Whether the manufacturer is stable

Whether a manufacturer is stable is a fair question before placing volume production, and it is usually answered by evidence rather than by assurances. The relevant evidence is the history of the business, its market position, the customers who keep placing repeat orders, and the depth of the technical team behind the factory.

What to look at

• Company history and the length of relationships with existing customers.
• Certifications actually held, with certificate numbers and validity periods.
• Production capacity and equipment installed, not only what is advertised.
• Engineering headcount, since it determines how much support a project receives.

Making the assessment

None of the four checks above is settled by a sales conversation. Company history is verifiable from public records, certificates carry numbers and validity dates that can be checked with the issuing body, capacity can be confirmed against a current order book, and engineering depth shows in how a technical question is answered. A supplier who can produce that evidence quickly is usually the same supplier who can produce it when a batch goes wrong. Company details are on the about page.