05/02/2025
Common mistakes in sourcing from China
Many international traders make mistakes when they try to purchase from China, and surprisingly more experienced trader often fall into this trap, the problem is simple, they always choose third class Chinese manufacturer suppliers but expect first class performance products and services.
For what reason?
Of course, to lower the cost, they believe the contract or inspection reports, or penalty clause can magically change a low-quality factory into a top performer, but if a factory is not capable of excellence from beginning, no amount of paperwork can really change that.
Why does this happen?
In my opinion, sometimes experience can really blind us, experience trader often thinks the ability to negotiate, or legal terms can force a factory to deliver beyond their limitation with the lower cost with the same quality, but in fact this is not a good idea, because a factory cannot be forced to deliver beyond its actual ability.
So, what is the solution?
Built a huge supplier database, Group A suppliers for premium orders, Group B suppliers for regular or standard orders, and Group C suppliers when price comes most, and match suppliers to your needs, go to Group A when you want good quality, and go to Group C when you want good price, remember a factory's true ability determines your result, not contract terms not paperwork so stop trying to force your supplier to upgrade the service and products without additional charge, instead you should spend lots of time and hard effort find the right partner for each project.
The last thing I want to say is smart sourcing isn't about controlling bad suppliers; it is about choosing wisely choosing the right one from the beginning.
