What you should have done before contacting your Chinese fabricated part suppliers ?
Knowing Chinese manufacturing regions
7 out of the 10 busiest ports in the world are located in China and the main bulk of business there is centred around the major cities, economic zones and trade hubs.
Here are 4 of the major manufacturing hubs in China:
A factory in Guangzhou
Shanghai – Located on China’s central costs, Shanghai is one of the busiest ports in the world. The main products manufactured here are textiles, electronics, automobiles, communication equipment and steel.
Guangzhou – Located near Hong Kong, it is one of the biggest port cities in China with the Port of Guangzhou being an important economic hub for the city. Guangzhou is known for manufacturing anything from automobile parts to fashion accessories.
Shenzhen – Shenzhen is the world’s manufacturing hub for electronics and it is also home to the world’s second-busiest port. Computer and technology manufacturing, electronics and telecommunications are the biggest manufacturing industries in the city.
Ningbo – The manufacturing industry in Ningbo is growing rapidly because of its proximity to Shanghai and a port. It’s known for manufacturing everything from textiles, garments and electric appliances to iron, steel and biological medicine.
How to verify Chinese manufacturers
One of the biggest problems for UK, US and European customers when looking for a fabricated part supplier in China is the risk of being scammed. It can vary from fraud, poor fabricated product quality, high costs, inconsistency in production to lenghty shipping times. However, here are some tips that can drastically reduce your concerns when dealing with these issues.
Look at reviews – When researching fabricated component suppliers, look to see if they have positive reviews from companies that sell a similar product and are a similar size to yours. These reviews can be obtained from various sources such as social media, other companies and businesses.
Check business licenses – Fabricated part suppliers in China have to register with the government to have a unique company registration number. You can verify this registration number by visiting the Chinese government’s website or by contacting their Bureau of Industry Commerce. It is standard proceudre to submit a request to their business administration prior to you deciding whether work with them or not.
Get samples – Ask for a fabricated part sample from the manufacturer you’re thinking of doing business with. You can request this in your initial email and should be arranged before agreeing to anything long-term with the fabricated component supplier. It might be slightly different to your final product, however you’re just getting a sample to see the quality of their products, how long it takes to manufacture and shipping times.
Visit the factory or company in person – This can be considered nearly impossible for US, UK and European customer at the moment due to the Covid 19 pandemic. It is also costly and time consuming to some small and medium-sized businesses. However, even if you can’t visit your fabricated part manufacturer in person it doesn’t mean that they’re not reliable. Nevertheless, it is probably the best way to verify your precision fabricated part suppliers; you can see what the conditions for workers are like, what the production line looks like in person and discuss quality, prices and lead time face-to-face.
How to choose the right Fabricated component supplier for your business.
Choosing the right quality precision fabricated parts supplier is one of the biggest business decisions you’ll have to make. Before working with a supplier, you should ask them a series of questions to make sure they’re a good fit for your business
What types of businesses do you usually work with?
You want to choose a manufacturer that has experience in fabricating the component you’re seeking. You also want gather an understaning of the size of companies they’ve worked with and if it’s similar to the size of your company
What is your lead time?
You want to work with a metal fabrication supplier that can work with your time frame, but it can vary depending on what your fabricated parts are and how many you’re looking to buy. You should also take shipping into consideration and allow more time than what they predict.
What are their payment terms?
The majority of manufacturers require a down payment before they begin to create your products. You should expect to pay 50% or less of the total cost and it should not be expected to pay the total amount upfront. You also want to have your contract paid in your home currency to avoid currency fluctuation.
How big is their factory?
If they have a big factory where they employ a lot of workers, the chances are they’ve been in business for a while. If this is the case, it’s a good indication that they have the experience needed to work with businesses and create your products.
What is their quality assurance process like?
Quality control is one of the most important aspects of the metal fabrication process and you need to make sure your metal fabricated component suppliers hasve steps in place to ensure your products are of the highest quality. They should be able to provide you with a detailed list of steps or a guide they already have in place for quality assurance.
Where do they get their materials from?
Manufacturers should be able to tell you what materials they use and where they source their materials from. This helps you to ensure that the materials and components they are using are of the highest quality.
You should be comparing the answers from each manufacturer you speak to and choose the one most suited to your company. If one or two companies stand out, the next step is to request samples of your product be sent to you.
How to contact Chinese manufacturers
Now that you have figured out which metal fabricated part supplier in China you wish to work with, the next step is to contact them. As there may be a language barrier, the most efficient way to contact them would be via email. It is likely that they have an individual working there that understands English. However, the content of your conversation will mostly be technical details and therefore miscommunication should be expected.
Is that all you need to know when outsourcing your fabricated part to China?
Sadly – that is not even close. It can be troublesome when sourcing your valuable fabricated part’s blueprint to a different country on the other side of the globe. Even minor variables and details can affect your fabricated part in particular, or your business as a whole. Variables such as the communication between you and your supplier and the understanding of each other’s culture. To avoid and reduce all the issues that can arise during your business shipping, take a look at how China Outsourcing ltd helps our customers to overcome these situations in various successful case studies.
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