A few months back, I wrote about how some buyers can no longer put up with their suppliers' quality issues. And I often lament on the poor state of quality systems here. In this article I'd like to mention the other enormous source of frustration for foreign buyers: the high minimum order quantities (MOQs) and the long lead times. High MOQs and long lead times are tightly linked They come from the same underlying issue: the "big batch & long queue" mentality. Industrial engineers, as … [Read more...]
How to decrease a minimum order quantity
One concern many small buyers have in China has to do with the minimum order quantity imposed by manufacturers. It is actually the barrier that keeps many retailers working with importers/wholesalers. But some smart importers have figured out ways to decrease these minimum quantities. The Imports Oriental blog wrote two posts about this issue in the context of the garment industry, but they are applicable to many other custom-made products. 1. Material supplier The key is to understand … [Read more...]