East West Manufacturing Blog

You're excited! You've placed your first purchase order (PO) with your contract manufacturer. But what happens next?

We're glad you asked that. We have a couple resources to answer your questions about what happens during the purchase order confirmation process and why you might experience delays in confirmation. 

First let's look at the...

Very few people walk into a store, take an item off the shelf and purchase it without looking at the price. Even if you’re reasonably certain you can afford it, you’ll glance at the label to see how much it’s going to cost. If it’s what you want, and the price is in line with your desire for the item, you’ll buy it. But retail prices aren’t...

The word “money” is considered a marketing power word. Its use in a headline or caption will almost always grab your attention. Why’s that? Because it’s something we’re either trying to get more of or trying to hold onto.

Can you guess the topic of the questions we’re most frequently asked?

You’ve submitted your design, you’ve seen your prototype and… there’s something not quite right. Maybe a curve is deeper than expected, there’s a ridge or dimple where there shouldn’t be. Perhaps it just doesn’t feel the way you expected it to. But it’s a simple fix, right?

When a contract manufacturer sends you a quote, there are three typical responses.

1. Wow, that’s a bargain!!!
2. Eh, that’s about what I expected.
3. THAT MUCH!! Are you kidding me?!

Whatever the reaction, a good contract manufacturer can provide you a costed bill of material (BOM) so you know which categories are driving your cost.

So, what are the...