Lion Pose needed to run QC in China — or risk delaying retail shipments

Nisha Phatak, Co-Founder of Lion Pose, was in a bind during a severe crunch time for the brand. They had run into issues with their manufacturer in China, which hindered their ability to meet the timeline they'd agreed to with their retailer. Large retailers have stringent product delivery dates, and late inventory can delay a release for many months. 

Lion Pose tried to send a team member to China to work with the manufacturer in person, but they struggled to obtain a visa — let alone an expedited one. The operational challenges were insurmountable. Fortunately, they soon found Factored Quality.

Factored Quality delivered fast & precise QC to save their retail shipment

Factored Quality immediately jumped on board to address the needs of the Lion Pose team; our partnership began only two weeks before their production was due to conclude and products shipped. Onboarding was impressively quick — after a single 30-minute phone call, FQ got things up and running. Within days, FQ began in-person product check-ins and QC sessions to ensure shipments got on the plane ASAP. 

In addition to speed, the QC team brought precision. Because Lion Pose produces custom-created skincare bottles, the QC checks had to be thorough. If details are even slightly off, the integrity of the design is lost. Nisha emphasizes that FQ became "our boots on the ground to ensure production was on track and the products  created were of the highest quality." 

She highlights that, without FQ's involvement, the shipment would have likely been delayed, significantly postponing their retail launch.

"The thing about Factored Quality that really resonated with us, especially as a startup, is how quick and seamless the scheduling and setup process was. It took one 30-minute phone call to onboard us to their platform. That's it."

By working with Factored Quality, the Lion Pose team has seen significant savings in warehouse and contract manufacturing costs. Filtering out defective bottles on the back end prevents wasted cash on recalls, returns, and rework. 

Take a look at some of the metric wins so far. 

• Saved a six-figure deal that would've been lost due to delayed launch
• Saved at least $10K not needing to send someone to China

Overall, Nisha cannot overemphasize FQ’s value in helping her team meet their delivery due date – and now, Lion Pose is set to gain over 50% of their forecasted annual revenue from that retail partner. Missing out on the contract would have been a fatal financial hit.

"Let's say the retail date gets pushed out a quarter. We don't even know if the retailer would want to launch so close to the holidays. We could have been pushed to 2024, so we're talking six figures or more in missed sales across 2023."

On top of their clear results, Nisha reports that FQ met Lion Pose where they were and adapted to meet the brand’s immediate needs. 

Lion Pose was in scrappy startup mode at the time, and had countless essential questions to ask and crucial decisions to make. And FQ had the answers. They helped Lion Pose choose dates for QC that made the most sense with their shipment schedule. Everything worked from there. Ultimately, Nisha looks forward to staying on with such an adaptable, can-do partner. 

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