The world has now grown smaller because of communication technology advancements. More than ever, small, and medium-sized businesses and entrepreneurs that want to sell their goods on a worldwide scale are now consulting product development services providers.
Those companies who simply do not have many years of experience or excessive finances to devote in developing a new product in this fiercely competitive global market need a reliable solution for their sourcing. In today's market for new products, trends include speed and agility with low unit costs. Chinese custom product maybe the answer to all these questions.
If you are considering developing reliable sourcing solutions for a new product, you can choose to work with a product development company in China that offers all the necessary services like:
- Industrial design
- Customized product design
- Prototyping
- Engineering
- Contract manufacturing.
These product development companies have cutting-edge facilities and equipment, as well as a strong staff of engineers with in-depth understanding of product designing and development.
Comparatively speaking, Chinese manufacturing facilities are less expensive as compared to those in developed nations like the USA or Europe. These product development companies are professionals in designing and creating new products from scratch to the finished, marketable product.
When a business decides to set sailing and introducing a new product idea naturally, they cannot take any chances. The process of turning an idea into a finished product involves quite a few numbers of steps. To the best extent possible, one would like to enlist the help of a single source of knowledge to guarantee the project's quality right from start to finish.
A wide range of product development companies have now entered into the Chinese market. The following are a few areas of competence that any product development company should have to develop reliable sourcing solutions:
- Product design
- Design documentation
- Product analysis
- Production expertise
- Prototyping and sampling.
Analysis is one of the most important components of any kind of product design. A crucial component of design activities is analysis during the product development process. For various stages of the process, several sorts of analysis are carried out. Make sure your product design and development company at the very least provides the following services:
- Tolerance analysis
- Structural analysis
- Engineering analysis
- Failure analysis.
To create reliable sourcing solutions that are distinctive, valuable, and competitive on the worldwide market, one is suggested to select a professional and experienced product development business.
As the needs of the market have changed and as companies have gained knowledge from their mistakes, product development in China has undergone many adjustments over the last few years. Leading Chinese producers have made investments in higher-quality technology and equipment to consistently provide the best services and results. Additionally, they follow rigorous industry standards, such as ISO 9001, and have better production facilities with greater quality control.
You can benefit from faster speed, lower inactivity, and greater capacity thanks to modern technology. This indicates that companies can create items more quickly and effectively than ever before.
Choosing an ideal product development company in China
Google search allows finding and connecting with suppliers, but it is hard to distinguish between a manufacturer and a trader. You need a tech product, so it is essential to look for a manufacturer and not a reseller. You need to verify the supplier by examining their factory’s registration records, business license, VAT invoices, audit accounts, and technical expertise to manufacture your product. Labour and manufacturing cost is low in China, which is a huge benefit of direct product development in China.
Product development follow-up
After choosing a reliable supplier, you need to decide for product development operations. You provide the design and specification, and the factory will need to make a prototype or develop a sample. As soon as the sample is approved the order gets confirmed and a deposit is made. The new project commences, and you need to monitor the entire manufacturing process.
Consider hiring a product sourcing agent in China
Have you ever faced any trouble finding reliable product development solutions for a certain product idea? Need a cheaper supplier but are concerned about the quality of the goods? There are numerous skilled product sourcing agents available in China who can provide product development service as well as manufacturing control and quality control services. They can help you to find factory in China with reasonable costs, and guaranteed quality.
What are the advantages of sourcing agencies?
A reliable sourcing agent can be advantageous in many ways.
Saves time – It means you don’t need to perform deep research online about product development suppliers or spend time vetting different factories and conducting lengthy complicated negotiations. The experts from the sourcing agency handle all these tasks on your behalf.
Enhance efficiency – The local sourcing agency helps to overcome the language and cultural barriers. The professionals know your product needs and can negotiate clearly with suppliers in detail. They even deliver the supplier's message in English, which eliminates the miscommunication cost.
Experts in negotiations – Sourcing agencies are great negotiators. They are aware of the supplier's pricing edge. They negotiate the lowest rates without quality compromise. The local sourcing agent knows the language and can negotiate efficiently and quickly.
Reduce the risk of overseas imports – It is an issue to check licenses and certificates in a language you don’t speak. You can have them professionally translated but is costly and you still will not know if the license is valid or not. The sourcing agency expert can help because they exactly know which criteria the manufacturer has to fulfil, what the official certificate looks like, and which inspection authorities are responsible.
Have experience and connections – Hiring a sourcing agent means you tap their experience and even benefit from their network. They have worked with different suppliers and are aware of the ones suitable for your product.
What are the traits of a good souring agency?
No one desires to get scammed by bad sourcing companies. Here are some traits that define the reliability of a sourcing agent and enjoy the benefits mentioned above.
License – An ethical sourcing company will eagerly show its valid business license.
Experience/specialization – Experience means the sourcing agency has good knowledge about the bad and good suppliers. Specialization matters because you don’t need an agent experienced in the apparel niche to help when you need kitchen products made in China.
Referral proof – More experience is equivalent to more buyers they worked with. The sourcing agent will proudly share multiple referrals and testimonials of their past or existing clients.
Language skills – The sourcing company in China is a link or mediator between the overseas buyer and the local supplier. Therefore, the experts must speak English and Chinese language fluently. Just speaking in Chinese perfectly is not sufficient because they cannot deliver the message correctly in your language. Manufacturing is all about the specifications and design detail of the product you desire to have manufactured. If they are unable to communicate properly then the product will not be designed as you want.
Supplier network – As the sourcing agent is experienced, they have built good relationships with suppliers. A large supplier network means the specialist can refer to several suitable factories or suppliers.
Location & flexibility – The location of the sourcing company must be close to the factory. It offers the sourcing agent flexibility for quick inspection or follow-up during the manufacturing process. They can handle the issues quickly without any downtime.
Transparency – A good sourcing agency discusses the costs in detail. They even agree to visit the factory if you desire to go. Transparency is critical in the supply chain.
Tips to deal with China sourcing agents
More and more western companies prefer to work with China sourcing agents when they choose to have their products developed in China. As a result, a lot of people are attempting to pose as sourcing agencies in order to profit from the current scenario. The highs and lows of China sourcing agencies may be known to seasoned western businesses. Some of them, especially the new players and start-up companies might engage with these agents without being aware of the market's positioning or structure. The following few things are to be considered while hiring a sourcing agent:
1. Keep a watch on their activities
When you work with a sourcing agent, they assist you with background checks on suppliers, obtaining quotes, etc. They also assist you by doing a lot of laborious tasks for you. If you manage them well, you can have them complete a lot of jobs for much less money. Even if they can complete a variety of jobs for you, you should still monitor all their activities very closely.
2. Prefer to hire on hourly basis
It is a good idea to pay the China souring agents based on the hour they will spend rather than by the complete project. Some sourcing agencies might not adequately source the suppliers because they are not only unorganized but also too lazy. As a result, regular inspections are crucial. Even while some of the sourcing agents appear to be diligent and honest, but they will secretly charge 5 to 10% of the commission from the Chinese factory for offering business.
3. Must be flexible with changes
During the process of product development, there can be lots of design changes, so, it’s important that the Chinese sourcing agent is very flexible with changes.
Never hire a sourcing agency that is paid by the supplier they referred. It is a conflicting situation because they would be loyal to suppliers that pay them.
Conclusion
There are lots of details and trivial matters but don’t be afraid. Do your due diligence and hire a licensed Chinese sourcing agency. A reliable and experienced sourcing agency plays a huge role in China product development. They help to get competitive product rates, monitor follow-up processes and offer great customer service.
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