Low-volume manufacturing in China is possible, but not always feasible in practice.
Many companies approach suppliers with plans to produce a few hundred or a few thousand units, only to face high MOQs, lack of interest from manufacturers, or unworkable costs.
The question isn’t just “can it be done?”
It’s “under what conditions does it make sense, and how do you make it work?”
Listen to the audio here or on Apple Podcasts · Spotify · Amazon Podcasts · Deezer · iHeartRADIO · TuneIn.
Episode Sections:
- 00:00 – The Low-Volume Manufacturing Problem
- 01:52 – Why Factories Resist Small Orders
- 05:33 – How Low Volume Fits into Product Development
- 09:03 – The Biggest Mistake: Testing Demand Too Late
- 12:33 – The Real Economics Behind Low Volume Production
- 18:02 – Supplier MOQs: The Hidden Constraint
- 20:26 – How to Make Low-Volume Manufacturing Work
- 26:31 – When Low Volume Makes Sense (and When It Doesn’t)
- 30:00 – Final Advice: Be Manufacturer-Ready
Further Reading
- The New Product Introduction Process Guide (explains why you can’t just jump from prototype to production)
- What is MOQ? (explains why factories push back on low volumes)
- Low Volume Manufacturing in China for Your New Product (written-version of this podcast)
- Flexible Manufacturing in China: How To Set It Up (shows when low-volume can work, if systems are designed for it)
- Why You Need Mature Product Designs BEFORE Working With A Chinese Manufacturer! (Show why low-volume manufacturing fails when the product isn’t ready)
