CASE STUDIES

Established in 2003, Shimu is a leading specialist in traditionally crafted oriental furniture and restored Chinese antique furniture. Since our inception I have worked with various factories, antique restorers and agents in China to supply our products, relying on one manufacturer for our main range of reproduction furniture. When we started to be hit by rising purchase costs and some quality control issues some years ago I started to look for alternative suppliers to improve our supply chain.

Around the same time I was approached by Jamie from MRC to discuss how they could assist us with sourcing. They initially analysed the existing pricing and products for the range we were looking to relocate to a new supplier. They were then able to come up with a shortlist of other Chinese manufacturing sites that they believed would meet our requirements, with lower costs and improved product quality. As part of the process MRC provided clear cost analysis spreadsheets, images and videos, and communicated all questions I had with the proposed Chinese manufacturers, and together we selected the most suitable supplier.

Prior to the Pandemic Jamie, Katie and I visited the manufacturing workshop in China where we inspected furniture samples that MRC had arranged to be made. We toured the manufacturing site with the Chinese owner allowing me to see first-hand the facility, various production stages and working conditions. Katie is a Chinese native with a good understanding of production processes, so communication with the factory owner was made easy. Any concerns or questions I had about moving our production to a new factory were answered, giving me complete confidence in the move at what could otherwise have been a difficult time.

Since moving production we have continued to work with MRC and the new factory to produce the range. The quality of the furniture has been excellent and, with Katie at MRC acting as our representative to regularly liaise with the factory, any issues we raise are responded to quickly and effectively. MRC takes away the stress of dealing directly with an overseas supplier, leaving us to focus on our customers and other areas of the business.

We have also found Katie to be invaluable in helping us to arrange bespoke pieces of furniture and to regularly source other homeware products for the Shimu range. We have developed an excellent relationship and I would highly recommend MRC as a sourcing partner.

Managing Director/Owner, James Cottrell: Shimu

Jamie and Katie at My Red Compass have been invaluable in the recent expansion and optimisation of our business.

My Red Compass firstly undertook an extensive supplier analysis, identifying alternatives in the market along with mystery shopping our current factory with the utmost discretion to act as a benchmark against the rates we were then paying.

My Red Compass took all the stress and pain away from sourcing new Chinese suppliers and undertaking the complex negotiation process with each new company in order to strike trading arrangements. This included organising the logistics of substantial quantities of sample products to be shipped to the UK from several factories so we could inspect and test before placing our first major orders. 

My Red Compass also oversaw the fabrication process of a bespoke part – sourcing a factory, supplying and annotating CAD drawings, arranging for prototypes to be produced, and finally striking a mass production order.  This process was instrumental in our company winning a major tender with a London council, something we simply couldn’t have done without My Red Compass.

Jamie and Katie carry with them a wealth of experience working for many years in China which allows them to know the ins and outs of Chinese commerce. They understand first-hand the subtle cultural and business nuances and then use this knowledge to their advantage to strike the best deals available. Their work has resulted in a net saving in our supplier costs of well in excess of 40% for our company.

I can’t recommend My Red Compass highly enough and are a must for any UK business transacting with China.

Director, Sam Theuma: Gazebo Land

A customer came to us looking for help with sourcing baby changing bags. Their aim was to find a multifunctional bag that was stylish and practical. “Make every mum and dad’s life that little bit easier with style”

Our client had carried out market research and presented us with some visuals and a criteria checklist.

• Premium hardwearing material
• Practical material (water resistant outer & wipe clean lining)
• Convertible internal (switch between compartments)
• Smart storage / multiple storage compartments
• Accessories
• Comfort is key (padded straps and back support)
• Built-in stroller attachments
• Style
• A unique feature

Our client was a start-up business looking for a small volume order to begin with. They required 150 bags.

Running through our My Red Compass procedure, we had meetings with our client several times (after putting a standard non-disclosure agreement, or NDA for short, in place) and put together a project overview for this product.

During this process My Red Compass worked with the client to discuss as much as possible – including the budget involved, price expectations and any other specific details that the client had in mind about the project. Using our experience and expertise we were able to offer ideas and suggestions during this important stage of discussions.

Once we had a good idea of what our client wanted, we were able to begin our sourcing process. We used a screening formula we have developed over time in addition to standard methods such as confirming product experience, certifications, capacity, supply history, and more before recommending appropriate suppliers to our customer.

Sourcing Process Simply Explained

1. Detailed Requirements
2. Project Evaluation
3. Supplier Selection & Samples
4. Production

Our client decided not to have samples sent so it was extremely important we carried out on the ground physical checks, real-time and recorded video analysis and detailed photography.

One of the client’s requirements was to have a baby changing bag that offered a unique feature/selling point for their consumer. My Red Compass relished the challenge!

After some research and brainstorming sessions we focussed on the importance of sterilising due to the overwhelming increase of people being more conscious of germs and bacteria because of the COVID outbreak.

We found a company who offered a very smart technology application within a baby changing bag – an irradiation/sterilising compartment powered by a sleek rechargeable battery. By pressing a simple button on the bag the safety sterilising chamber was able to sterilise the content within 5 minutes. The idea of sterilising your baby bottles, car keys, credit cards (items that come into contact with germs) in your bag when you are on the go was a lightbulb moment! Our client ordered 200 bags.

We have worked with our client to source a variety of Children’s learning toys in addition to the baby bag range.