New product introduction with a Chinese factory
Move from prototype to pilot run to mass production only when agreed evidence supports a written release. Approve the design, prove the production process, then hand over a controlled production pack. Keep unresolved faults and changes visible at each gate. For coordination with factory staff in China, contact Cambridge China Bridge.
Agree the gates before development starts
Define what each stage must prove, who reviews the evidence and who can authorise the next stage. Name the buyer’s design, quality and purchasing contacts alongside the factory’s engineering, quality and production contacts. Roles can be combined, but avoid approvals from an unnamed group chat.
Use a gate record containing the product revision, evidence reviewed, unresolved issues, decision, signatories and date. Record pass, hold or limited release. A limited release should identify the permitted work and its boundaries, such as tooling correction without authority to start saleable production. Build the baseline using how to write a product specification.
Prototype gate: approve the design for a pilot
Test the prototype against intended use, fit, function and foreseeable misuse. Record failures and corrections against the drawing and BOM revision. Ask which features were hand-finished, which materials were substituted and which operations the factory cannot yet reproduce on its line. A working prototype alone does not show that the production process works.
The buyer’s design owner should approve the design baseline; factory engineering should confirm how it will be made. Release the pilot only when blocking design issues are closed and remaining questions have a test plan. Manufacturers and importers placing products on the UK market need to demonstrate compliance with relevant safety requirements. Assign a reviewer to establish the applicable requirements before freezing the test plan.
Pilot gate: prove the process under production conditions
Agree a pilot quantity that lets the factory exercise the intended tooling, materials, operators, assembly, testing and packing. Ask it to record output, defects, rework, scrap, interruptions and the source of components. Inspect pieces from across the run, rather than accepting only the best pieces selected afterwards.
Buyer quality and factory production should review the results together. Hold release if recurring failures remain unexplained or corrections have not been demonstrated. Repeat the affected operations after correction and retain the results. Agree inspection acceptance before the pilot using quality inspection explained; the pilot also needs evidence about how the process behaved.
Transfer-to-production checklist
Hand over a controlled production pack that the line supervisor can use without interpreting development messages. Give every document a revision and owner, remove superseded copies from use, and ask the factory to confirm receipt. Use the checklist below to review completeness.
The buyer’s authorised approver and the factory’s production owner should sign the transfer record against the same pack revision. Purchasing should then issue an order consistent with that release. The existing guide to making bulk production match the sample covers golden samples and shipment inspections; use it alongside this handover.
| Pack item | What to confirm | Review owner |
|---|---|---|
| Design baseline | Released drawings, BOM, materials, finishes and approved alternatives | Buyer design and factory engineering |
| Manufacturing instructions | Tooling identity, process settings, assembly sequence and operator instructions | Factory engineering and production |
| Quality controls | Checks, test methods, acceptance criteria, equipment readiness and defect handling | Buyer quality and factory quality |
| Pilot closure | Results, root causes, corrections and evidence that corrections worked | Buyer quality and factory production |
| Product evidence | Test reports tied to the released design, labels, instructions and packing artwork | Buyer’s nominated reviewer |
| Traceability and changes | Batch identification, material records, retained samples and change approval route | Buyer quality and factory quality |
| Production release | Signed scope, current revision, permitted deviations and order alignment | Buyer approver and factory production owner |
Control changes after release
Ask the factory to submit proposed material, component, tooling, process or subcontractor changes before using them. Record the reason, affected documents, stock already made and checks needed. The buyer’s relevant reviewer should approve or reject the change in writing. Repeat affected pilot checks where the change could alter performance or repeatability.
Keep a separate shipment release: permission to manufacture should not automatically authorise dispatch. For early production, review recurring defects and rework against the pilot findings. If a problem returns, contain affected stock, investigate the cause and verify the correction before releasing further work.
Frequently asked questions
Can I skip a pilot run with a Chinese factory?
If you choose to skip it, record how you will check the production process. A hand-made sample leaves questions about tooling, materials, operators and packing unanswered.
Who should sign off mass production?
Name a buyer approver and a factory production owner. They should sign against the same released pack, with design and quality reviews completed and blocking issues closed.
How large should a pilot run be?
Agree its size around the operations and risks you need to observe. It should exercise the intended production route and reveal recurring faults; do not choose it solely from a sales MOQ.
What if the factory changes a component after approval?
Hold affected work, identify the change and review its impact. Update the BOM and supporting evidence, repeat affected checks, and obtain written approval before using the replacement.