How to Mass Produce a Product?

Jan 14, 2024 Chapter 1. Sourcing

Bringing a concept to market is much easier than it looks! If you have a 3D CAD model of your design, you’re already halfway there. Of course, we can’t tell you the secret to becoming a star designer or engineer—and we know you already are—but we can let you in on these steps that have helped hundreds of designers and engineers reach mass produce product successfully.

 

 

how to mass produce a product

 

 

Mass Production Definition

What is Mass Production?

Mass production is the manufacture of a large number of standardized products, often using assembly lines or automation technology. Mass production helps to produce a large number of similar products efficiently. Mass production is also known as flow production, repetitive flow production, series production or mass production.

 

Mass Production Example Include the Following:

  • canned goods.
  • over-the-counter drugs.
  • household appliances.

 

 

How Much Does It Cost to Mass Produce a Product?

Produce a product costs can include a variety of expenses, such as labor, raw materials, consumable manufacturing supplies, and general overhead. Total mass production costs can be determined by adding together the total direct materials and labor costs as well as the total manufacturing overhead costs.

 

 

 

How to Mass Produce a Product?

So, for mass produce a product, you generally consider what issues and steps to follow or managing the production process?

First of all, one of the most frequently asked questions by foreign sellers is: “Are you a factory?”

Secondly, the next question they are most concerned about is: “How much does it cost?”

Then you will calculate the specific manufacturing costs from multiple suppliers. Here are some of the steps you can follow to get a product mass produced:

 

 

 

 

1. Find the Right Suppliers for Your Mass Production

 

When you start to mass manufacture a product, you know find some manufacturers first.

After you contact with some suppliers, you will wonder if you have found a perfect factory? 

“Why did one factory quote $3, while another factory quoted $6?”

There are differences in the quotations of factories, and the main reasons may be attributed to the following 4 reasons:

  1. There is another cooperative factory behind the supplier
  2. The suppliers think that you don’t know exactly how much you should pay
  3. The factory usually does not produce this product
  4. The quality of the products they have is much lower than the standard level

 

Once sellers get quotations from factories, you may need to know why the prices differ between different manufacturers.

 

 

2. Check the Supplier Background

 

  •  Ask For References

Although many good factories will not disclose who they have worked with, if sellers can understand most of the factory’s customer companies’ geographic location, they will have a good understanding of this factory’s quality standards. Because most factories’ products are sold in the United States or Europe, their quality is generally higher than those sold in Asia or Africa.

 

  • Verify the Business License

If you buy from overseas. Although you may not understand Chinese, you can find someone who understands Chinese to verify and check the Administration for Industry and Commerce of each province in China to see if the company is registered there.

 

 

3. Negotiate the MOQ

Most factories want to produce more products because large orders can bring them more profits. However, if factories trust your brands enough, they are usually willing to start with a lower MOQ.

 

Provide Enough Order Quantity

This is important for the following reasons:

Large factories (often more consistent quality) reject small orders. Small orders aren’t worth doing much engineering upfront, so typical factories tend to jump right into mass manufacturing, let problems arise, and (hopefully) find and fix them. This is inherently risky.

In many cases, low-volume work tends to be done in a more manual way and with less consistent quality.

All of these are compounded if you have a supplier that makes a different product than they already make. This should affect the type of suppliers you work with. 

 

 

 

4. Discuss the Payment Method

Most factories’ payment method is 30% before mass production and the remaining 70% before shipment. In other words, before you actually receive your product, you need to pay 100% of your product.

To better control the product’s quality before shipment, you may visit the factory by yourself or send a quality control team. For large orders, wise foreign sellers usually hire a quality inspection company to inspect before paying 70% of the balance.

 

Note: Test your potential supplier by asking them about money matters to see if you are on the same page. When it comes to money, you will easily tell if your supplier is legit. A good way of testing the supplier is by telling them that your agent will pick the goods and pay on delivery. If the supplier refuses, then he is probably a scammer.

If you are doing wireless transactions, beware of fraudulent suppliers. The common best way to pay suppliers is through Alibaba trade insurance, TT, or western union.

 

 

5. Carry Out a Factory Audit

Pretend to be checking the manufacturers’ audit reports and check his behavior or reaction. If you see him getting all tense, he has a lot to hide, and he is a suspicious dealer. That’s how you verify Chinese manufacturers easily.

You can mention to the manufacturer that you will conduct an audit before mass produce a product through an email address. If the supplier gives you lame excuses, you should take it as a red flag. The best tool to verify a supplier’s legitimacy is through a factory audit.

 

 

6. Request A Sample

 

  • Confirm How Long on Average Can the Samples be Made

Most people think that it takes several weeks to make a sample. In fact, for simple apparel products like shirts or hats, samples can be completed in less than a week. Depending on the type of product produced, the sample production time will vary greatly.

 

  • Ask for Sample

Whenever you are sourcing for products, especially from online manufacturers, ensure that you have seen a sample before mass production. Many disappointments come after sourcing for suppliers, and they deliver poor quality goods.

For instance, when you buy clothes in bulk, you need to ask for a sample because the fabric of a garment posted online may have a different color or texture when you physically see the fabric.

Quality differs: hence, to be sure of the brand you need and your supplier’s one, you have to ensure that they are matching. Quality matters a lot as long as you are in the supply and distribution business. You have to see whether products conform to specifications before making a purchase.

When you notice that a product doesn’t conform to quality expectations, you will source your products somewhere else.  A serious manufacturer will not have issues with providing you with the sample.

 

 

7. Explain Product Details 

Generally speaking, sellers know the specific specifications of the products they want to produce, including colors, materials, and logos. When they start discussing with the factory, they can discover the richness of product choices.

For example, you may want to customize the crown’s logo to the entire dial for a watch. Suppose you know the details of the design you want. This can save a lot of time and cost for the factory, including you, because the factory does not want to produce multiple samples because you forget the design details.

 

 

8. Follow Up the Production

Once the seller confirms the sample, the next step is the mass produce a product process. Even if the factory does not spend too much time on sample production, the formal production will also take a lot of time. In order not to fall behind in the production process, you need to be aware of the following two points:

 

1. The Cooperative Factory Has its Own Supply Chain. Each part of the product produced by the buyer may come from a different factory. For example, for shoes, the laces and soles may come from other factories; for bracelets, the raw materials and gems may come from other factories. 

 

2. You Are Not the Only Customer of the Factory and May Not be The Most Important Customer. To stay ahead in production, you need to keep in touch with factories and build relationships with them. You need to deal with the sales representatives and start to pay attention to things other than production.

In the next step, You generally ask the factory to send photos to update the production progress. You want to know the schedule for the factory to produce each part.

 

 

Where to Mass Produce?

The decision of where to mass produce depends on various factors like cost, labor availability, regulations, and proximity to your market. Here’s a breakdown of some of the top locations for mass production:

China: China is the world’s leading manufacturing hub, offering a vast network of suppliers, skilled labor, and well-developed infrastructure. However, rising labor costs and stricter environmental regulations are considerations.

Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia): These countries offer lower labor costs than China and are becoming increasingly attractive for manufacturers. However, infrastructure and supply chain maturity might vary.

Mexico: With its proximity to the US market and free trade agreements, Mexico is a popular choice for manufacturers targeting North America.

India: India has a large and growing domestic market, along with a large workforce. However, bureaucratic hurdles and complex regulations can be a challenge.

Eastern Europe (Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary): These countries offer a skilled workforce, good infrastructure, and access to the European market. However, labor costs might be higher compared to Southeast Asia.

 

 

 

Production Mass Conclusion

Starting mass production does not have to be a scary leap into the unknown. We have extensive experience in bringing products to market successfully and are happy to assist you in the process.

As a product sourcing company, customers have found our extensive, detailed literature and manufacturing resources to be very helpful, and we are happy to provide this information on our website or through inquiries. We like to say we have the some good job in the world: helping bring awesome concepts to mass produce a product into reality – and it’s not a bad job!

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