A good contract manufacturer disappears into your business: orders go in, great systems come out, and your customers never know anyone else was involved. A bad one shows up in your support inbox. These eight questions help you tell the difference before you sign.
1. What happens in your busiest week?
Monthly averages hide the real test. Ask how the partner handles a launch or holiday spike, and how far ahead they need your forecast.
2. Who is at the bench?
Ask whether technicians are certified, how they’re trained on a new configuration, and how a build standard is kept consistent from station to station.
3. Is every unit tested — or a sample?
Sampling is common. It’s also how bad units reach customers. Ask what the test sequence is and what happens to a unit that fails it.
4. Have they built systems like yours?
Custom loops, dense RGB, small-form-factor cases and workstation builds each have their own pitfalls. Ask for examples close to your product.
5. Can they store, ship and take returns?
Every extra handoff between build, warehouse and courier is another chance for delay or damage. Fewer partners usually means fewer problems.
6. How are returns diagnosed?
A returns process should tell you why units come back, not just replace them. That feedback is what makes the next batch better.
7. Who do you call when something changes?
Specs change, parts slip, launch dates move. You want a named person who knows your account, not a ticket number.
8. Who trusts them today?
Promises are cheap — references aren’t. Ask any partner who they build for and how long those customers have stuck around. (Happy to walk you through ours.)
Want to put us through these questions? Book a call with our team — we’ll answer every one.