Whether you are a start-up or a well-established brand, sourcing China-made products can be one of the best ways to expand your business for lower costs and higher quality.
Today, sourcing agents are playing a more important role than ever in managing international supply chains. This is because many international companies are using them to ensure that there are no disruptions or delays resulting from trading across borders.
When it comes to the procurement process, working with an expertly trained and well-experienced sourcing agent is crucial for always meeting your company’s needs. To learn more about how a Chinese sourcing agent can meet your requirements, this article will explore some advantages of partnering with a sourcing agent in China. Let’s get started!
What is a Sourcing Agent?
Typically, a sourcing agent in China is an individual or company representing an international company to assist in locating sources for specific products.
A China-based sourcing agent can offer a wide range of services to western companies. Except for finding the appropriate products on behalf of their clients, they are also responsible for verifying suppliers and handling quality control directly or indirectly, dealing with logistics, and any other tasks as required by the buyer.
These agents are experts at understanding what you need, where it’s made, and how much it will cost. Therefore, an excellent sourcing agent should have a vast network of different product suppliers and possess knowledge of good business sense, coordination skills, and communicative abilities.
A sourcing agent often gets paid on a commission basis, which is calculated as a certain percentage of the total order volume.
How Does a Sourcing Agent Help with Your Business?
When sourcing products from China, you can either go through this process on your own or through your in-house sourcing team. However, working with a China-based sourcing consultant on your behalf will give you time back and make things easier than doing it yourself.
1. Source Affordable and Ideal Products
There is no doubt that a foreign company often approaches a Chinese product source mainly because they offer the best price for products. This is because China has abundant natural and human resources, which translates to cheaper prices for manufacturing goods compared to other western countries.
If you choose a sourcing supplier that has a vast network of factories and has experience in working with international companies, it’s easy for you to receive ideal products in a shorter period.
In addition, if you are carving out a niche market and looking for a way to find what you need to supply your store, then finding the right specialist who can help is crucial. Working with an experienced sourcing expert who can lead you through contacting manufacturing suppliers so that they’ll produce your desired product line will make things much easier.
2. Save Time and Increase Efficiency
From a business perspective, time is the single most important resource in the world because if you don’t get enough done when it matters, there isn’t anything else that can be done to recover from it. Fortunately for them, many businesses recognize how valuable time is, so they seek Chinese sourcing agents’ help accordingly because of their extensive networks, expertise, and experience so that they have time to focus on expanding their businesses.
When you use a sourcing agent, everything will be taken care of for you, from approaching factories, conducting factory audits and verifications, to comparing different products in terms of quality, materials, techniques, and prices, and monitoring the whole production process. In this case, all you need to do is create clear and detailed lists of your requirements and standards so you can avoid time-consuming and expensive mistakes.
Also, a sourcing expert has experience with international import and export processes and knows which kinds of documents are typically needed when dealing with your sourcing project, and how to prepare them in a way that they will be accepted immediately.
3. Avoid Miscommunication
For those who want to produce something special, interacting with a factory directly can be an excellent way of getting just what you need. However, it’s important to note that because of language and cultural barriers, this route can be difficult without having someone on your side who understands both sides as well as possible.
If you’re not willing to put too much time into communicating or are worried about being misunderstood, then hiring a sourcing agent who can help reduce these headaches might be a worthwhile investment.
A lot of Chinese sourcing agents speak fluent English and don’t require the use of a translator to complete the job. Also, more and more China-based sourcing companies provide multilingual sourcing services to eliminate any potential misunderstandings for businesses around the world.
And more importantly, these Chinese sourcing experts are knowledgeable about all facets of doing business with a Chinese factory and a western company, including having detailed proposals and product information available in your native tongue.
4. Conduct On-Site Audits
Most Chinese suppliers are genuine and sincere about providing reliable products or suitable services to multinational corporations. It should be noted, however, that not all people will maintain this sincerity like in every industry.
Most people would think twice before purchasing goods overseas because there are many more pitfalls than you might expect, especially when you are on a different continent or collaborating with a supplier or partner for the first time.
In this case, a local sourcing agent can easily visit the factory, do on-site checks, and verify their documents and certifications. This way you are assured of getting what you ordered without defects or low-quality goods that you don’t need at all.
This is when working with experienced suppliers, who have these certifications, pays off, even if their per-unit price is a little higher compared to a smaller non-experienced supplier unfamiliar with international standards.
Final Thought
If you are interested in purchasing high-quality goods from China by partnering with a local sourcing agent, look no further than China 2 West.
We are a one-stop-shop sourcing company with UK roots and Chinese connections for your sourcing needs. With a team of experienced sourcing experts, we are confident of being your sourcing guide to grow your business without the risks involved. You can rely on us like other hundreds of western clients in the past 17 years. When you need a reliable sourcing partner for your project, don’t hesitate to contact us today.
