing company which is well aligned to your requirements and working style.

It is necessary for all organizations to stick to the below-mentioned factors while identifying the right sourcing agents:

1). Excellent Communication Skills:

Professional procurement experts must have fluency in English. If they have a strong grasp of English communication skills, it will not be difficult for them to talk with clients. Good English writing skills are also required in most cases. It will lead to smooth communication that will further play a great hand in developing cooperation and thereby, resulting in a seamless workflow. 

If sourcing agents speak confidently in English, it will reflect their trustworthiness. Organizations that are likely to conduct procurement activities in Chinese markets can put faith in them. This will also make organizations get a fair idea about their quality of services. Apart from this, a good sourcing agent must be prompt enough to reply to the emails. As China has a huge time difference with the U.S., the sourcing companies of China must be highly-efficient to respond to the queries of overseas clients. 

2). Assess the Requirement:

This is the most important aspect while selecting procurement agents. More often, organizations overlook their needs and focus on other aspects. A sourcing agent must understand the requirements of his client within a short span of time. Moreover, professional procurement agents should address the needs of clients to the suppliers in an effective manner. 

If organizations present their product ideas to the procurement agents in a lucid mode, it will result in better outcomes. It is a sourcing agent, who communicates with factories on behalf of suppliers. If these agents fail to understand the needs of companies, it will take a long time to modify the product. 

3). Deep Product Knowledge:

Generally, sourcing experts have deep knowledge regarding their areas of expertise. They are able to give suggestions to the companies about the best sourcing measures. Procurement agents are generally of two types. One kind assists organization in finding specific products while the other one specializes in finding goods for daily needs. It is up to the business firms to decide which sourcing agents they would go with. It is desirable to select a procurement agent who has deep product knowledge. If professional experience is added to this, it can work wonders for organizations. The sourcing agents of China have tons of experience in the procurement domain.

There are many customers who want to procure products and services they have a sound knowledge of. These agents must keep them updated about the latest sourcing trends. They also must give advice to the business firms regarding how to streamline their operations while going with the flow. Their knowledge and domain expertise should at least match with the customers. While communicating with customers, professional sourcing agents can understand the requirements of clients in a better way. 

There are some procurement agents who deal with an extensive range of products. They also have a huge network with the best suppliers and cooperative factories. More often, organizations feel the difficulty while formulating sourcing management strategies if there are different categories of products. Versatile sourcing agents are an asset to organizations as they specialize in offering various types of products and services.

4). Experience in Import and Export Activities:

Sourcing agents need to have a proper idea of the legal framework during import and export operations of companies. Import and export activities require a lot of paperwork in the form of document requirement, certificate, and licenses. It is even better if the procurement agents have a fair idea about international transportation. 

There are various products that are transported by air or by sea. In such cases, the compliance certificate is necessary for organizations to conduct trading operations and procurement agents must know about this fact. Moreover, they also should have adequate knowledge of patents so as to avoid all sorts of hassles while importing products.

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Elksourcing：How to Avoid Quality Fade Issues in Global Sourcing?

Apr 16, 2021 , by 露露

How to catch the subtle quality fading issues when there happens to be distance of some thousands of miles separating the supplier from the buyer? It would simply become impossible (or at least extremely difficult) to figure out the quality of items prior to the supply packaging process. Unless the supplier happens to be extremely honest (which is rare these days), there are minimal chances left to get the best quality product as expected. It is absolutely difficult to undergo scrutiny for the products. At the same time, ignoring quality fade issues over the time would probably through challenges to a business in staying at the top of the seat for a longer time period.  

Is it possible to avoid quality fade issues? What are the steps to follow?

1) Selecting a highly reputable supplier

Even if it costs a tad higher, still there are great advantages in going with a supplier having significant positive market repute. Whether items are outsourced from China, Vietnam, or India, primary emphasis should be given on figuring out vendors who have a strong positive market reputation. Remember, reputation is built depending on the quality of services they offer. It is advisable to carry out some kind of factory audit in order to have clear vision about the shortlisted options. Accordingly, the judgments need to be taken. Remember, it would be worth the time and troubles being invested in figuring out a supplier possessing strong enough integrity. It would definitely help in saving a whole lot of money and time in the near future. Also, the brand value of the organization would improve.

2)Having backup options readily available

Don’t rely on a single vendor, always have proper backup supplier readily available. It would be a point of threat for the primary supplier. This would also allow the primary supplier to check on the quality of items being supplied. There would always be an approach to maintain high quality standards because of the availability of a backup option. It would play in their mind that even the slightest of compromising attitude with the quality might make them get replaced with the backup options available. 

3) Setting up suitable quality control system

This is definitely a crucial part to consider. No matter how much assurance the vendor would be providing to the buyer in regard to the quality, still there might be certain related issues appearing at a later stage.

In order to prevent such issues, suitable quality control systems must be initiated via the buyer company’s representatives or through some professional and reputed third party QC experts. Some of these third-party agencies would offer additional services like pre-production monitoring, factory audits, pre-shipment inspection, etc.

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Elksourcing：How to Ensure Quality Control in China?

Apr 16, 2021 , by 露露

Implementing an effective quality control plan in China doesn’t have to be difficult, even if you live on the other side of the world. Luckily, you have plenty of solutions available to make sure your product is manufactured to your specifications and shipped on time. Start by preparing your order well in advance, with clear instructions for your supplier. Then pick the right quality control plan, from creating your own QC team to hiring a neutral sourcing agent. You will then minimize business risks and maximize your professional success.

1. Understand different “quality” points of view

Everyone has a different point of view when it comes to quality, and these differences are amplified even more when you begin working with suppliers in other countries, particularly China. Because of the great distance between importers and manufacturers, most communication is limited to English written documents submitted to the factory, which opens the door to a lot of misunderstandings. This is partially due to the lack of language skills: Chinese suppliers usually have sales teams with a basic English knowledge while factory workers don’t even speak English. Moreover, Chinese suppliers produce goods for buyers from all over the world, each one with varying standards and regulations for each specific country of origin. That’s why you should avoid asking your manufacturers to use common sense. The best way is for them to rely solely on the importer’s requirements that are provided at the beginning of each job, so it’s necessary to clearly explain your quality expectations to Chinese manufacturers.

2. Get ready for the right quote at right quality

Perhaps the most important step when purchasing in China is to prepare very clear product specifications. These include product dimensions, characteristics, functionalities, customizations, individual packaging, labeling, shipping packaging, etc. This should be done as early as when you request the price quote from the supplier to make sure the number you receive is accurate. Plus, the more detailed your request, the better the supplier can meet your manufacturing needs. He can ensure the proper equipment, human resources, and lead time to produce your order. Not only that, providing detailed product specifications helps increase the quality of your goods. If the actual job ends up costing the supplier more than the original quote, many would rather lower the quality of goods than increase the price.

3. Verify and keep record of approval samples

Approval samples are a vital component to control quality of your products, so make sure it’s part of your supplier agreement that you receive and approve at least three samples before production. That may seem like a lot, but you’ll soon understand why. When you get the samples, pay very close attention to every single detail. If you prefer a professional eye, some quality control companies will verify it as well. Either way, the goal is to test the product and verify that it meets each one of your product specifications and quality requirements. Make sure you keep one sample on your side and send back an approved sample to your supplier and one to your QC inspector to control quality. The supplier uses the golden sample as a reference and compares it with production. If there are discrepancies, the production should be adjusted. The sourcing company then uses it as reference to verify the conformity of the production to your product’s requirements.


Be aware! An approval sample alone is not enough to confirm that production will go smoothly, because the two product types come from different places. A single sample is created in a sample room, while the final products are created on the manufacturing line: it is made by different hands in different conditions.

4. Control quality during the production

Every supplier has its own manufacturing skills, but it also has limitations. Unfortunately, these are not always conveyed to the importer; in fact, many manufacturers have difficulty saying that they’re unable to fulfill a particular request, whether it’s due to cultural differences, a weak quality management system, peak season, or shady business practices. The only way to ensure that your instructions and quality requirements are clearly understood and respected is to verify the goods while in the manufacturing process.

To track your goods quality during the production, you can ask your supplier to send you production samples and pictures from the finished goods for review. But these measures are oftentimes not enough to confirm product quality and useless to verify the production speed. A less-than-reputable supplier could use smoke and mirrors to create the illusion that production is conforming to your requirements, when the reality might be very different. Collaborating with a sourcing company gives you an on-site expert to confirm the goods’ quality and production status on your behalf. This service is called a During Production Inspection and helps limit consumer goods defects while still under manufacturing process.

5. Identify quality problems before it’s too late

When the goods are manufactured and ready to be shipped, you have one last chance to verify their conformity before their arrival at destination. Rather than relying on production samples and pictures of the goods packed, you have several options to control quality of your order in-person. You may prefer to travel to China to inspect the shipment yourself. You can also rely on a sourcing company to save yourself time and money: this service is called pre-shipment inspection. While fully trained and certified, the inspector can follow your own quality control procedures, so you know the shipment is exactly as you requested before it arrives. A sourcing company guarantees a neutral point of view and provides an additional set of eyes to catch any errors or other red flags. Once a poor quality or incomplete shipment arrives, you have few — if any — options to return the goods or get your money back.

6. Take the opportunity to improve future quality

Remember that the results of previous quality controls on goods are an opportunity for improvements, not an automatic reason to go looking for a new supplier. In fact, every non-conformity or quality problem has a solution if you take the time to communicate and negotiate. The most important step is to analyze the root cause of the problem together with the supplier and identify the corrective actions to put in place. This is actually part of the continuous improvement process known as the ISO 9001 standard, which is used by certified third party inspection companies and most professional Chinese manufacturers. When you have an ongoing relationship with a supplier, quality control is the best way to work hand on hand, to regularly improve goods quality and conformity to requirements.