Production still on track for summer
almost 5 years ago
– Wed, Jun 12, 2019 at 12:04:18 AM
Hey Everyone,
We are still on track for production to begin in summer. We are meeting with the manufacturing company's US representatives this week to hammer out next steps and make sure we remain on the current production schedule.
Here is the latest estimated timeline...
Since it has been a bit since the factory did the last round of prototypes we will be sure that those are firmed up in the next month and then once we are sure that everything is production ready we will begin production. That will take a month or two and then another month or two for ocean freight to deliver product to our fulfillment centers around the world. The fulfillment centers usually need a few weeks to organize things and work shipments to backers into their schedules.
Thanks for your patience. We are really looking forward to getting this finalized and getting you your rewards.
Best,
InIt Gear
Production & Shipping Timeline
about 5 years ago
– Wed, Apr 24, 2019 at 07:20:45 PM
Hey Everyone,
Not much to update at this point but production is expected to begin in July or August at the latest. Production should take from 30-45 days to complete from previous experience. Shipping to our fulfillment centers will then take 30-60 days, ocean freight, depending on the location. Then the fulfillment centers will get things organized and start shipping within 1 - 2 weeks upon receiving our shipments, depending on what else they are already working on.
We will get final production samples so that we can sign off on everything prior to full production starting. No new samples have come yet due to the production schedule, from what the factory says.
Hope this helps you understand more on the general timeline we are looking at. We are pushing to expedite this wherever possible.
Thanks again for your patience. We are really looking forward to getting these rewards delivered and moving ahead.
Best,
InIt Gear
On Factories Production Schedule for Summer, Finally!
about 5 years ago
– Fri, Mar 08, 2019 at 03:23:57 PM
Hi Everyone,
We met with our state side factory rep this week and have been able to finally get us on their production schedule. So that feels good but it isn't great because it won't be until summer due to our low volume. They work with some big global brands which gives us a low priority.
For future production we are in discussions with other factory contacts. They are smaller and likely to give us higher priority for our future needs but we need to be sure the quality is there. Either way, we are working on being much more buttoned up in the future as to avoid the kind of ridiculous delays experienced during this project.
We looked at shifting to another factory for this current project but have been stuck due to funds already being paid to the current factory and them basically ignoring any requests to release the funds back to us so we can go elsewhere.
We understand the frustration many of you feel and recognize that we've made some mistakes along the way that have contributed to the delays. We also understand the concern of being involved in a Kickstarter that doesn't deliver. However, this is absolutely not one of those campaigns and we will deliver.
Best,
InIt Gear
Update from the Factory
over 5 years ago
– Thu, Jan 17, 2019 at 11:52:57 PM
Hey Everyone,
We have continued to keep pressure on the factory for an update on progress and spoke with them yesterday.
They expressed that they've been all hands on deck for holiday production and now to get major orders out and done prior to Chinese New year. As a result they haven't done another round on our product yet but are planning to do so after they ramp back up following Chinese New Year.
We've had discussions with our other manufacturing connections but at this time we think the current factory can deliver sooner than getting one of the other manufacturers involved and having to start the process over with them.
For those unfamiliar with manufacturing overseas, especially in Asia, here is some info on the effect that Chinese New Year has on manufacturing.
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Why does CNY affect manufacturing so much?
1. Length of Factory Closures
Factories give their employees time to return home to their families, most factories close one to two weeks before the actual CNY date. China is a large country and traveling home (by train for most) can be quite difficult, often taking 3 to 7 days and getting a hold of tickets can be a nightmare. Additionally, they often remain closed for an additional two weeks after the specific CNY date for the reverse commute. Production is stopped for at least 4 weeks. Factory workers normally “accumulate” holidays during other important holidays such as the National Day (a week-long holiday) by working overtime so CNY becomes a very extended holiday break. The first workers start to return after the “Lantern Festival”, 15 days after CNY, with others following within the next few weeks.
Admin, Sales, Managers and factory owners usually do not need to travel far, since their families often live close. However, they will still take at least a week away from work, which essentially means “radio silence”. Sometimes the heavily incentivized salespeople still answer emails not to lose any opportunities. They might be the ones that over promise and under deliver though so keep that in mind.
2. Job Changes, Production Length & Quality issues after CNY
Even after factories reopen, they rarely can produce at full capacity as they still might be missing quite a few workers on the floor. Sometimes factories resume production with only 35% of the workforce back. Unfortunately for factories, depending on the labor market, some of those workers may never return. This uncertainty is one of the issues Chinese factories face after CNY. Indeed, it is very much a workers’ market right now, and many do not return as they find opportunities closer to home or more lucrative ones. This means, each year the factory loses much of its workforce and needs to replace it but more importantly train it to avoid potential quality issues. This, coupled with the abundance of back-orders received during CNY, increases production times. Something worth mentioning here might be that suppliers, even those who are not as busy, also just use CNY as an excuse for being slow. Some large factories, which are pushed to maximum capacity, however, might subcontract to smaller factories to meet demand. Quality issues may arise from that as the smaller factories do not usually have the same quality assurance processes to match the quality of the larger factories.
Another important factor that may delay production times is the shortage of raw materials as raw material suppliers have their own backlog and hence factories cannot proceed with the production until they get these materials.
What happens 1-2 months before CNY?
The timeline before CNY depends on the factory’s capacity but also factors prioritize production based on things like client size, complexity of the production process, raw materials/components needed and the professionalism of everyone involved.
Factories are usually under pressure to meet clients’ needs and ship before the holiday. To do so, workers are heavily incentivized to work over-time to ensure orders are completed on time. This pressurized situation is a perfect recipe for quality issues and delays, especially for a factories smaller clients, who are a lower priority. Thus, it is the responsibility of the factory to implement strong quality assurance processes as well as that of the client to remind them that their quality inspection procedures should be stricter than usual. Often, we hear of quality problems even with simple repeat orders during this special time.
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Unfortunately, based on the factories update and understanding the issues created by CNY, we don't expect much movement in the next couple of months or so. Be assured that we absolutely will deliver but based on this and the time for actual production and shipping to our fulfillment centers to then ship to you, it is going to be another several months to get it done.
As always, thanks for your patience and understanding. Being stalled out like this is very frustrating for us as we want nothing more than to deliver the 2.0 products to you and move onward and upward.
Best,
InIt Gear
Still slow going, unfortunately.
over 5 years ago
– Thu, Dec 13, 2018 at 10:27:31 PM
Hey Everyone,
Unfortunately not much to report. Still waiting on more info from the manufacturer on the timing of next prototypes. We met with our rep in November to discuss things and get some details on timing but they didn't really give us anything solid yet. Hoping to hear something prior to the Holidays so we can move forward, especially ahead of Chinese New Year, but honestly, this time of year gets very difficult in the manufacturing world for small fish like us. Frustrating all around but we will get this worked out and done.
The material changes are a frustration for sure. The design and prototyping process is challenging and time-consuming. The goal is to get these changes locked in so that these products will be able to remain in this latest design for the foreseeable future with no additional major adjustments and then we can move on to new products and ideas instead of continually refining the same products. It is a pain and not ideal timing wise but will be the best for long-term success and stability of the products and company we are building.
Thanks for your patience and understanding. For those who are expressing a lot of frustration, we hear you and understand. We've backed tons of KS projects and have seen the good, bad, and ugly of it from a backer perspective. We are doing our best and will deliver.
Best,
InIt Gear
