Choosing ODM or OEM: A Comprehensive Guide for Manufacturers and Brands

A finish is usually the last thing specified in a brief and the first thing a customer touches. Here's why polishing and plating are functional, not just decorative — and how to match finish to how your product will actually be used.

Last week we covered the six phases from brief to first sample. This week: the specific gaps in a brief that push a project into the slow, expensive version of that timeline — and what to include instead.

Most buyers' biggest worry isn't cost or design — it's the unknown stretch of time between sending a brief and holding a finished sample. Here's what actually happens in that stretch, phase by phase, and what to ask your supplier to plan around a realistic timeline