Although the sportswear foundry industry seems simple, there are many unknown secrets hidden in it. For many emerging brands, foundries are the key to scale production. Today, we will reveal the little known secrets of the sportswear foundry industry to help you better choose a foundry.
1. "One-stop" service may not be perfect
Many foundries claim to provide a "one-stop" service, from design, proofing to production and transportation, the whole process for the brand. This sounds convenient, but in reality, this "one-stop" service may not be suitable for all brands. Although some founders can undertake multiple tasks, they do not have the professional ability of each link.
For example, the design team may not be familiar with the latest sportswear trends, or the production department may lack sufficient technology to meet the requirements of high-end products. Therefore, when choosing foundries, brands need to choose professional services according to their own needs, rather than being attracted by the surface of "one stop" services.
2. The trap of hidden costs
One of the most common secrets in foundry partnerships is hidden costs. Some foundries will deliberately lower the cost in the initial offer to attract brands to sign contracts. However, in the production process, various additional costs begin to gradually appear, such as additional mold fees, proofing fees or Courier fees. These expenses can be far greater than expected, ultimately leading to a significant increase in brand costs.
Therefore, brands must be clear about all potential costs before working with foundries to avoid disputes in the later stages.
3. Limited productivity of small factories
In order to save costs, some emerging brands choose smaller factories for OEM. However, the production capacity and technical level of small factories often cannot be compared with that of large factories. Especially in the case of large orders or complex designs, small factories may not be able to guarantee product quality or timely delivery.
Therefore, when choosing a foundry, the brand must carefully evaluate the production capacity and past performance of the factory to ensure that it can meet the needs of the brand.
4. Key link of quality control
Many brands believe that choosing a good reputation of the foundry can rest easy. However, what really affects the quality of the finished product is often the intermediate quality control link.
Whether the internal quality control system of the foundry is perfect and whether the production process is strictly controlled directly affects the final quality of the product. When choosing a foundry, the brand should actively participate in quality control to ensure that the foundry can provide finished products that meet the requirements.
Sum up
There are many untold secrets behind sportswear contract manufacturing, from the limitations of "one-stop" services to hidden costs and productivity issues in small factories. Only by deeply understanding these potential risks can the brand avoid stepping on the mine in the foundry process and ensure that product quality and brand reputation are not affected.
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