The promise of lower cost products by manufacturing offshore is alluring. However, that allure becomes less and less attractive when quality is not guaranteed. No knowing if your customers will receive exactly what you want them to receive or what you will do if / when there is a problem does not make for a restful night’s sleep.
Knowing the farther away from the factory products get the more expensive it is and the longer it takes to “make it right” what is the best course of action? One common solution is to employ a 3rd party inspection company. Sounds easy, right? Just give the company all of the details and they will be sure the shipment is right. That sounds good and it might work out very well. But how can a 3rd party company get up to speed on products when they have no history and no familiarity with that product? Sure, they can check to see if the colors match the right Pantone chips and inspect the finish to be sure it’s smooth enough but do they really understand the product? What about a defect that is not been clearly defined in the inspection criteria? A 3rd party inspection company is paid to inspect only what they are told to inspect.
Also consider a 3rd party inspection company typically inspects just before it ships from the factory – after production is completed and the shipment is fully packaged. Reworking to correct defects found at this stage can cause the shipment to be late. While this is preferable to shipping defective product the delay could also be costly. So while hiring a 3rd party inspection company is better than nothing, it may not be the best solution.
There is a much more comprehensive alternative that has worked very well for American businesses for over 40 years: ITI Manufacturing. Starting from the beginning of every project ITI’s Texas-based staff and full-time staff on the ground in China are familiar with the product details. Initial evaluation to the final inspection; ITI’s staff knows your expectations as well as the quality standards for each item. “Beginning with the end in mind” is more just a clever quote at ITI.
ITI manages the complete process beginning with complete product evaluation. We source the right factory and manage the actual manufacturing process as needed with in-process testing and inspection as well as the post-production testing and inspection. Issues that present themselves early on are addressed immediately. This prevents the issue from causing those surprising, last minute delays. ITI Manufacturing also works directly with your customer’s freight forwarders if they are taking possession of goods at the China port ensuring a hassle-free transfer.
With ITI’s 40+ years of experience manufacturing in Asia and our long standing relationships with a wide variety of factories we can confidentially offer “no manufacturing defects, guaranteed”. We can do this because we are in control of every phase of the project and thoroughly understand the “way of manufacturing” in China.
