How We Work — bridgeworks

01 The Process

350+ Products through
this process

25 Years combined
experience

48h Feasibility response
guaranteed

Click any step to expand the detail.

Brief

Share your idea. We return a clear go/no-go — within 48 hours.

48 hours

You share your product idea, target category, key certifications and your target FOB price range. We review it against factory capability, material availability and current market data — and return an honest feasibility assessment within 48 hours.

If your target price is not achievable at your volume, we tell you immediately — along with what would need to change. No wishful thinking.

→ You share: product concept or reference, target FOB price per unit, estimated volume, certifications needed, target market.

→ We return: feasibility go/no-go, price range indication, factory suitability assessment, initial lead time, key risks identified.

ℹ No commitment required at this stage. If you decide not to proceed after the feasibility assessment, you owe nothing.

Concept & Design for Manufacturability

Red Dot designers. AI competitor analysis. Manufacturable from day one.

2–4 weeks

Our Red Dot Award-winning industrial designers begin with AI-assisted analysis of competitor reviews in your category — identifying the top complaints and the most-praised features. Before a prototype exists, we know precisely what to build in and what to eliminate.

The design is developed for manufacturability from the first sketch — material selection, wall thicknesses, tolerances and tooling strategy are resolved at the concept stage, not corrected at sampling.

"The AI review analysis before design was genuinely different. They showed us the top 50 complaints about competitor products and how they'd engineered around every one. That rigour at the design stage saved us from a product recall six months down the line."

— VP Product · Consumer Goods · Canada

Quote

Transparent FOB pricing. You see every cost driver before you commit.

1 week

Once the design is approved, we issue a detailed FOB quote showing pricing by quantity bracket, MOQ (minimum order quantity), lead time and material indexation — so you understand exactly what drives each cost line and where there is room to adjust.

Design, project management and QC costs are embedded in the unit price. No consulting retainer. No design fee invoice. No hidden markups.

✓ Pricing shown across 3+ quantity brackets (typically 500 / 1,000 / 2,500 / 5,000+ units)

✓ Tooling and mould amortisation itemised separately

✓ Certification costs (CE, FDA, LFGB, etc.) itemised by market

✓ FOB port of departure (Guangzhou or Hangzhou) clearly stated

Sampling

Physical samples with quality reports. You sign the golden sample.

3–5 weeks

Physical samples arrive with a detailed quality report comparing every dimension, material, finish and function against the approved specification. You review, request any adjustments, and sign off.

The approved sample becomes the golden sample — the legally binding production reference. No production run ships if it deviates from it. This is non-negotiable.

The golden sample principle

The signed sample is held by Bridgeworks and referenced at every QC stage. If a production batch does not match it, it does not ship — regardless of lead time pressure.

Physical product sample reviewed against approved specification

⊕ Physical sample reviewed against approved specification and quality report Step 04 / Sampling

Production & QC

Three-stage inspection. Defects caught before they ship — not after.

6–10 weeks

We run three inspection points across every production run: before full production begins, at 20–30% completion, and when 100% of goods are produced. Each is checked against the signed golden sample.

IPP — Initial Production

Materials and first-off parts checked before the full run begins. Catches specification drift before it scales across thousands of units.

DUPRO — During Production

Mid-run inspection at 20–30% completion. Defects are corrected while there is still time to act — not discovered on the last day of production.

PSI — Pre-Shipment

Final inspection when 100% of goods are produced and 80% are packed. Batch approved against the golden sample before the shipment is released.

AQL 0.0 on critical defects

AQL 2.5 on major defects

Every batch. Every run.

Shipment

FOB, CFR, CIF or DAP. Full documentation. No port surprises.

1–2 weeks

Once the pre-shipment inspection passes, your goods are released. We prepare all export documentation — commercial invoices, packing lists, certificates of origin, bills of lading and any compliance certificates required for your market.

Your choice of Incoterms: FOB if you have a freight forwarder, or CFR/CIF/DAP if you want us to manage the full leg to your warehouse.

FOB Free On Board — you manage freight from port

CFR Cost & Freight — we manage sea freight

CIF Cost, Insurance & Freight — includes marine cover

DAP Delivered at Place — door to your warehouse

Launch & Learn

Ongoing

We don't stop at delivery. AI review analysis drives your next run.

Post-launch

Once your product is live and accumulating reviews, we run the same AI competitor analysis on your own listings — identifying recurring complaints, star-rating drivers and actionable improvements for the next production run.

The output is a ranked list of product changes prioritised by buyer impact and cost to implement. Your second run is measurably better than your first.

Continuous improvement cycle

Most manufacturing partners disappear after delivery. We treat every launch as the start of the next iteration — with buyer data to back every recommendation.

02 Legal & IP

Your IP stays yours.
In writing. From day one.

IP protection is the primary concern for most brands considering Chinese manufacturing. We treat it as a contract obligation, not a verbal assurance.

The NDA is signed before any product details are shared. Moulds and tooling are registered in your name from the outset. The Master Services Agreement (MSA) includes full IP transfer with warranties, liability caps and your choice of governing law.

NDA oneNDA standard ↗

Signed before briefing

No product details shared until the NDA is countersigned. No legal bill for you to review it.

Tooling

Registered in your name

All moulds commissioned in your name. You own them outright — not Bridgeworks, not the factory.

IP Transfer

Full assignment on delivery

Design rights, drawings and production specs transfer to you on final payment, aligned to your local jurisdiction.

MSA

English-law or local MSA

Clear warranties, liability caps and dispute terms. English law preferred; local alternatives available.

04 Common Questions

Questions we hear
most often.

Can't find your answer here? Send us a brief — we'll answer it directly.

Send a Brief

If I send a brief and decide not to proceed, what do I owe? +

Nothing. The Step 01 feasibility assessment is completely free and carries no commitment. If you decide not to proceed after receiving the go/no-go, you owe nothing — no cancellation fee, no retainer, no invoice. You only enter a binding agreement at the quote approval stage (Step 03), when both parties sign.

What does a product typically cost to develop and manufacture? +

This varies significantly by material, complexity and volume. For kitchen and home goods in our core categories, typical FOB unit prices range from $3 to $18 depending on material (stainless, BPA-free plastic, ceramic), finish, tooling complexity and order quantity. At 1,000 units, a simple injection-moulded product might sit at $5–$8 FOB. A double-wall vacuum insulated stainless item at the same volume might be $8–$14 FOB. We give you a range indication at Step 01 before any commitment.

What is your minimum order quantity? +

It depends on the product and factory. Typically 500–1,000 units for injection-moulded products and 500–2,500 for metal components. We state the MOQ (minimum order quantity) clearly in the feasibility assessment at Step 01.

Do I need a finished design before I contact you? +

No. Most clients come to us with an idea, a reference product or a market gap they've identified. The Concept & Design for Manufacturability phase is designed to develop the product from that starting point — you don't need drawings or CAD files to begin.

Can I visit the factory? +

Yes, and we encourage it — particularly at the sampling stage. Our team in Hangzhou and Guangzhou will accompany you and translate. We can also arrange a virtual factory walk-through with live video if travel is not practical.

What certifications can you support? +

CE, UKCA, FDA (food-contact), LFGB, BPA-free, REACH, RoHS, ASTM and others depending on category and market. We identify required certifications at the feasibility stage and cost them into the quote.

What happens if a production run fails QC? +

The shipment is held. The factory re-works or re-produces the affected units at their cost. Nothing ships until the PSI passes against the golden sample. The costs of a failed QC run fall on the factory — this is specified in our factory agreements.

Can you work with a brand that already has a factory relationship? +

Yes. We can provide design, QC oversight or documentation support alongside your existing factory — without requiring you to switch. We can also assess whether your current factory is the right fit for your next product and recommend alternatives if not.

Seven steps.
One contract.
No gaps.

Seen enough to take the first step?

Your IP stays yours.
In writing. From day one.

No retainers.
No design fees.
All-in FOB pricing.

Questions we hear
most often.

Send us a brief.
We'll tell you if it's
feasible in 48 hours.

Seven steps. One contract. No gaps.

Seen enough to take the first step?

Your IP stays yours. In writing. From day one.

No retainers. No design fees. All-in FOB pricing.

Questions we hearmost often.

Send us a brief. We'll tell you if it's feasible in 48 hours.

Seven steps.
One contract.
No gaps.

Your IP stays yours.
In writing. From day one.

No retainers.
No design fees.
All-in FOB pricing.

Questions we hear
most often.

Send us a brief.
We'll tell you if it's
feasible in 48 hours.