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How to vet a manufacturer
Hello. Looking for tips - questions to ask a potential manufacturer in order to properly vet them, as well as answers that show they are legit. Thanks.
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5 Replies
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Speaking from the other side (from a turnkey contract manufacturer) I can tell you what I wish customers would come prepared with:
-what kind of volume order are you looking to make, and at what price range do you want to pay per unit?
-what kind of packaging are you interested in? ask if the supplier fills onsite or if they have to contract out
- what countries do you want to distribute to? ask if the CM assists with regulatory compliance on labels, formulas, marketing,etc.- do you have a full formulation planned, or just a concept/key ingredients you want to incorporate
—ask how they handle the formulation development, who owns the formula at the end of the process? How do they test formula stability/vet packaging compatibility?- will they provide a certificate of analysis and SDS for each lot they produce? (I believe this is now a requirement for certain payment processors or sites like Amazon)
— if you make multiple orders, how do they ensure each lot is reproducible?There are many more questions, that’s just what pops into my head first!
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ask for references from some of their existing customers
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You could just read my recent article too…see attached. (apologizing to all for shameless self-promotion)
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@chemicalmatt - That’s excellent! Nice work!
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Thanks everyone. What about certifications. How important is it that the facility be FDA registered as well as have ISO 9000 ? Is it a deal breaker if they do not have this?
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