Are you ready to make a move to get a product prototype manufactured to see it come to real life? This can be an extremely exciting moment in the process of being successful. However, you want to make sure that you are choosing your best option. How do you know which contract manufacturing companies are the best? How do you go about choosing one? In this guide, we’ll walk you through what you need to know to choose the best one out there. By following these tips, you’ll see your product come to life in no time!

1. Know What You Need a Contract Manufacturing Company For

The first thing that you need to do when you are looking for the best manufacturing company is to define what you need them for. There are most likely specific requirements that you have for a project, so knowing what they are can help you figure out what company is going to work best for you. For instance, you need to consider your product specifications, how much of your product you need, the quality standards that you expect, delivery expectations, price, and more. When you are looking into these, discussing them with a contract manufacturing company will make sure that you are choosing the right one for your needs.

2. Determine Their Expertise and Knowledge of the Industry

You don’t want to work with a manufacturing company that doesn’t have the right experience or knowledge about the product that you need. While they may be extremely experienced in another industry, that doesn’t mean that they have the same experience in your industry! It is important to be able to tell the two apart. This is where research comes into play. You will want to look for companies that have a proven track record and history of expertise in your industry. They should have history with manufacturing similar items or products. It doesn’t need to be the same — but similar means that they know what they are doing for you. In addition to expertise, you should ensure that they are qualified because this is part of what helps you determine their expertise. For instance, they should be able to fully meet your manufacturing requirements based on their equipment, employees, and technology that they utilize in their plant.

3. Ask for References and Testimonials

Before you agree to work with a manufacturing company, you need to ask for reviews and testimonials. A lot of times, you can find these yourself on their website. You can also read reviews on Google (which we highly recommend). However, a reputable company should be able to provide references and testimonials to you if you ask them. If they don’t provide anything, it is best for you to move on to a different company that will. It can be a red flag if they don’t have any references, as this either means they don’t have any experience or no one wanted to leave a great review for them. These customer reviews, and testimonials can provide a lot of insight into the company you could be working with in terms of their strengths and weaknesses as well as how well they get the job done.

4. Consider Logistics of the Supply Chain

You don’t want to get started with a manufacturing job before thinking about the logistics of it all. For instance, you need to think about what the manufacturer is going to need to do for you. First, they need to create the products that you want from them. They need to gather the supplies to do so and have the labor to get it done. You should be looking around and assessing the company to see if they would be able to do this for you. You know your wants and needs, and you can see if they are able to meet that. You should also have a conversation with them about their shipping, packaging, and distribution logistics so you have a better understanding of what that looks like and who is in charge of that — them or you.

5. Always Visit the Site

While it can be extremely convenient to sit at your desk and research companies online and then call a few that you think would be a great fit, this is not going to be great for your manufacturing. You need to actually visit the site to see what it is all about. When you are on the phone, you can get a false idea of the contract manufacturing company. However, if you pay them a visit, you will be able to see what you are getting yourself into and if it is going to work for you. This way, you can see their team, their equipment, and the entire manufacturing plant as a whole. Visiting will give you a better gut feeling about whether it is the right company for you or not.

Tips for Choosing Contract Manufacturing Companies

If you want to make sure that you are choosing contract manufacturing companies that are right for you and the industry that you are in, then you will want to follow these tips. You should always do your due diligence with the research of various companies, learning their knowledge and expertise for your industry, asking for testimonials, and personally visiting the site.

Are you ready to work with the best companies out there? You can contact us today at Shield Works Precision Manufacturing to get the job done!