Much of the world is beginning to outsource production to procurement specialists based in China in an effort to streamline operations and lower costs. However, producing in China should not be undertaken lightly. Although China boasts cheap labor, low overheads, and a “relaxed” regulatory environment, there are additional considerations associated with low cost product procurement by Chinese companies. These include:

• a different business culture
• foreign language
• communication issues
• potentially unreliable and untrustworthy vendors
• technological differences
• distance
• poor customer service
• Fluctuating currency
• Changing import duties

Streamline Alliance, an "American Procurement & Trading Company" has a great deal of experience cutting through all the mystery and inconvenience to provide a trustworthy, cost-effective solution to professional China procurement. 

Streamline's procurement process may be broken into the following subcategories:

Vendor identification

Streamline has years of experience in the procurement of China factories and other sources of supply. Over time, we have developed an extensive network of Chinese suppliers spanning many different industries including, but not limited to: plastics and packaging, promotional products and materials, lifestyle products and accessories, office, school and institutional supplies, industrial products.

Our China location and years of cooperation mean that the suppliers in our professional China procurement network are the most reliable and cost effective in their industry sectors. Additionally, such extensive collaboration often results in lower prices than would normally be obtained if our customers went to the same suppliers directly. Furthermore, we have made it a point to establish personal contacts with the owners and managers of all our affiliated factories so when if and issues arise, we may go straight to the decision-makers to resolve them.

However, our customers always come first and we are constantly seeking new vendors to broaden and strengthen our China procurement network. This practice ensures that our customers will always be given the best pricing and service possible. It also means that Streamline is capable and experienced in locating vendors for new product categories. In fact, we are always on the lookout for new opportunities. Because of this, many clients look to Streamline as their representative office in China.

Production Planning and Management

Finding the right supplier in China may be getting much simpler with the advent of internet. However, conducting order follow-up and managing production planning and delivery long-distance is quite another matter. Though product procurement in China may at first appear to be low-cost, Chinese suppliers frequently accept orders only to postpone them in favor of bigger or more lucrative customers. For most customers, delays translate into lost money, lost clients, and lost opportunities. Streamline’s professional China procurement services, China location, China knowledge, and relationship with its vendors will ensure that its customers’ orders are delivered on-time and per specification.

Quality Control and Assurance

Please see our separate quality control and assurance section for more detailed information about this aspect of Streamline’s service provision.

Logistics

After the procurement and management of China factories and other sources and ensuring that product quality and integrity are maintained, the final step is delivery. Streamline provides a full range of logistical support. We have a dedicated, experienced team of China Procurement Specialists and our comprehensive services include the entire spectrum of possibilities from simply coordinating delivery with clients’ chosen freight forwarders to organizing and executing importation, customs clearance, and full door-to-door delivery.

Please contact Streamline today for more information or a quote at market@stream-max.com.