How to avoid quality issues when sourcing manufacturing suppliers overseas?

Online, June 15, 2010 (Newswire.com) - There are however several strategies to avoid issues: Any strategy to avoid quality problems begins when pre-selecting potential suppliers. To find the right supplier, think about the following questions:

1. What experience does the factory have in exporting overseas? don t hesitate to ask for references and look at their product range.

2. Are the representative communicating easily in English? While it is rare to have fluent English speakers at all levels within a foreign company, communication remains key to ensuring that all requirements are fully understood. A lack of proficiency in English or other common language is a major issue as it reveals a lack of experience in exports and could create misunderstandings or severe communication problems.

3. Where are based the company headquarters? Headquarters based in developed countries or a factory linked to a holding or group based in developed country has better chances to have implemented western standards in terms of production and quality control, and has probably a greater exposure to western markets.

4. Where is based the production facility? For example, different areas in India or China offer qualified workers, specializing in specific products or services, while other areas are known for poor quality products. Selecting suppliers based in an area specializing in the type of products you look to source helps ensuring that the factories are likely to be experienced in the production of the required product or part.

5. Is one offer to good to be true? if you receive an extremely competitive quote compare to the others, don't forget that it might come at cost of quality. when choosing the right supplier, make sure to choose the most cost efficient offer, which is not always the cheapest.

Once your choice is made, insist on getting samples before starting production, and set up solid commercial terms overseeing all quality related issues, and replacement or penalty procedures.

It is also better to check the first delivery before shipment, by either sending your quality representative or subcontracting the inspection to a local company.

Ensuring quality control is a challenge, major issues can be avoided with careful supplier pre-selection, making sure to verify quality before and during production, and ensure contracts cover clearly any quality issue possible.
Some websites such as www.rfquotations.com offer free services dedicated to provide industrial manufacturing quotes offered by a supplier panel covering all manufacturing processes in any location of the globe. This site is very popular as users get all the information they need from a single website and can compare quotes offered by different firms. As mentioned, it is advised that purchase decisions should not be based solely on price quote, Past records and background information of the firm should also be taken into consideration, and www.rfquotations.com does also provide this information.
As a result, Buyers get a clear market overview and can select the firm that offers the most cost effective services. Using http://www.rfquotations.com is certainly the easiest and quickest way to find the right supplier for any manufacturing need, such as machining, plastic injection molding, assembling, casting, rapid prototyping and many more.