What’s So Important About Production Batches For Bell Tents?
A production batch identifies the exact production and import date for your tent. With this information you can tell the age of your tent and your supplier should also be able to tell you its exact specification.
LAC Logistics Automation describe the meaning of a ‘production batch’ nicely;
Batch production is a method of manufacturing where identical or similar items are produced together for different sized production runs. The method allows for products to be mass-produced in batches with small to major changes to the product, from car doors through to children’s toys.
The Manufacturer
All bell tent retailers/manufacturers will choose to present themselves and their product in a certain positive light on-line through their websites and various other platforms. You’ll get a good feel for each supplier by comparing their on-line presence.
However, there is a lot more to manufacturing bell tents than is presented on-line. All of which have an affect on the quality and longevity of your tent. Here follows a deeper question to ask your supplier, the reason why this question is important, what to make of their response and follow up questions to ask.
Q: Is The Bell Tent I’m Purchasing From Your Latest Production Batch?
Why This Question is So Important
Bell tent manufacturers frequently make changes to their products. Some of the changes are worth them shouting about, some are not.
Changes worth shouting about will be those that are more obvious to the eye and improve quality and value, such as more robust pegs or a change in the type of groundsheet material used. Changes not worth shouting about may improve quality and value, but are less obvious to the eye such as an increase in the number of stitches per inch on seams. Most consumers won’t care too much about stitch counts, but manufacturers might make this change to reduce the likelihood of seam fails and so returns. On the whole it’s safe to assume their latest batch is their most up-to-date with regard to positive changes.
It’s important for you to know how many batches your manufacturer currently has in stock. If they have several, you can express your wish to purchase from their latest, rather than from an older batch. In addition to older specifications, older batches will have been in storage for longer which can present its own set of problems, depending on how they are stored.
The Response
In our own research we’ve found the responses here can be a really good measure of the manufacturer. Some that we asked did not even know what a production batch is!
Some will reveal their stock isn’t batched; pile-it-high-and-sell-it-fast reselling types who are unaware of any variances within their stock as they have no control of them (in other words, the manufacturer is making changes as they go, without informing the re-seller).
Whilst others will be able to tell you exacting differences between their batches, and be able to demonstrate to you how the tent you purchase can be checked back to a specific batch, and the exact specification differences. These are the guys you will want to consider purchasing a bell tent from.
The Follow Up
“Do you currently have tents in production and if so are there any differences between those and the tent I am considering purchasing?”
Depending on the response here, you may choose to delay your purchase for a higher specification tent.
Keep in mind though, not all specification changes are positive. If the manufacturer reveals there is a specification change in the pipeline, it will be important to find out the reason for the change.
Consider also these further questions you might like to ask your supplier.
