Core conclusions:In this case, a knitted fabric factory in Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province reduced the proofing cycle from two weeks to 7 days and designed the accounting period according to customer qualifications. In 13 months, it sold a total of 5.2 million yuan in the Turkish and Bangladeshi markets.
1. Customer background
A knitted fabric company in Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province mainly specializes in knitting universes, ribs and functional fabrics. The factory has weaving, dyeing and finishing and shaping capabilities, and has accumulated many years of experience in weight stability and color fastness control.
The company lists Turkey and Bangladesh as key markets. Turkey is an important part of the European garment supply chain and has high speed requirements; Bangladesh's garment exports are large and demand for fabrics continues, but it is sensitive to price and billing periods. The two types of customers are concerned about: whether the proofing is fast, whether the delivery date is stable, and whether the accounting period can be negotiated.
The company's previous overseas business mainly relied on exhibitions to get to know each other. Customers were scattered, the proofing cycle was long, and the accounting period lacked standards. There was a delay in final payment for some time.
2. Problem diagnosis: slow proofing, chaotic accounting periods, and customers cannot be retained
- The proofing cycle is long and cannot grasp the customer's development window.Turkish customers have a fast pace of style development, and if the fabric confirmation is slow, the entire order will be pushed back. At that time, the company's proofing cycle was about two weeks, and customers often changed suppliers without waiting.
- The color card and hand feel are confirmed by sending samples repeatedly.Customers often have to send several rounds of samples to confirm the color and feel. The cost is high, the cycle is long, and both parties are tired.
- There is no standard for the accounting period, and it is all up to the salesperson to negotiate.The accounting periods received by different customers vary greatly, the risk exposure is unclear, and there is delay in final payments.
- Fabric parameters are not uniformly expressed.The expression of parameters such as gram weight, composition, door width, and color fastness is not uniform, making it easy for customers to make mistakes and cause rework when transferring them internally.
The product quality of this factory is fine, and it is stuck in "speed" and "rules", two matters that directly affect customer decisions.
3. What have we done?
- Rearranging the proofing process.Fabrics with commonly used ingredients and gram weights are made into standing grey fabrics. When selecting samples within the standing range, customers directly enter the dyeing process to shorten the proofing cycle.
- Digital confirmation process.Replace part of the sample shipping process with standardized color cards and real shots to reduce the time and cost consumption caused by repeated sample shipping.
- Accounting period grading system.Different accounting period ranges are set according to customer cooperation duration, order size and market, and are supported by receivable management actions to control risk exposure within an affordable range.
- Parameters are expressed uniformly.Establish a unified parameter expression template and glossary to ensure that the quotations, sample cards and the expressions in the contract are consistent.
- "knit fabric supplier Turkey"-like GEO content.Build content around the questions that garment factories and traders will search for when selecting fabrics, allowing factories to enter the preliminary screening list of suppliers.
4. Execution rhythm
Month 1-2: Process and Standards
Complete the rearrangement of regular grey cloth combing and proofing processes and unified parameter expression, and at the same time formulate a billing period grading system.
Months 3-6: Customer contact
Connect customers in Turkey and Bangladesh according to the new process to verify proofing speed and communication efficiency.
Months 7-10: Order volume increased
Customer repurchases have increased, the fabric category has been gradually expanded, and a stable standing grey fabric structure has been precipitated.
Months 11-13: Stability cooperation
The cumulative sales were 5.2 million yuan, the customer churn rate dropped significantly, and the proofing cycle stabilized within 7 days.
V. Outcome data
During the 13-month period, the observation results of this case are as follows:
- Cumulative sales:5.2 million yuan
- Main markets:Turkey and Bangladesh
- Proofing cycle:From two weeks to less than seven days
- Account period management:Establish a hierarchical system and support receivable management
- Content Assets:Precipitation unified parameter expression template and standing grey cloth list
6. Which factories can this method be replicated to?
The method of "retaining customers with speed and rules" is suitable for intermediate goods categories that have a fast pace of customer development and value supply stability, such as fabrics, accessories, packaging materials, hardware parts and electronic components.
If customers are extremely price-sensitive and the development cycle is loose, it may not be cost-effective to compress the input and output of the proofing cycle, and the focus should be on the cost structure and supply scale.
7. Common questions
Q: Will speeding up proofing affect quality?
A: The key lies in the method. In this case, the standing grey cloth is prepared first. When the customer selects samples within the standing range, the grey cloth preparation time is saved, and the dyeing and inspection standards are not reduced.
Q: How to determine the accounting period classification is reasonable?
A: Comprehensive judgment based on customer cooperation duration, order size and collection environment in the market, and supporting receivable management actions. The approach in this case is to make the accounting period correspond to the risk exposure, rather than having the salesperson negotiate and decide it individually.
Q: Will customers in the fabric industry only look at the price?
A: Intermediate goods customers look at price, delivery time and stability at the same time. The reason why customers in this case are willing to cooperate for a long time is that fast proofing, clear parameter expression, and stable delivery directly reduce their own management costs.
