16 August 2023 · Less than 1 minute read
I’m currently in HCMC in Vietnam, working in one of the world’s best bag factories to develop prototype samples of each of the bags. The sampling process enables the factory to develop a Bill of Materials (BOM). The BOM lists the quantity of materials for each bag, along with a price for labour and materials. Of course, there’s a host of other costs that will come later, including sea freight, goods and services tax, and storage.
The next step in the process will be to order the materials from each of the manufacturers. The main fabrics are coming from Challenge Outdoor, from factories in China and warehouses in the US. The zips are from YKK and are coming from South Korea. The webbing is coming from a factory in China. The acetal components are coming from South Korea.
It will take several months for the materials to be made and shipped to the factory in Vietnam. Once the materials have arrived at the factory, I’ll be heading back to the factory in HCMC to review the pre-production samples (PPS). Two PPS are made for each bag. I keep one and the factory keeps one as a reference for manufacturing.
Next step: Wait for all materials to reach the factory.
Follow our progress here.