FAQs

1. Can IBMH help me to import any other products not related to Furniture and Construction Hardware? 2018-07-03T16:15:07+00:00

No. IBMH is a specialized company that offers Procurement Management of furniture and construction hardware ONLY. Working from China as your own Strategic Sourcing Office, we shall help you meet all your import needs of these product lines.

2. What items can I buy in China through your management? 2018-07-02T21:23:03+00:00

Our service does not contemplate the purchase of “just any item produced in China”. Based in China, IBMH will only manage the purchase of large imports in the hardware sector.

3. What is a Procurement Sourcing? 2018-07-02T21:22:40+00:00

Sourcing is the action of finding a source where specific products can be procured. As an expert company in hardware Procurement Sourcing in China, IBMH selects the bests suppliers for specific items its clients are looking for, taking into account the technical characteristics of the goods that are being sought.

4. How long does it take for IBMH to complete a Procurement Sourcing project? 2018-07-02T21:22:20+00:00

To start a project, IBMH needs: a. full technical data, b. full packaging information and c. a physical sample of the item. Once all these elements are uploaded in our PMP platform, IBMH management takes between 48 and 72 hours, although it is clear that we cannot make it without our customers’ full cooperation and availability.

5. Does IBMH manufacture or sell its own hardware? 2018-07-02T21:21:58+00:00

IBMH does not manufacture nor sell hardware directly. We search (and find) for you the place/factory where you can buy the hardware you need directly.

It is important to highlight that you’ll always be able to include your own brand to any of your imports.

6. What is the difference between IBMH and an agent or intermediary? 2018-07-03T10:06:56+00:00

IBMH’s purpose is different from an intermediary: we become your Procurement Department in China. IBMH offers an integral service. Intermediary agents do a different job all together: they work with high profit margins and very limited services.

Our intention is not only to get the best conditions in purchase prices, but also optimize your overall import costs. IBMH controls your items’ quality (making sure it doesn’t lower in time), takes care of deadlines (making sure they are met as planned), gets the best out of your containers’ utility and manages unified orders (meaning: multiple items from various manufacturers) which, in turn, lowers your cost, etc.

7. Will the cost of IBMH services increase the total cost of my import? 2018-07-02T21:21:08+00:00

No. Taking the entire of your annual purchase as a base, the cost of our services translates to zero. It is a win-win situation, not to mention that you will have at your disposal a team of more than 37 people focused on improving your current import costs.

8. Can we work together at a given time only… avoiding long-term commitment? 2018-07-02T21:20:50+00:00

It isn’t our intention to work “at a given time” only. We see our clients more like “strategic partners” with whom we can work on long-term projects. As a matter of fact, we’re not quite comfortable with the term “costumers”.

As we said before, the idea is to build a win-win business relationship, developing together a business strategy that will eventually benefit us both.

9. Does IBMH have a minimum order required quantity? 2018-07-02T21:20:08+00:00

There are two factors to take into account here:

Chinese manufacturers set their own MOQs (Minimum Order Quantity), which varies in each case.

In IBMH we only work with full containers BUT this doesn’t prevent us from helping each of our clients to a. develop an appropriate import strategy (in order to avoid over stock, for instance) and b. achieve a great diversification in the amount of items you can import from China.

10. What do I have to do to start managing my imports through IBMH? 2018-07-03T10:09:47+00:00

Meet the requirements needed to establish an optimal business relationship between us:

– Your purchasing project must be based on recurrent imports from China with full containers.

– Once this point above are clear, we will organize a first meeting with our commercial team to get to know each other and see the best ways in which we can collaborate.

Each of our clients is special, different and particular to us. We want to attend to the needs of each of them in a specific way.

11. I’m already importing goods from China. Would you work with my current vendors and better and improve my current costs? 2018-07-02T21:19:20+00:00

Yes, of course. IBMH professional team and latest technology can substantially improve your current management. IBMH manages the purchases of major hardware companies in more than 27 countries. Our integral service is specially designed for companies with similar characteristics to yours, therefore we can certainly improve your current management.  

12. Do you give support in any language? 2018-07-02T21:19:01+00:00

We speak English, Spanish, French and Chinese.

13. What guarantee of product quality do you offer? 2018-07-03T10:38:49+00:00

First and foremost, be certain that IBMH as your Strategic Sourcing Office in China will take care of your company’s interest and solve any incident in the most satisfactory way possible for your business.

In the case of a defective product, we will file a claim and see with the manufacturer in question how the problem can be solved. At IBMH we work with the aim of optimizing and ensuring the optimum quality of any import made through our comprehensive Procurement Management service. Here, in China, where we work and live, we have a quality team capable of minimizing risks, anticipating the problems and locating possible failures that from your country would be impossible to identify.

14. After-sales service: do you have one? How does it work? 2018-07-02T21:18:17+00:00

IBMH is fully committed to each project, before and after each management. “Before” means ensuring that the product complies with all the requirements previously established and “after”, by producing and helping you with all the necessary technical and commercial information to promote and sale the products in your market.

15. Is it possible to send charge free samples to IBMH? 2018-07-02T21:17:18+00:00

IBMH manages the shipment of all the samples you may need for your business, but at your expense (since IBMH does not cover the logistics of these goods, we can be made responsible for them either). We will review the product and send you detailed quality control reports to ensure that the chosen sample meets your expectations, optimizing management times while minimizing unnecessary expenses with products that do not meet your standards of quality or performance.

16. How does IBMH protect intellectual property? 2018-07-02T21:17:00+00:00

Be assured that IBMH will protect your intellectual property, while helping you protect all brands and products from plagiarism. All legal procedures, such as trademark registrations in China, are common arrangements for us. Our legal team can take care of the whole process for your total and absolute peace.

17. Can IBMH help me find a manufacturer that can produce an exclusive hardware for my business? 2018-07-02T21:16:30+00:00

No doubt IBMH is the ideal partner for the search and development of a new hardware for your company. We have been in the hardware sector for over 24 years. We have a team of highly qualified professionals and, finally, we speak your language. Our multicultural engineers can understand, explain and transmit your projects properly to Chinese manufacturers, in Chinese, thus avoiding possible errors or misunderstandings.

18. I am planning to travel to China soon. Could we meet in person? I would love to visit your offices and see how the team works. When would be a good time for you? 2018-07-03T10:32:35+00:00

Any time is good for us, really… except from “fair time”! Fairs are really hard work for us. We would rather take the time to meet and give you all our attention while you’re here. In any case, whenever you come, you will be welcome! Now, to get the most out of your visit, send IBMH all the information about the hardware you are interested in before you arrive. We can then start working on your project and get samples ready by the time you come to our office. This, in turn, will give you the opportunity to choose the right providers in a faster and more efficient way.

19. Can IBMH recommend innovative hardware for my business? 2018-07-02T21:15:31+00:00

Once we start collaborating, IBMH will establish a system of direct communication with your company. We will periodically inform you on new hardware that may be of your interest, for your specific market. IBMH works in more than 27 countries. Therefore, we have a very active participation in the global hardware market, which gives us an exhaustive knowledge of the hardware sector worldwide.

20. What are the manufacturers payment terms? 2018-07-02T21:15:01+00:00

The payment terms of your purchases in China will established by the Chinese manufacturers. They usually require a prepayment of 30% of the value of your order. The remaining 70% will be paid at the end of production. These conditions may vary exceptionally when a continuous business relationship with a particular manufacturer is established.

21. Does working with IBMH imply a fixed fee? 2018-07-02T21:14:08+00:00

Working with IBMH does not entail any kind of fixed fee since the overall annual savings obtained after the development of our work exceeds by far the fees we charge for our services.

22. Can IBMH manage the logistics of our purchases? 2018-07-02T21:13:39+00:00

IBMH coordinates all the logistics of its clients, working directly with the forwarder that you have chosen. From IBMH we will take care of all the documentation management and the coordination of the integral process at logistic level. The only thing we need from you are the contact details of your forwarder in China.

23. Can IBMH help me import one product with a different quality (to be distributed in different markets)? 2018-07-02T21:13:20+00:00

As your Strategic Sourcing Office in China, we will help you identify different qualities within a single product line to meet all the needs of your market. We know each market is different, so we are aware that quality and price always have a strong impact on the sales of our customers.

24. Is Quality Control considered an additional service? Does it imply an extra cost? 2018-07-02T21:12:10+00:00

Our quality control is part of IBMH Purchasing Management service. We’re not a traditional quality control agency but a purchasing office that offers a comprehensive service for all its customers.

25. Who is in charge of Quality Control in IBMH? 2018-07-02T21:11:31+00:00

IBMH’s inspectors are full-time employees. We count with a network of professionals who cover the main production areas of China. Our inspectors only perform hardware quality controls, which makes them real specialists and authentic experts capable of addressing problems on the spot.

26. Who decides whether the products are ready for shipment? 2018-07-02T21:11:12+00:00

Once our quality team has verified the production, we will send you a comprehensive quality report. We will then await your approval to ship the order. IBMH will never ship an order that has not been previously approved. Your acceptance of our report is condition to proceed to shipment.

27. What happens if the production I receive doesn’t meet the pre-established requirements? 2018-07-03T10:26:04+00:00

As your Strategic Sourcing Office in China, IBMH will clearly identify the problem and carry out the necessary actions so that the product that has been manufactured is modified quickly or re-manufactured according to the pre-established specifications.

28. Does IBMH consider the rights and working conditions of workers in Chinese factories? 2018-07-02T21:09:52+00:00

IBMH has a high social commitment when it comes to auditing and selecting the ideal factories for your business. We thoroughly analyze workers’ working conditions to prevent any possible abuse and/or working conditions that do not comply with our pre-established requirements. We only work with manufacturers that respect labour rights.

29. Can IBMH sign a confidentiality contract? 2018-07-02T21:09:11+00:00

Yes, the information shared between both companies will not be divulged.

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