Recently while discussing the state of the Marketplace, several of our Customers asked us, “How can one tell if they are doing business directly with a Manufacturer? With so many products looking identical Trading Companies often position themselves as Manufacturers. This practice is not only confusing, but causes supply chain issues that can halt a project.” Our VP of Operations, Steven Liu, had the following suggestions:

• Due Your Research: Check to see how long a company has been in the Market. Typically, companies who have been established in the Market for more than 10 years are the real Manufacturers. Customers should be cautions when working with companies claiming to be experts when they have been in business for a short period of time; it is these companies who are the Trading Companies.
• Can They Meet Your Timetable: We all know late deliveries; missed deliveries or even cancelled deliveries from a vendor can have catastrophic repercussions. Trading Companies, often have extremely long lead times for deliveries as they are dependent on the manufactures inventory and delivery schedule. You may also experience delay when waiting for a response from these suppliers.
• Value Added Services: The ability to take a standard product and customize it is essential to making your product standout. A red flag you are dealing with a Trading Company for customization is Large Minimum Orders; these large minimums are what their supplier is requiring from them.

The IPC Market is highly competitive. As you can see choosing the right partner is essential. At AICSYS, we combine our years of industry experience with the ability to manufacturer and produce a superior product. We focus on project longevity and customer retention. Allow AICSYS to quote your project today, experience the difference when dealing directly with the source!