What Should I Think About When Sourcing and Selecting a Chinese Manufacturer?

The answer to this question is very contextual and discussing it in depth would require more time than your eyeballs should focus on a computer screen. Suffice it to say that viewing the sourcing and manufacturing process from a total cost of ownership perspective is critical to selecting a good supplier. Cost, quality, reliability, speed, communication ability, and value-added services such as design, engineering, and R&D support must all be considered. Quantifying most or all of these aspects for a given supplier, or set of potential suppliers, will provide an analytical basis of selecting a good manufacturer with the opportunity to achieve the lowest, overall cost. In addition, there’s no such thing as luggage-free sourcing. Visiting a supplier’s facilities, or having a trusted presence there, is a key step in vetting the factory’s capabilities and developing your relationship.