Case Study: Custom Metal Button for a Promotional Product Agency in the United States

Metal Button for a Promotional Product Agency in the United States

A Promotional Product Agency approached us with a metal button requirement for the the United States market. The brief was specific: a defined look, a hard launch date and a unit cost that had to survive freight and duty. This case study records what was specified, what went wrong in sampling and how the bulk order was delivered.

The challenge

• Reorders that quietly changed supplier and changed the hand feel
• Lead time quoted without the plating or dyeing sub-process
• Elastic that lost recovery after three washes

What we specified

How it was resolved

1. We rebuilt the specification around Nylon and locked the tolerance before bulk.
2. The finish was moved to Rose Gold Plating after strike-off tests showed better durability.
3. A pre-production sample was approved and retained as the golden reference.
4. Production ran with in-line inspection and a mid-run photo report.
5. Cartons were packed to the client's own barcode and ratio specification.

Result

• 2,000 pieces delivered inside the 6-week window.
• Unit cost held within 3.0% of the original quotation.
• Inspection-related rejection stayed under 2.0%.
• The specification is now on file, so reorders reproduce the approved sample.

What we would repeat

Lock the material standard before sampling. Once the base changes, every downstream approval has to be redone and the calendar slips.

Planning something similar?

Tell us the item, the quantity and the delivery window. We will quote it with the sub-processes named, so the lead time you approve is the lead time you get.