The 3 Most Common Product Launch Pitfalls in China

More and more companies work with Chinese manufacturers on new product developments. And, in most cases, things don’t turn out the way customers want.

I thought I’d highlight the most common product launch pitfalls I have observed for electrical and/or mechanical products.

1. Thinking that “the factory is an expert in manufacturing and all will be good”

We have run into many people who think this way. This is typical among companies that essentially do trading (buy and then resell without major transformation). They don’t want to get involved and they don’t have the resources for that.

Well, at least you need to know what competencies and equipment the manufacturer needs to have, otherwise you can’t select the right manufacturer…

And you need to be able to set up a plan and monitor its implementation — or you need to work with an engineering firm on this. Otherwise, you won’t be able to evaluate whether what the manufacturer tells you makes sense or not.

2. Failing to confirm the quality of key components

This is a classic in China.

Especially if those components are also, themselves, custom-made. If they were manufactured for the first time, or if the manufacturer is unproven, the probability of quality issues is very high.

Don’t wait until assembly has started to find out that 50% of a certain part (already delivered and paid in full) can’t be used for production…

3. Not training the operators before aiming at mass production

Was a new (dedicated) layout set up for this production? Was special tooling developed? Are some operations a bit out of the ordinary? The operators need training!

Are quality/safety requirements different from other customers’? Are testing stations custom-made?

So, knowing the factory, knowing the progress, knowing the quality of the products is very important to you