How to choose a manufacturer for your new product

With your product designed and ready to be manufactured, you now have the task of finding a manufacturer who can produce your product for you. This process isn’t always an easy one, especially with so many choices out there.

So, we’ve got some pointers which might help you to shortlist manufacturers for your next project.

1. Get multiple quotes

This one might sound obvious and is what everyone will tell you to do when comparing any services, but getting more than one quote will help you to get an idea of how much it will cost you to manufacture your product.

Prices will differ based on a range of factors, including location, the size of the manufacturer and how busy they are. It’s worth shopping around and getting multiple quotes that you can compare before jumping in and choosing a manufacturer.

2. Opt for native companies

As with much of the design and production process, product manufacturing requires lots of communication and conversations. With this in mind, it’s worth choosing a manufacturer that is native to your country, or atleast operates in a country where your language is the second language or business language. 

Unless you speak Mandarin or any other Chinese language it might be more hassle than it’s worth choosing a manufacturer who operates in China. Communication will likely be more difficult unless they have staff who speak English particularly well, which can make the process a bit lengthier.

3. Ensure they are qualified

As will all industries and trades, not all manufacturers are the same.

If you are getting divorced, you wouldn’t choose a lawyer who specialises in trade law. So, if you’ve designed a product that is a children’s toy, you don’t want to go for a manufacturer who specialises in technology devices.

When researching manufacturers, keep an eye out for examples of experience and accreditations specific to your area and your products. More specifically, if you are manufacturing certain products which require certain standards, then you need to be sure that they are operating to those standards.

Secondary to this, keep an eye out for testimonials from customers and look to see if there are any from your industry. If others trust the company and say they have done a good job, then this will give you some added reassurance of their quality.

4. Assess their capabilities

When choosing a manufacturer, it’s a good idea to assess yourself whether they have the capabilities to carry out the work that you have provided. This can include the amount of staff they have to carry out the work and the equipment they will use to manufacture your products.

You want to ensure that they are able to fulfil the job correctly, and that there won’t be any delays due to them not having the resources to do a job. Also, make sure that their staffs are equipped with major safety components like high quality gloves (like the ones at https://unigloves.co.uk/), helmets, shoes, etc., that may save them from getting injured during work, so that your work would not be delayed. Another thing to note is that it’s not unknown for companies to outsource some work, which can cause some issues in terms of quality and legality of the work.

When starting your search, start to shortlist manufacturers based on whether they can keep up with the workload you are going to be providing. It is also worth asking for some samples of previous work, which most should be happy to supply, as this can help you get an idea of quality.

Ultimately, the one way that you are going to find a manufacturer that works for you is by going off your instinct and how you feel about a company. Try and shop around and talk to several manufacturers, but always remember how you felt around them and whether you liked their staff as well as how they operate.  

The UK is full of high-quality and expert manufacturing companies, you just need to do some research to find the one that fits your needs.