What’s Included In a Product Assembly Service?
Are you a startup or an already established company debating if you need to use an assembly service to meet your client’s demands? Have you thought about working with an overseas company, but you aren’t sure what to expect?
There are many different vendors that you could use who are local to you. Do they have the right materials you need to meet the demands of your clients? Like you, many product-focused companies and entrepreneurs take advantage of using oversea companies to meet their needs.
If you are in the looking stage of comparing product assembly services and you need more information on finding the right distribution company, you came to the right place. In this brief product assembly service guide, we will cover how to find the right manufacturer and who you can contact for more information.
What Are Product Assembly Services?
Product assembly services or product assembly companies create your product, and they ship them either to you or your customers. Doing this process on your own can quickly become expensive. It is best to partner with a reputable assembly service company to save you more time and money.
Product Assembly Services in China
The best way to save time and money is to outsource your product assembly tasks to a third-party company to build your items. Many companies outsource their work to China because of the cost-saving benefit. A company saves a large percentage in production and distribution costs when they partner with a reputable assembly service company.
Choosing the Right Product Assembly Company
When choosing the right product assembly company, make sure that you look for a company with certified professionals. High-quality 3rd party assembly companies typically have favorable testimonials from the past experience, which consistently demonstrate their ability to provide products that meet client requirements.
Review Their Expertise
Even if a company’s professionals have the required certifications, you should check out their previous work. As you compare different companies that offer assembly and inspection services, ask about their internal quality control process and methodology.
Does your inspector use statistical models? Does this company use random sampling?
Are all your assemblers certified quality assurance inspectors? Don’t be afraid to ask your distribution company questions about their process and timelines.
Look at Other Reviews
When speaking to a prospective company, it would be best to look at their reviews. You can use third-party review websites to see what clients did or did not like about working with them.
Although reviews are a great place to start, the only way to gauge a company is to call them and speak with them. One company’s expectation requirements will be different than yours, so what you may not like, someone else may have loved.
When speaking with your assembly company see how they respond to your requests. Do they handle requests on time?
Do they have excellent client service? Partnering with a distribution company is a long-lasting relationship, so make sure to work with a company that has top-tier customer service.
Available Assembly Capabilities
Not all assembly companies are the same. Some specialize in product assembly of all kinds, whereas others may only focus on producing products made with a specific material. The most common types of general product assembly use composites, carbon fiber, plastics, metals, and textiles.
Other types of assembly services:
- Prepackaging
- Food packaging
- Product re-assembly
- Assembly testing
- Powder and liquid filling
When comparing different companies, ask if they have the right items and materials to complete the job. You can also ask if they have experience making products like yours.
Intellectual Property Protection
All countries have their own sets of rules and regulations when it comes to privacy and the protection of intellectual property. It is a company’s worst nightmare to have its product specifications compromised after years of development. If your distribution company sends products to your clients, you want to make sure that their data is also safeguarded.
Before you partner with any company, be sure to look into their country’s intellectual property laws and their track record with other clients. If their track record is not good, even in the slightest, you should look elsewhere. There is no margin for error when it comes to protecting the rights of your products.
Software Information
An additional step in securing your intellectual property information is to look into the type of software your distribution company uses. Is their technology well-known for privacy features?
Does it mimic the same safety measures you set for your own business? If they are not willing to share that information with you, they may be hiding something.
Product Timelines
As you start interviewing different companies, you should inquire about their product project timelines. The amount of time it takes them to create and ship your orders can hugely impact how long it takes for you to deliver your product to your clients.
Of course, you want to partner with a company that can produce high-quality items without taking too much time, but you also don’t want to rush the process if they don’t have the capabilities to deliver high-quality items quickly.
When speaking about timelines, don’t just focus on how long it takes for them to create the product. Make sure to ask how they handle natural disaster situations and other weather-related delays. When these types of moments happen, you also will want to have a primary point of contact to reach out to for the next steps.
Product Assembly Process
The first step of the assembly process is to find the right company. Once you find them, you will want to send in a request. The right company will suggest scheduling time to speak with you about your product over the phone. This way, they can gauge what type of materials they will need, how much they will need, and more to make sure your product comes out just as you need it.
During the first few stages, you and the company should clearly understand what to expect of the product. You should receive a rendering of your product and a physical model in your hands before you ok the rest of production. Each company has its own processes, so make sure that you are aware of all steps during their production process.
Advantages of Oversea Manufacturing
As mentioned earlier, many companies like to outsource their products to cut down on their costs. Another major reason is because of a particular concentration.
For example, many corporations use China for their production needs because of their concentration on electronic products. They are also well known for creating plastic products and other mainstream items like clothes.
High-Volume Capabilities
One of the most significant advantages of partnering with a manufacturing company overseas is their production capacity. Most manufacturing companies can produce huge quantities of your items within a short time frame.
Depending on your production needs and your manufacturer, they may offer you a discount for ordering large volumes of product. When working with certain companies, they may have a minimum purchase order requirement. This helps keeps control costs on both ends. If you need a small order, you can expect high fees and costs.
Skills and Talent
The skill level in other countries is much higher than in the United States, mainly because many Americans don’t work in manufacturing jobs. This creates a skill gap in the US, forcing many companies to seek help overseas.
The most significant need in the United States is for those with computer and digital skills, technical knowledge, and programming expertise. All of these skills are easily found overseas in major manufacturing companies.
Close Proximity to Raw Materials
United States factories have to source their materials from overseas, increasing their costs and time-to-market deadlines. Many manufacturers in China have access to these raw materials already at their plants.
If they don’t, they know someone or some company that has what they need. They also most likely have a relationship or some partnership with those companies.
If you manufacture your product in the United States, you will face delays if your product requires raw materials. Countries that ship to the United States may have to charge you higher shipping costs, and you may experience long wait times due to the impact of COVID. Instead of having them ship you the materials, you can cut costs by having your manufacturer produce the product on your behalf.
Disadvantages of Oversea Manufacturing
Although there are many fantastic advantages to outsourcing, you should keep a few disadvantages in mind. For example, the components and cost of production are usually cheaper, but the shipping costs may not be ideal. If you find that the shipping costs are too much, you can always negotiate better shipping rates, especially if you plan on working with that company long-term.
Longer Lead Times
Even though creating and producing large quantities overseas is cheaper, the lead time can be longer than expected. What this means is that it takes time for your goods to make their way from overseas into the United States. When calculating the time it will reach you; you must consider shipping times, country holidays, and the manufacturer’s demands.
Possible Language Barriers
When working with a manufacturer overseas, you will most likely run into cultural and language barriers. This can cause issues when you try to understand workflows and negotiate pricing and contracts.
You may also need to learn about their culture and what they do and do not value. To make it easier to work with your manufacturer, you may want to partner with a company with a local resident familiar with your language and the language of your manufacturer. This liaison person can speak on your behalf to protect your best interest.
Safety Risks
Environmental and worker safety should always be a top concern for you and your business. Not every country values the environment or employee safety. Hence, it is best to partner with a company that follows good labor practices, takes care of the environment, and implements safety programs.
Local vs. Overseas
When trying to figure out where to manufacture your product, you can choose between using someone overseas or a local company. When you partner with a company local to you, you may have an easier time communicating your needs in your own language. You can also save on expensive custom and shipping fees and have a shorter delivery time.
That may sound ideal, but you may have a limited array of supplier capabilities. Not every manufacturer in the United States has the talent, skills, expertise, or raw material you need to create your product.
If you have a hard time sourcing a manufacturer local to you, you may have to reach out to a reputable company overseas. Of course, before you partner with any company, make sure you communicate with them to gauge if they can meet your demands.
Cut Down Production Costs Now
No matter how great your idea is, you need to have a reputable and high-rated manufacturing company on your side to bring your vision to life. These companies have the skills, experience, capacity, and raw materials to help you meet the demands of your customers.
Making sure that you and your distribution company are on the same page is crucial. The last thing you want, as a business owner, is for the entire operation to fall apart and for you not to be able to hit your quota because of your assembly service.
Contact us now if you are ready to bring your idea to fruition and want to work with a company that values quality and a safe working environment!