China is a country with countless manufacturers and factories. You can produce almost anything and everything in China. However, to do so successfully, you must know the right steps to take.
For starters, you must have production-ready documentation and an experienced sourcing agent on hand. Your sourcing agent will help you in understanding the concept of mass production in China, will handle negotiations on your behalf, and even take care of quality control inspections and product shipping for you.
Besides, the market is full of small-scale manufacturers, but if you want to produce an item in China in bulk, your sourcing agent will direct you to large-scale production units.
Manufacturing products in China is a 5-steps process
Your sourcing agent will guide you throughout the process. Nevertheless, it is always good to know the steps yourself. So, these are the 5 steps of manufacturing products in China:
1. Find a Manufacturing Company
The first step is to find a Chinese manufacturer who can produce your product as per your specifications. You can find one by searching on the internet, taking referrals, or attending trade shows. The internet is the most basic place to find a manufacturer, but you have to be aware. There are fake companies online that are just looking to make some money, and most of them don’t even have a manufacturing unit in the country.
2. Order a sample product
Before you produce an item in China in bulk, it is always good to get a prototype. This will give you a clear idea of how your product will look and feel in the end, and whether is it functional or is there room for improvement. Also, this will help you understand the manufacturer’s capabilities.
3. Set Terms of Services (TOS)
Before you go ahead and finalize your order, set TOS for mass production. This is an important step because it will cover all the serious aspects of the product manufacturing process. This document will include details of minimum order quantity, delivery time, price of the product, payment terms, shipment terms, etc.
The buyers who ignore this part face serious issues later. So, don’t make that mistake and start setting up your TOS as soon as your product prototype is verified.
4. Take thorough quality inspection steps
As soon as the TOS is signed, the next step is to select an inspection process suitable for your product. This step is crucial if you don’t want to end up with bad quality or ruined products in your inventory. There are 3 types of quality inspections –
- Pre-Production Inspection (raw materials and other things are checked before the manufacturing starts)
- In-Process Production Inspection (Craftsmanship and manufacturing machinery are checked to ensure products are being made as per specifications)
- Pre-Shipment Inspection (Before the products are packed to ship, every product or a sample quantity of products is checked)
To avoid defective products, ensure proper inspection steps in your supply chain. Since you cannot do so all by yourself, it will be best to hire independent quality control companies or inspectors.
5. Logistics and Shipping
Once the inspections are done, and the products are ready, the next step is to bring them to your country. For this, a proper shipping process is needed. You can either as the manufacturer ship your products, or your sourcing agent can help in doing so. You will need customs clearance to do so, as well as other legalities will need attention.
Now, when you know how to produce an item in China, you must be worried that is seems like a tedious process. Well, it is but it is doable. So, without worrying much, give it a try and take steps to start a flourishing business.
