Facilities Available for Product Development in China
For years, China has been enjoying global prominence as a manufacturing powerhouse. The world’s largest producer of all kinds of factory goods, China’s giant manufacturing engine is made up of small and large gears that keep the country’s product development machine going.
Among the most vital components of this great manufacturing, the engine is product development companies, each specializing in different types and methods of production. Many of these factories are great at reproducing physical samples of an existing product design, while others specialize in all new concepts based on their own product blueprints or a client’s basic set of specifications.
A lot of importers find a lot of their time wasted in trying to perfect a sample before rolling out production. This is why your choice of factory, product development facility, or manufacturing partner is crucial so as to avoid wasting time on pre-production while making sure that design flaws are eliminated so products can be made correctly and perfectly, come mass production. Below are three main types of product development facilities you will find in China in terms of design and prototyping:
- Factories that specialize in copying existing product designs – The majority of Chinese exporters fall under this category. The ruling principle in these types of factories is “tell us what to do and we’ll do it for you.” Product development in copy factories starts as buyers bring their own samples or head to the factory’s showroom to select a product they want to be copied. Buyers/clients can specify minor changes to the product or more commonly, ask for customized labeling, logo inclusion, or packaging.
- Factories that specialize in production based on drawings and blueprints – Clients with a clear product design in mind can directly go to factories who specialize in churning out products out of drawings, clear specifications, and intended functions. Product development in these factories starts with a well-explained blueprint of the product, followed by some design considerations and suggestions from factory designers, and actual prototyping.
- Factories that specialize in new product design – There are also companies that offer complete product design and development services by proposing innovative and new-to-the-world designs and product features. These are factories that go beyond basic product assembly and employ product engineers and designers who can provide clients with product ideas that complement their needs. Product development in these factories starts with brand new concepts for products, which are then proposed to client companies who have a need for new and innovative product designs.