Case Study: Serpentine Belt Supply for a supermarket chain in Southeast Asia
Source:Case /
Time:2026-09-18
Serpentine Belt for A supermarket chain in Southeast Asia
A supermarket chain came to us with a serpentine belt programme for Southeast 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
- Documentation that arrived after the container shipped
- Premature wear on the first batch
- A fitment that looked right on paper and failed on the bench
What was specified
| Part | Serpentine Belt |
|---|---|
| Client | A supermarket chain |
| Market | Southeast Asia |
| Volume | 2,000 pieces across 4 specifications |
| Base material | PU Leather |
| Sampling rounds | 3 |
| Delivery window | 4 weeks from PO to ex-factory |
| Compliance | ISO/TS 16949 |
How it was resolved
- The specification was rebuilt around PU Leather 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
- 2,000 pieces delivered inside the 4-week window.
- Unit cost held within 1.5% 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
Keep one accountable owner on both sides. Most delays come from hand-offs, not from machines.
Planning something similar?
Send the specification you are working to and we will confirm what we can match, what we would change and why.
