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How to Take Full Control

of Your Supply Chain

Streamline Your Operation with Smarter Production and Fulfillment Strategies

Presented by:

Greg Chen-Lepkoff, CJ Christensen�and Chris Oslebo

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Factories

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Trade�Companies

Dropshipping Agents

Sourcing Company

Understanding Supplier Types

Working with Factories, Trade Companies, Dropshipping Agents, and Sourcing Companies

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Performing Due Diligence on Suppliers

Supplier Research and Outreach

Initial communication:

assessing the supplier

Visiting Suppliers to assess their factory set up

Collecting Samples

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Sample Quality

What are their certifications?

Supplier Location

Communication and cooperability

Are they hungry for the business?

Deciding on Long Term

Factory Partners

Factory Resources

Do they have the team and engineering equipment to do the long-term product developments plans?

Assessing Costing and Lead time

    • Don’t always choose the cheapest supplier
    • Does the factory keep records on lead times?

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Certificates �(FDA, GMPC, ISO, UL, 510K, OTC, MSDS)

How to Protect Yourself

IP in Place �(Trademarks, Patents, Copywright)

Contractual Agreements with Factories �(NDA, QC Agreements, Manufacturing �agreements, Brand Authorization)

Insurance �(General, Product Liability, Cargo Insurance)

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In-Depth QC from Start to Finish

Set Quality Standards Up Front

QC Across Every Phase of the Order

Tie QC to Factory Accountability

Defect Rate Reduction System

    • Define acceptable defect levels (clear pass/fail thresholds)

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    • Create a QC checklist + “golden sample” reference standard
    • Pre-production: material & spec verification + sample approval

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    • During production: in-line checks catch issues early

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    • Pre-shipment: final inspection against packaging checks
    • Use manufacturing agreement terms for factory chargebacks / debit notes tied to QC failures (defects, rework, delays)
    • Track defect trends by type/cause

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    • Require corrective actions (root-cause fixes) to prevent repeat issues

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Lead time optimization

Product Development

Fulfillment Cost Optimization

Forecasting and Order Planning

Sub Vendor Management - material suppliers

Purchase Order Planning

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Payment Term Negotiations

Invest in Relationships

Trust and consistency with factories lead to stronger, more favorable long-term agreements.

Focus on Sustainable Growth

Payment terms aren’t just about cash flow today—�they’re a critical tool for scaling your brand over time.

Be Creative & Prepared

Remain flexible with strategies, multiple options, and solid planning to secure favorable terms.

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Building Your Supply Chain Team

Recruitment Platform - Boss Zhipin (直聘)

Difficulties building an in-house team in China

  • Currency payment issues
  • Trust Issues
  • Complicated WOFE setup
  • Kickbacks
  • No legal control

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Labor Market / Cultural Differences

  • Most of the trusted workforce is female and between age 24-30. 30s are when there's a lot of parenting. 40s settled down with work again.

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Shipping / Logistics

China �Fulfillment Only

Hybrid Fulfillment (China + US)

Inco Terms

DDP | FOB | EX Works