Case Study: Spark Plug Supply for a police fleet in South Asia
Source:Case /
Time:2026-09-18
Spark Plug for A police fleet in South Asia
A police fleet came to us with a spark plug programme for South Asia. The brief was ordinary and unforgiving at the same time: a fixed launch window, a landed cost that had to survive freight and duty, and a part that had to match an existing sample. This case records what was specified, what went wrong in sampling and how the bulk order landed.
The starting point
- Warranty claims traced back to a single lot
- Reorders that did not match the approved sample
- A supplier who changed material without saying so
What was specified
| Part | Spark Plug |
|---|---|
| Client | A police fleet |
| Market | South Asia |
| Volume | 20,000 pieces across 4 specifications |
| Base material | Forged Aluminium |
| Sampling rounds | 2 |
| Delivery window | 10 weeks from PO to ex-factory |
| Compliance | SGS |
How it was resolved
- The specification was rebuilt around Forged Aluminium and the tolerance locked before bulk.
- A pre-production sample was approved and kept as the golden reference.
- Production ran with in-line inspection and a mid-run photo report.
- Cartons were packed to the client's own barcode and ratio specification.
- Documentation shipped with the goods instead of after them.
Result
- 20,000 pieces delivered inside the 10-week window.
- Unit cost held within 3.0% of the original quotation.
- Inspection-related rejection stayed under 0.5%.
- The specification is on file, so reorders reproduce the approved sample.
What we would repeat
Fix the specification count early. Adding variants after production starts is the most expensive change a client can request.
Planning something similar?
Send the part number, the annual volume and the target market, and we will come back with a specification and a sampling plan.
