Client’s Background: The A5 notepad is used by OPPO Vietnam to promote its corporate culture and for internal staff use.

The design materials are provided by OPPO Vietnam and the design, proofing, production, and shipping arrangements are all operated by Ruizhi Sourcing.

After one-month of the tripartite communication (Hallosourcing – factory – client) as well as the proofing and sample confirmation.

• Notepad Cover

• Title Page

• Inside Page

• Last Page

After communicating with the client OPPO Vietnam, the following requests were made.

Sourcing requirement:

1. Exported Countries: Vietnam

2. Category: Notepad

3. Quantity: 1200 pcs

4. Budget: $**

5. Use physical samples as a custom standard for bulk production

Extracted requirements:

Quality requirements: high

Budget Tightness: medium

Time urgency: medium

Difficulty level: high

First, Hallosourcing’s designer Miya design 2 sets of design manuscripts according to the materials provided by the client

Then, Our sourcing manager Jack Yang had initial conversations with the long-standing factory in the company’s supplier pool about the details that needed to be confirmed, customization requirements and possible difficulties with production process.

Notepad Supplier – Yiwu **** Gift Craft Factory

According to the customer’s proposal to include elements such as OPPO VI / OPPO corporate culture / Calendar / Development Process, the overall design scheme is as follows:

• Cover Page

• Insight Page

• Coporate Culture 

• Development Process

• Staff Code

• Company information

• Calendar

After discussions with the factory and details with the client, the team met to discuss and analyze the situation and identified several difficulties that needed to be solved.

1. Difficulties in handling the color content of notepads

Problem point: We used the physical A5 notepad sample as a bulk sample, but due to the incomplete color print content of the two versions of the original design provided by the client, which was not the same as the physical color print content version, so we did not achieve a satisfactory result after making several samples.

Solution: After communication with the factory, we merged the two versions of the color printing design file into one file again. And for the missing page of color printing content, we arranged for the company’s designers to take high resolution pictures and then convert them into PDF documents in accordance with the original color printing pictures, and then did the re-typing and re-proofing.

2. Difficulties in handling of PU covers and silver hot foil of logo

Problem point: LOGO -silver hot foil of logo with blurred font, broken letters or heavy shadows

Solution: After replacing the logo mould with a copper mould, the logo presented a very smooth and flat surface, with straight lines, clean edges and angularity, giving it a very three-dimensional look.

3. Difficulties in the material treatment of A5 notepad PU covers

Problem point: The difference in color between the proof and sample PU covers was obvious, and the grain was inconsistent vertically and horizontally.

Solution: After talking to the factory, we found the closest cover color on the market and then customized the same cover pattern.

4. Difficulties in the material treatment of A5 notepad PU covers

Problem point: The difference in color between the proof and sample PU covers was obvious, and the grain was inconsistent vertically and horizontally.

Solution: After talking to the factory, we found the closest cover color on the market and then customized the same cover pattern.

5. Difficulties in notepad processing.

Problem point: Due to an oversight on the part of the client, the A5 notepad sample was not the latest version of 2022-2023 and the latest A5 notepad sample was provided later.

Solution: This led to a reversal of previous communication efforts, increasing the time taken to communicate and the cost of proofing, and then rearranging the proofing after the three parties had communicated.

6. Difficulties in printing the core of an A5 notepad

Problem point: The core of a notepad was printed with 9 sheets of 18 pages of corporate culture slogans and patterns, etc., which were non-standard customization requirements.

Solution: The notepad was conventionally bound to 8 sheets of 16 pages for a group of computerized automatic cycle printing. As there was an extra sheet of printed content, this required a new layout and printing, and it could not be automatically bound by machine, requiring additional manual sorting. And additional re-inspection was added to each process, which made the production more difficult, but the fixed dedicated sorting staff can achieve 100 percent sorting accuracy.

After receiving the samples, the client was very satisfied and placed an order with Ruizhi Sourcing, requesting a 10-day delivery to the specified logistics.

Due to the client’s own reasons, the need for this order was not urgent and the overall budget was compressed, Ruizhi Sourcing was informed of the cancellation of the order. As we were still communicating with our suppliers on production details and scheduling matters, the production instructions have not yet been issued to the production department, which did not result in sluggish material and stock, and no losses (except for the preliminary design and manpower time cost input) was caused. So this time we did not add to the client’s fine after friendly communication with the client, and the client also apologized and thanked us for their own reasons.