There’s nothing easier than blaming poor products on a foreign manufacturer. It’s something of a byword in the United States to look at a product and declare it “Made in China” when it is of poor quality, and there are far too many businesses out there that decry the quality of outsourced goods even while they make use of them during their own course of business. In reality, overseas manufacturers are an easy scapegoat for companies who don’t want to admit the truth – it’s often the product specs, not the manufacturer, that is at fault for the issues caused when products are made in China.
When you outsource a product to any foreign entity, you’re doing so with the implied reasoning that you’re going to get a quality product for less money. Let’s be honest – if you’re in the business world, you do your research and you know exactly what your partner is capable of making. You have surveyed the company’s capabilities, and you know if the company has a reputation for turning out quality work. There’s no chance that a business was duped into working with a lesser firm simply because it was far away from home – and yet, that’s what so many companies claim.
In reality, it’s the specs of the products that makes the difference. If a company tells the manufacturer to use cheaper materials or to cut corners in order to save money, that’s not the fault of the manufacturer – they are simply fulfilling a contract. If the specs were bad in the United States, it would be difficult for the originating company to claim ignorance of what was going on. When a bit of distance is added, though, they get an incredibly convenient scapegoat for any problems that might happen with their product.
With all the products that make their way from offshore back to the U.S., it’s a given that some of them will be of poor quality. In the vast majority of cases, though, it’s because those products were the end of a process that put savings, not quality, at the lead. Being able to blame another company – one that has no real ties to the US and doesn’t have to deal with consumer backlash – is just a good way for a cheap company to shrug off its responsibility. They won’t even have to change manufacturing partners to escape scrutiny in the future – a few words from public relations agents will make all the difference.
In short, don’t be deterred from overseas manufacturing because other companies refute responsibility for their corner-cutting specs. If you plan to use a China manufacturer, then be aware that the fault for poor product quality lies in the specs. Make these to your best standards knowing that your manufacturing partners will meet and exceed your quality needs every time. When businesses take responsibility for their product specs, everyone benefits – and the relationships between US businesses and their Chinese manufacturing partners will continue to grow and prosper.
For any questions on the quality of goods made in China, contact ITI today!
