Is it possible to get good quality in China?

Products with the “Made in China” label have always been perceived as having one meaning: “Price, good! Quality, Not good!”. A quote from a piece of wide-published news in July clearly states the embarrassing status of “Made in China” in the eyes of people overseas. Even though they still continue to buy Chinese-made products, many are not confident with their quality.

What method should be used to get good quality products from China?

In reality, due to the increasing cost of production, especially caused by a rise in the cost of labor overseas, and due to the increasing purchasing power of the Chinese people, most of the big brands, including both luxury brands and other brand name companies like; Apple, Nike, Mercedes Benz and BMW… etc. have also turned to China for their manufacturing needs.

These companies usually open their own factory in China or work with a local Chinese factory and no matter which method they adopt, their products will still be produced to the same high quality standard as before. In fact, no matter where the products are made, be it China, America or Europe, as long as they undergo a strict quality control, they will meet high quality standards.

On the contrary, if the big firms do not impose a quality control schedule, they will face poor standards of workmanship and will face quality problems. We have once encountered a reputable factory, which made the mistake of producing wrongly colored TV stands. They managed to confuse the order and produced black stands instead of white ones.

What is good quality control?

As a professional third party inspection company, we suggest that clients make use of quality control throughout the production process, from the very beginning to the end.

The priority of every order is to select a good supplier, who is qualified and reliable. Signing an official contract is also important, as it should cover all potential risks and solutions, especially regarding quality control during production. You should carefully check the samples before production starts and arrange inspections throughout the manufacturing process; during production inspection, pre-shipment inspection and container loading supervision.

Having quality control will increase your expenditure compared to having no quality control. However the benefits by far outstrip the costs. It is common for people to skip the inspection process for a repeat order to try and save money. However it is also common for the goods to arrive at the customer’s warehouse with critical issues. In most cases the goods have to be sent back to China for reworking. This will within itself result in delays and loss of profits.

What does pricing have to do with quality?

Another important factor to take into account is fairness. By being fair with your supplier and by paying a reasonable price for the product, which is mutually beneficial for you both, the factory will be more likely to take better care with your order. Hence you are more likely to receive good quality products.

All in all, it is highly advisable that people buying from China should arrange quality control, even if the factory they are using, has been their long term partner. It is also important to reach a contractual agreement that takes into account the quality control aspect. As always, last but not least, be fair with your supplier, the more you push down the price, the more chances of the supplier taking less care with your order. Doing these three things can help you assure that your products are good quality, so that your “made in China” products can mean “well made in China”.