Quality Rating Systems – Single A through 5A

There is still a stigma in many peoples’ minds about the quality of goods produced in China. With recent events leading to news about toys, it is understandably a very important topic. What you need to know is that many manufacturers utilize a rating system for their products. This rating system can give you a gauge for your products' quality and also give you a better understanding of reasons for product cost. This is very important when comparing similar products from various sources.

While this system, for the most part, is governed on the “honor” system, you can inquire with the manufacturer about what makes a particular product fall into a specific rated category. There isn’t a standard rating system in place and the manufacturer typically determines what qualifies a product for each level. Some of the differences between ratings involve levels of material quality (plastics construction/thickness), life of the product, number of uses, thickness of coatings/finishes and components. On a side note, this does not mean that Mattel (the toy company) has been selecting a lower quality rated product that includes utilizing lead paint. This issue is caused when the factory isn’t properly informed of where or how they sourced their raw materials (or in the worst circumstances didn’t know or care).

Single “A” though “5A”

The rating system is comprised of “A” rating indicators, the more of them, the higher the quality and cost. Every country typically has a particular acceptable “A” rating for a product and the manufacturer is usually familiar with the details of each country's requirements.

Let us use kitchen and bath faucets to explain this point further. “AAAA” and “AAAAA” are acceptable quality grades for faucets utilized in the US. The differences in these two grades are great and so is the cost. The “AAAA” product might have a typical lifespan of 10,000 uses (turning the faucet on/off), is constructed with a plastic valve and has a lower quality finish. In comparison, the “AAAAA” product has a lifetime warranty, includes a ceramic valve and high quality finish. Many times you can mix components from different grades to match the requirements of your market, consumer, or grade.

Do not always go for the higher rated product just because of the higher rating. Just as any smart consumer would do, get all the specifications and ask the right questions. Working with a manufacturer that has implemented a rating system like this means they are organized. Organization is key when there are so many variables that can mean the difference of having a profitable landed cost or not.

The time of China only producing cheap knock-off goods, toys or furniture has long since passed. This is an era where high quality goods are available if you look in the right places. As an example, I was able to source an identical “waterfall” roman tub style faucet/fixture to that of an item sold at Home Depot Expo ($1,200) for 7% of retail (FOB) with a “AAAA” rating.

dylan@sourcejuice.com