How to Buy Custom Plastic Parts from an Injection Molding Company

If you’re a purchasing agent for any product, you know that your job is not easy. This is especially true if you need to secure custom plastic parts. Vetting out and choosing the right supplier play a huge role in the procurement of plastic parts. With thousands of vendors today, it’s vital you first learn the ins and outs of the industry.

Tips to Buying Custom Plastic Parts

Do some preliminary research.

Before, all you needed to do is get information from a vendor or a sales agent. Today, you must do a great deal of preliminary research both online and offline. In a study conducted by the Corporate Executive Board, 60% of a purchasing decision is done even before meeting with a supplier. Thanks to the internet, your work is cut in half. You no longer need to go through page after page of company brochures to find the right custom plastic parts manufacturer. Online, you can check as many sources as possible to verify if what the supplier says is true. You can back up all your findings with some offline research, too.

Check the supplier before making any purchase.

Even with your extensive research, you can’t be certain if the vendor will be a good fit for your company. You need some firsthand experience with the vendor. Suppliers understand the need of agents to test their product. Yet, not everyone will offer the service. It’s important you don’t neglect this crucial step even if the supplier is outstanding in writing. The transactional evaluation takes a bit of time and effort. This is especially true if you’re procuring custom plastic parts from a vendor for the first time. You must be knowledgeable about the different manufacturing methods so you can accurately assess the supplier and check the product.

Familiarize yourself with the product.

The only way for you to justifiably evaluate the supplier is if you know what you’re buying in and out. It pays to learn more about plastic manufacturing techniques, so you’re able to assess which method works best. This is particularly important if you’re making an industrial purchase. Remember, you’re not just negotiating for a fair price, but also the manufacturing capacity of the product. Also, ask the supplier for a certificate/s from the industry leaders verifying they’ve met the industry standards. A final note: it's also important you check the packaging, shipping and inventory management of the supplier before making a final decision

For more help with purchasing plastic parts, contact our team today.