Product Assembly
Pros and Cons of Product Assembly Lines
Did you know that the assembly line has been around for centuries? It is technically an age-old method that is so effective we still implement its uses in the year 2021. Product assembly consists of a line of workers, each with a designated job, to ensure that a product’s parts secure correctly before going out on the market.
These products could be anything from ketchup bottles to your newest technological gadget. If you are a business that makes mass-produced items, you should consider an assembly.
But is it worth it for your company? If you want to know the answer to that question, keep reading our guide for the pros and cons of product assembly in China.
Pro: Mass Production
Chinese assembly lines produce nearly 50% of the world’s goods and products. Mass production was one of the leading factors that brought China into industrialization in the first place. It is one of the main pros of product assembly.
Let’s say your company produces a few hundred, maybe one-thousand, products a month. By choosing Chinese assembly services, you and double, even quadruple that amount per month.
Your product numbers would soar. You would be able to meet your client’s needs more efficiently.
Pro: Improved Profit
Your numbers would increase dramatically with an assembly team from China. These professionals would ensure that you receive mass amounts of your product as soon as possible.
That way, you can keep up steady production and re-stocking methods. The more product you have on the shelves, the more sales you will likely receive. Down the road, assembly lines will save you money while increasing your profits.
Pro: Product Uniformity
When a product is popular, you want every piece to look like the last. People do not buy things like new technology for their uniqueness.
Many want items like that because they enjoy the design and how they look. If you create your product on your own or with a small team, there is no guarantee that every item will be the same.
However, with an assembly line, you can count on uniformity. That will save you the headache from angry client calls complaining about the aesthetic state of their product.
Pro: Upgrading Benefits
If you compared product assembly from decades ago to where we are now in 2021, you wouldn’t recognize anything. That is because assembly lines benefit from upgrades.
Manufacturing teams constantly employ things like new systems or materials to improve efficiency over time. With every upgrade, the process improves. So, you don’t have to worry about time issues when you put in an order request.
Pro: High-Quality Products
With Shield Works Assembly lines, we implement a quality-first approach. That means we have methods to ensure your products are of the highest grade possible.
Nowadays, most assembly lines hire quality inspectors stationed at the end of the manufacturing process. These professionals check the final products for issues like defects and deformations.
They also ensure the products look alike, so everything you order is identical. With our quality control at hand, we can identify any major flaws before shipping your products to you.
If there is something wrong, we will fix each item. That way, you don’t have to worry about receiving anything less than perfect.
Con: Labor Issues
Assembly lines provide monotonous work for employees. As a result, it is hard to find people who want to work a job like this for eight or more hours. When people work for product assembly, they essentially stand in one place and perform one task all day.
That task could be something as simple as ensuring a machine screws a top on straight. On top of this, the buildings for product assembly present dangerous worker conditions.
Many people experience severe injuries and maiming due to machines. They can also suffer from health issues if there is dust, dirt, or mold present. That’s why it’s critical to choose a company that promises a safe and comfortable working environment.
Con: High Start-up Costs
You will spend a decent amount of money at the beginning of your product assembly venture. Sure, they do help you make more money.
But to begin with mass manufacturing, be ready to pay for start-up costs, employee labor, and factory space.
Of course, this is true of everything you begin in business. Keep in mind that everything in business takes money to make money!
Con: Requires Strategic Thought
Never decide on something without giving it any strategic thought. That will lead to complications down the road. When it comes to OEM manufacturers in China, you have quite a few things to consider.
You want to think about things, like what materials to use for your product. You will also have to consider the methods the team implements and even the shape of the assembly line. For instance, some people prefer a u-shaped line because it adds to the manufacturing efficiency.
Hire Product Assembly Services in China
As you can tell, there are several pros and cons of employing product assembly in China. However, the pros do outweigh the cons because you get more products on a speedier schedule.
Your company will boom once you hire a product assembly service.
We hope this article helps you make an informed decision for your company. If you require assembly services, then look no further than the China team at Shield Works.
Feel free to contact us. We are happy to answer any questions and get you started with OEM assembly today.
5 Things You Need To Know About Outsourcing Product Assembly
Are you wondering how to improve your ability to assemble your products?
When you run a business, you need to know how to make high-quality items for as little money as possible. For a lot of companies, this proves to be a challenge. They need to stay within their budget while crafting items their clients want to buy.
Doing it in-house can get expensive, so quite a few turn to outsourcing their assembly process. But what do you need to know before outsourcing product assembly?
We go into the top 5 things to know below. Keep reading to learn more!
1. What Is Outsourced Product Assembly?
Many companies take advantage of outsourced product assembly, but do you know what it is?
Outsourcing assembly occurs when a business hires a third-party company to build the items they use or sell. The third-party business might build them in either part or whole, depending on the agreement reached between the two companies.
So, when you first start outsourcing your product construction, think about the items you would like the other company to make. Then, search for businesses equipped to build your items and begin talking to them about entering a working relationship!
2. It Saves Money
Why would people want to outsource their products? Doesn’t it make more sense for companies to produce everything on their own?
When a company makes its own products, it must employ people to create them. This raises the overall cost of running the business. It can especially hurt small companies, which may not have the funds to employ a large number of workers.
Working with another company can cut your production costs. When you do this, you do pay for the work to get done, but the other company provides and employs the workers. As such, you don’t need to worry about paying for salaries or taking new people onto your payroll.
Usually, the other company has its roots in another country, such as China. The cost of production in most of these countries runs cheaper than in other nations, so you will not have to spend as much on creating your final product. It also helps you foster productive and positive business relations with professionals in another country!
3. Not Every Assembly Company Will Work Well for You
Many companies grow eager to save money on their products and agree to work with a third-party company too soon. Just like any other business partnership, you want to make sure you find the right manufacturing company for your needs.
To do this, brainstorm all the qualities a company will need to make your product. Do they have the right materials and items?
You should also ask whether they have worked with any companies like yours in the past. This lets you know whether they’ve created products like yours below.
In addition, pay attention to how well you get along with the workers at the company. Do they handle your questions in a professional manner? Do they have great client services? Because you will work with this company for a considerable time, you should try to find one with which you enjoy working.
4. Ask About Timeline
As you start talking to a company, you should ask them about how long it takes them to produce items and ship them. This impacts the amount of time it takes you to deliver your clients the materials they ordered. As such, you want to find a company that makes high-quality items without taking too much time.
Your timeline discussions should include conversations on what happens when unforeseen circumstances occur. Natural disasters, for instance, might interrupt the company’s ability to get your product to you. So, you should know what measures the company takes to keep their production running well in the midst of emergencies.
At this time, ask who you should contact in the case of an urgent situation. This gives you a person to go to instead of wasting time trying to figure out who to contact.
5. Make Sure Your Intellectual Property Remains Safe
Other countries have different laws surrounding the protection of intellectual property. As a company, you should prioritize keeping your intellectual property safe and uncompromised.
As such, you should research the intellectual property laws in the country where your products will be made. If they don’t have a good track record of protecting the rights of other companies, you should look to make your products elsewhere.
You should also look into the software your company uses and see how it keeps your data secure. Do they use technology known for its privacy features? Is it on par with the security measures you take for your business? Do they perform routine security updates and checks?
A leak of your intellectual property could cause huge damages to your business, including piracy and a loss of data. So, if you want to keep your business safe, look into how other companies will protect your information.
Ready to Outsource Your Product Manufacturing?
So, are you thinking of outsourcing your assembly process?
Outsourcing product assembly serves many companies well. It helps them get the same great products for a fraction of the production cost. In addition, it frees them to focus on innovation and growing their business instead of worrying about building their items.
Here at Shield Works, we provide you with great product manufacturing services. British-owned and located in China, we employ qualified individuals dedicated to giving our clients the best items for the best price. Contact us today to learn more about what we can do for you!
All Things About In-house Precision Assembly
At Shield Works, we believe in precision assembly meaning that we focus on every detail right down to the last millimeter. We appreciate the fact that no two customers have the same requirements. We are able to provide you a personalised assembly line unique to your business.
This blog aims to describe all things about assembly. At the same time, it will give you an insight into how Shield Works enables you to, quite literally, ‘mind your own business’ with our top-of-the-range assembly lines.
Tailor-Made
Shield Works is an in-house precision assembly facility. This means that we tailor your assembly line to be exactly how you want. Moreover, how you need it to suit your individual requirements. This flexible and forward-thinking attitude sets us apart from competitors because it means that you get your business, your way.
Guaranteed Intelligent Property protection
- IP – Intellectual Property.
- NDA – Non-Disclosure Agreements
Apart from offering a suite of premium assembly and manufacturing solutions, we understand the value of your product and have implemented all measures to ensure your IP is protected. Given our extensive knowledge of manufacturing in China and understanding the struggles of long-distance professional relationships, we bring you a sense of security in this decision. It’s not unknown that assembly and other production services in China can sometimes come at a risk to IP. However, at Shield Works, we offer a dedicated system focused on secure IP protection.
At Shield Works, we have state-of-the-art fingerprint access and secure production zones to protect your interests. In addition, we provide full IP protection at the source of manufacture. Also, we provide legally binding NDAs with every external body that we work with during the process of assembly line. We need to ensure your products are safe and sound.
Furthermore, Shield Works offers exclusive IP protections, Patent, Trademarking & Copyright Services. In an effort to ensure your product is well protected, Shield Works has partnered up with Innopat. Innopat is a leading Zhuhai based IP agency authorized by the National Intellectual Property Administration of China.
It is highly recommended to register the eligible IP within China as early as possible and also to understand the full range of IP that you would need to file for such as utility, design, invention, as well as trademarks and copyrights.
Daily Updates
Unlike any other assembly facility, Shield Works offers you top-of-the-range services related to the productivity of your assembly line and workers. We understand that business abroad has problems like poor communication, indirect contact and a lack of control over what is going on in your facility. This is not in-line with Shield Work’s values of integrity and transparency and we work to break this stigma. Shield Works have implemented a system which gives you full access to key information.
Each worker will be given a unique login and account which allows them to record which part of the line they have been working on and track how many units have been made during their shift. This is with the aim of providing you with real-time reports of how effective your assembly processes are going.
These online logs will be collected and sent directly to you, the boss, to make sure you’re completely in-the-know about your business. Our clients will receive an automatic direct message with a timely report to know more about the on-site assembly line.
If there were any glitches in productivity during the day you would receive a full update on where in the assembly line, who was supervising the assembly at that exact time and the steps that have been taken to address the complications. These are just a few examples amongst a whole range of data and information you will have access to.
24hour Visibility
Everything’s your business with Shield Works assembly lines. We offer the unique opportunity to access 24hour CCTV of your assembly line.
We believe that it’s imperative to have full transparency and access to information in order to develop trusting professional relationships. To be in-the-know about your products and work force is an extremely important aspect to business relationships, especially when there are distances and time-zone differences to consider.
Shield Works offers you a system in which you are can check-in on business in one second. This means that your business and its success is exactly where it should be…at your fingertips! We hope that this visibility eases the anxieties you may have around business abroad.
Outsourcing Product Assembly in China: What to Know
Outsourcing product assembly to China can help grow your business and increase your bottom-line.
It’s a step that many companies are taking to help bolster their manufacturing process, reduce turnaround times, and save on costs.
But finding the right product assembly partner isn’t always easy and problems often arise due to business misunderstandings. To mitigate any issues there are some important things to know.
After all, is outsourcing really worth it for your business? And how do you find the right assembly partner in China? Keep reading to find out.
Benefits of Outsourcing Product Assembly
More and more businesses are opting to outsource their product assembly process to China. Why? Because it provides several benefits over the traditional in-house approach.
Here are some of the main benefits of outsourcing product assembly.
Cost-effective
Assembling complex products often requires a hefty investment. For example, many electrical products need to be assembled by expert technicians. This means companies will have to hire new talent to get the job done.
On the other hand, rapid assembly may require expensive machines. Investing in this kind of equipment is expensive.
Assembly partners already possess the correct expertise and equipment to get the job done. Outsourcing this process allows companies to save on these large costs.
Outsourcing partners are experts at product assembly. They understand how to complete the process with minimal difficulty.
Access to Experts
Product assembly can be a complicated task. Depending on the product, it may require expertise beyond the capacity of your business. This is where an assembly partner comes in.
Product assembly companies already have the talent and knowledge to complete the assembly process. Their technicians assemble goods all day long and they know exactly what they’re doing.
Shorter Lead Times
Using an assembly company can decrease your lead time. In-house turnaround times are generally much longer, and, as everyone knows, time is money.
Assembly companies are experts at what they do. Their processes are refined and their technicians work fast.
Scalability
With the right outsourcing partner, it’s easy to scale up your assembly. Scaling-up in-house requires investing in more machines and hiring more employees.
Assembly companies already have the necessary equipment and technical knowledge. They will be happy to take on more work. And when you need to increase production, you don’t have to worry about logistical headaches.
Things to Know About Product Assembly Outsourcing
When it comes to outsourcing product assembly, there are some important things to understand. It all starts with drawing up a detailed strategy.
Define Your Strategy
Having a proper plan is crucial for the success of any new project. After deciding to outsource product assembly to China, there are several things to think about. You need to consider all the variables before beginning the transition.
The first step is to bring together all of the business leaders. Ensure everyone agrees about the benefits of outsourcing assembly. Once the leaders are all on board, set up a team to manage the project.
Remember to plan for the long-term when analyzing the financial benefits. A long-term approach is important for the success of your business.
Understand the Costs
Before outsourcing product assembly, you need to understand your in-house manufacturing costs. This helps when you’re choosing and comparing different assembly partners.
In fact, failing to understand your current costs of assembly can result in more money lost.
Choose Your Partner Carefully
There are many product assembly companies in China, so which one should you choose? The truth is that not all partners are created equal. Quality is a sliding scale.
When searching for a partner, you should keep in mind your own business needs and goals. Find a partner that specializes in the service that you need. And remember to read past all the showy sales speak.
Find out whether their services are cohesive enough to help you save costs. Some assembly partners are more streamlined than others.
Protect Your Intellectual Property Rights
Keeping your intellectual property safe is important for the success of your business. Outsourcing to China may be appealing, but remember to do your due diligence.
If your intellectual property is stolen or leaked, this could be a big set back to your business.
It’s important to ensure that your chosen partner’s data systems are secure. You should also do some research on the intellectual property laws in China.
Size Matters
Remember, the size of your outsourcing partner matters. If you’re a medium-sized manufacturer, look for a partner of similar size. Larger assembly companies often struggle to service smaller accounts.
A large scale assembly company might cause delays to your production line. To avoid this, find an assembly partner in China who services businesses of similar sizes to yours.
Clear Communication
Many problems that occur when first outsourcing assembly to China are due to poor communication. This usually happens due to the language barrier and differences in business culture.
In China, most staff don’t have a high level of English. It’s mostly sales members that can communicate proficiently with customers.
The good news is, if you’re aware of these issues beforehand, you can mitigate problems down the road. One way to ensure success is by writing up the specifications of your business agreement in Chinese.
Let Shield Words Take Care of Your Product Assembly
Outsourcing your product assembly to China is a big step but it comes with a lot of benefits.
Before making the switch, it’s important to have a clear plan in place. Assemble a team to handle the project and choose a partner that meets your business’s needs. Lastly, remember to ensure the protection of your intellectual property.
If you’re looking for an outsourcing partner in China, look no further than Shield Works. We’re a British-owned assembly company based in Zhuhai. We’re driven by quality and we offer customized solutions. Contact us today.