Case Study: Control Arm Supply for an online marketplace seller in North America
Source:Case /
Time:2026-09-18
Control Arm for An online marketplace seller in North America
An online marketplace seller came to us with a control arm programme for North America. 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
- Reorders that did not match the approved sample
- Lead time that slipped twice before bulk started
- Inconsistent hardness between lots
What was specified
| Part | Control Arm |
|---|---|
| Client | An online marketplace seller |
| Market | North America |
| Volume | 10,000 pieces across 2 specifications |
| Base material | Neoprene |
| Sampling rounds | 2 |
| Delivery window | 5 weeks from PO to ex-factory |
| Compliance | E-mark |
How it was resolved
- The specification was rebuilt around Neoprene 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
- 10,000 pieces delivered inside the 5-week window.
- Unit cost held within 3.0% of the original quotation.
- Inspection-related rejection stayed under 2.0%.
- The specification is on file, so reorders reproduce the approved sample.
What we would repeat
Approve a pre-production sample made from the actual bulk material. Substitute material behaves differently in service.
Planning something similar?
Share a sample or a drawing and we will quote against a written specification, not against a photograph.
