Before deciding to work with an offshore provider, you have to weigh all the pros and cons. Is your product heavy, easily stackable, time sensitive, and produced in low volumes? If so, outsourcing is not for you.

However, if you're looking for a high volume full turnkey solution, China is perhaps the best manufacturing outlet.

Short list of outsourcing do's and don'ts:

Labor intensive parts – YES

Special materials – PROBABLY NOT

Substitute materials – MAYBE

Complex, high tech, special quality – MAYBE

Quick Turnaround - NO

Low Volumes – PROBABLY NOT

Tooling – YES

Parts from automated processes – PROBABLY NOT

Projects in development, prototype or early production stages - PROBABLY NOT

New Product - MAYBE

Smart Sourcing, Inc. is a full-service outsourcing provider of industrial, medical, and consumer goods. We represent a network of over 80 vendors in China and are your virtual China contract manufacturer. We pride ourselves on being involved in every stage of supply chain management. Quality is our number one priority.

Smart Sourcing was recently selected by Fortune Magazine as part of the Global 100, representing the Top 100 outsourcing companies in the world. Please visit www.smart-sourcing.com for more information and contact us to see if the Support Sourcing program is for you.