Common Issues That Could Happen During the China Sourcing Process

Importing from china has its perks especially if the offer is a product that you’ve created yourself or with a group of people.

There’s nothing more fulfilling than handing, what was once an idea, now an item, to customers who believe in your product

As fun as product development may sound, there comes with it some challenges that could potentially hold your business back.

By being aware of what these challenges are, you can avoid them and still run your business smoothly. Some of these issues fall during the outsourcing process when you are still trying to complete your product.

If you are sourcing from China, you can expect to deal with the supplier/ sourcing agent regularly to make sure everything is according to how you want it.

Of course, too much back and forth between you and your sourcing specialist can cause a headache between you two and this often happens because of a lack of set expectations and feedback.

Because the human element is involved during the outsourcing process, changes are bound to occur and the normal flow of the process is interrupted. We outlined some of the most common issues that sourcing solutions companies face during the process. By being aware of what these issues are, you should be able to prevent them from happening to your project thus saving you time, money, and energy.

1. Lack of clear specifications

This happens when you are importing from China and your requirements are not very specific, only adding items later at the last minute, or during the sourcing process.

The sourcing specialist may not realize yet that something is not feasible until the China sourcing process begins. This can affect the quoted price since some changes may require an addition or reduction of cost. To prevent this from happening, it’s important to give clear specs from the very beginning. Be as detailed as possible and should there any changes be made, keep a clear record of it.

2. Lack of feedback

You start very eager at getting sourcing solutions from China at first, but later you become very hard to reach even after several follow ups. The supplier becomes very casual with the specs and only gives the bare minimum.

There is lack of quality control which might cause problems later between you and the China sourcing company.

To avoid this, quality control via well-timed factory visits and analysis of random samples to make sure everything is what is ordered.

3. Timing and logistics

If you are not overseeing your project, other items in your schedule could be affected. It could be your failure to sign off a sample on time or a delay in delivery of materials from a third party vendor. There is a long list of issues that could delay your process of sourcing from China.

By keeping a clear schedule of the process, following it, and rescheduling delayed items wisely, you should be able to save yourself from the hassle and still keep your business going.

Interested in importing from China? E.P.T. is your sourcing specialist partner. We assist you from any aspects of supply chain management in China to help you realize greatest profit.