China consumer-electronics product readiness checklist
Before requesting factory quotes, confirm the product decisions that determine what should be built, whether the economics can work, and what evidence production partners need.
A factory can quote a specification. It cannot define the business case for you.
Mark each decision Ready, Partial, or Unknown. Unknowns at the front of the process usually return later as redesign, cost pressure, supplier confusion, or launch delay.
READINESS CHECKLIST
01
User and usage scenario
Who will use the product, in what moment, and what problem must it solve better than the current alternative?
Evidence to prepare
A specific primary user
One priority usage scenario
The current workaround or competitor
A measurable improvement that matters
Warning signs
The audience is described as “everyone”
Features exist without a clear use moment
The product idea begins with a component or factory catalogue
02
Positioning and value
What place should the product occupy in the market, and why should a customer choose it?
Evidence to prepare
Target category and price tier
A clear value proposition
Three priority selling points
Direct alternatives and intended differentiation
Warning signs
The only advantage is lower price
Every competitor feature is treated as mandatory
Packaging claims are decided after development
03
Requirements and trade-offs
Which requirements are essential, which are adjustable, and what compromises are acceptable?
Evidence to prepare
Prioritized product requirements
Target dimensions, weight, performance, and experience
Must-have versus optional features
Known trade-offs between cost, size, performance, and timing
Warning signs
A feature list has no priorities
Industrial design and internal architecture are developed separately
Changes are approved without considering downstream effects
04
Target economics
Can target retail price, channel margin, landed cost, development cost, and order volume support one another?
Evidence to prepare
Target retail and wholesale price
Target ex-factory and landed cost
Expected volume and launch quantity
Tooling, certification, packaging, logistics, and support assumptions
Warning signs
The target cost is based only on a competitor retail price
Margin is calculated after supplier selection
MOQ and cash requirements do not match the launch plan
05
Technical and supplier route
What must be newly developed, what can use an existing platform, and what type of partner is actually required?
Evidence to prepare
System architecture or reference platform direction
Make, modify, or source decision by subsystem
Supplier capability requirements
Ownership of hardware, firmware, tooling, files, and changes
Warning signs
The first available factory becomes the product architect
A trading company is expected to solve specialist engineering
Development responsibility is implied rather than written
06
Validation and compliance path
What evidence must exist before tooling, pilot production, market claims, and shipment?
Evidence to prepare
Prototype and sample stages
Functional, reliability, usability, and packaging tests
Destination-market compliance plan
Pass criteria and decision owners
Warning signs
A working prototype is treated as production-ready
Compliance is discussed only after the design freezes
Samples are approved without written criteria
07
Production and launch readiness
Are the product, supplier, documentation, quality controls, packaging, and launch materials aligned around one release?
Evidence to prepare
Frozen version and approved golden sample
BOM, drawings, specifications, test plan, and packaging files
Pilot-build and quality-control plan
Launch claims, assets, inventory timing, and change process
Warning signs
Different teams are working from different versions
Production starts with open product decisions
No owner connects customer feedback to product and factory action
HOW TO USE IT
Do not use the score to create certainty. Use it to expose the next decision.
1
Score honestly
Mark each decision Ready, Partial, or Unknown and attach the evidence—not just an opinion.
2
Resolve the front end first
Prioritize user, positioning, requirements, and economics before asking suppliers to optimize execution.
3
Build one decision brief
Convert the resolved decisions into a concise document that product, design, suppliers, and commercial teams can use together.
PRODUCT READINESS REVIEW
Not sure which unknown is most expensive?
East Accord can review the current concept, evidence, economics, supplier route, and production assumptions, then return a prioritized decision memo and practical next steps.