The BEST!

Let me take a moment to share EXCELLENCE! After almost 40 years in the Branded Merchandise Industry, Ihave found the BEST. I have been...

John L - IRONMARK

Fantastic Experience

My experience working with Chester and his overseas team was second to none. From the very beginning, Chester was extremely responsive with...

Joe S - HALO

Superbly Managed

Innovation's overseas sourcing capabilities are second to none. Whether it's bags, technology, drinkware or anything else, they find the right...

Carol M - Empire Promos

In Such Good Hannds

I have had the pleasure of working with Innovation-line on so many custom projects over the years. They communicate clearly, follow through...

Bonnie B - GEIGER

1. Process and consolidate the product specifications from customer. We get our art department involved to create more detailed drawings, layouts and specs, add in the client supplied logo artwork and prepare and present virtual samples to your customer.

a. This process would normally take just a day or two.
b. If we are able to create something more visually appropriate in house, we of course will do so as well.

2. Once the initial specs and in house prepared virtual samples are approved by our customer, we transmit all this information to our China Sourcing Office.

a. Steps 1 and 2 should take no longer than 1-3 days total if the customer is clear on the exact specs their client needs.
b. Our China office will clarify any confusing or missing information and then seek RFQ's from appropriate factories.
c. China office receives factory quotes, works with factories to clarify any confusing information and transmits all the final information and quote back to the USA office, who, in turn, will give that information for your customer.

i. The Manager of our Sourcing Division in the USA is Taiwanese so he personally speaks to the China factories and our China office in the evenings to help sort out any confusing information and to move the process along more quickly and accurately.
ii. Our China office also inquires about social audits, product testing results, requests information on safe manufacturing processes to get comfort that the factories quoting are in social and product compliance for this project and all of those results are shared with the USA office. The USA Staff discusses the safety results with USA product safety team.
iii. Depending on the complexity of the project, this process can take 1-3 days to finalize.

3. We transmit a detailed project quote to our customer and work back and forth to further clarify any confusing information.

4. If the Project will proceed from this point, we begin working on a spec-sample or pre-production sample proof. Depending on the complexity and tooling required, either a hand-made sample, rapid prototype or actual product proof will be created.

a. Timing again depends on the complexity and factors involved and can anywhere from 5-15 days to be completed.
b. Samples are sent to our USA office and delivered to you and your customer.
c. Typically, the customer will require more changes in the physical part which results in more back and forth between the factory and our USA office to adjust and refine the physical piece. Additional samples may be made in China. This process could take another 1-2 weeks and repeat itself if the sampling needs further adjustments and more physical samples.

5. Samples get Approved, we receive a Purchase Order from the distributor and we transmit a formal Purchase Order with manufacturing instructions to the Factory in China.

6. We get a detailed production schedule from Factory and arrange for our inspectors to visit and QC the factory, manufacturing process and finished products. QC inspections will typically occur in the first or second weeks of production and toward or at the end of production. If problems arise, factory may need to scrap goods and produce more. Our inspectors inspect to internally recognized standards.

a. Concurrently we will have the first production samples tested by third party Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) approved laboratories. Depending on the product being manufactured, they will test for lead, mercury cadmium and other dangerous substances, if the product being produced is considered a toy product, we will further test for phthalates as required under the CPSIA toy safety statute. And, when a toy is involved, we also test against the ASTM nationally recognized safety standards for mechanical and flammability safety as well.
b. We monitor QC results from our inspectors to ensure manufacturing processes and finished products are acceptable within international standards. c. The actual manufacturing and QC process will normally take 30-45 days, depending on the complexity and quantity of goods being manufactured.

7. Within a week of the conclusion of the manufacturing process, our freight forwarder will book space on a Container Ship and we'll begin making arrangements for ocean freight transport to the USA.

a. We will make arrangements to have the merchandise delivered to the appropriate port within the USA, including any inbound rail or truckload transit to the final destination.
b. The typical time frame from the end of product manufacturing until delivery at a port within the USA is 4 weeks.

i. Typically it takes 5-7 days to move and load the freight from the factory to the container ship port in China. Transit time across the Pacific is about 14 days and it can take another 5-7 days to unload the ship and clear the freight through US customs.
ii. There can be a delay of up to 5 days once the goods reach the USA if US Customs randomly selects the container for a more detailed X-ray or personal inspection.

8. Goods are delivered to the requested destination. The whole process AFTER the pre-production samples are approved and manufacturing begins to final clearance from US Customs takes about 8-10 weeks. If the goods are moving across the USA, it can add another 5 days transit time.