Vietnam Phutong Food Company (hereinafter referred to as "Phutong Food") is a agricultural processing enterprise in northern Vietnam, primarily engaged in the deep processing and export of rice, cashews, peanuts, and other nut-based products (serving customers across China, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia). In recent years, as international markets tightened food quality requirements (e.g., EU regulations mandate impurity rates ≤0.1% for nut products and ≤0.5% for yellow rice grains), Phutong Food faced critical challenges: its traditional manual sorting process was inefficient (processing only 8 tons/day), prone to missed detections (customer complaint rate ~3%), and incurred high labor costs (sorting accounted for 40% of total labor expenses). To meet market demands and improve competitiveness, Phutong Food sought to procure intelligent color sorters capable of automating and precision-sorting rice and nut products. It entrusted VINAC Supply Chain Services Company—a domestic leading industrial equipment supply chain service provider with extensive cross-border procurement expertise and a service network covering Southeast Asia—with full-process agency for equipment sourcing, including factory audits, production supervision, final inspection, and logistics integration.
2. Procurement Requirements and Equipment Selection
Phutong Food’s core requirements were clear:
- Functional Adaptability: The sorter must handle both rice (mainly Vietnamese indica rice, focusing on removing yellow grains, chalky grains, and broken kernels) and nuts (cashews, peanuts, targeting moldy, insect-infested, and off-color foreign matter);
- Capacity Alignment: A single machine must process ≥15 tons/day to support combined rice-nut production lines;
- Localized Services: Suppliers must provide Vietnamese/English bilingual operation training and basic after-sales support (response within 48 hours).
Based on these criteria, Phutong Supply Chain screened three top domestic color sorter manufacturers (A, B, C) and recommended Manufacturer B—a 15-year veteran in food color sorters with extensive Southeast Asia export experience, patented rice/nut dual-mode technology, and a client roster including leading Chinese rice mills and top Vietnamese nut processors. The selected model was the "BX-3000Pro Multi-Spectral Intelligent Color Sorter", featuring dual-light-source detection + AI image recognition, a 18-ton/day processing capacity, 99.7% impurity removal rate, and support for Chinese/Vietnamese/English interfaces.
3. Full-Process Service Key Steps
Step 1: Supplier Factory Audit—Ensuring Production Qualifications and Capabilities
To mitigate procurement risks, Phutong Supply Chain conducted a comprehensive factory audit of Manufacturer B, focusing on four dimensions:
- Qualification Verification: Reviewed business licenses (manufacturing permit), ISO 9001 quality management system certification, CE/SGS export safety certifications, and food-grade material compliance documents (ensuring equipment met Vietnam’s sanitary import standards);
- Production Capacity Assessment: Inspected assembly lines, optical module production areas, and testing zones to confirm a monthly output of 20+ units—sufficient to meet Phutong Food’s delivery timeline—and validated that rice/nut dual-mode equipment was a mature, standardized product line (not a custom prototype);
- Technical Team Evaluation: Verified the R&D team’s capabilities (10+ optical algorithm specialists, 5+ color sorter-related patents in the past three years) and after-sales network (three domestic service centers, two Southeast Asia offices covering northern Vietnam);
- Track Record Review: Requested case studies from previous Vietnamese clients (e.g., Vietnam Phutong Rice Mill) and confirmed their satisfaction with performance (impurity removal rate met targets, failure rate <1%).
Audit Conclusion: Manufacturer B met all qualification and capability requirements. Phutong Supply Chain issued a Factory Audit Evaluation Report to Phutong Food, which approved the selection and authorized proceeding to procurement negotiations.
Step 2: Production Supervision—Dynamic Quality Control Throughout Manufacturing
After contract signing (with a 90-day delivery term), Phutong Supply Chain deployed a resident quality inspector (with mechanical engineering expertise and food equipment experience) to oversee Manufacturer B’s production process. Key supervision points included:
- Raw Material Phase: Inspected core components (high-sensitivity CMOS sensors from Germany, industrial-grade LED light sources with IP65 waterproof/dustproof certification, food-grade stainless steel bodies) to ensure they came from reputable suppliers and met technical specifications;
- Assembly Phase: Checked optical module calibration accuracy (requiring color recognition error ≤±0.1mm), conveyor belt stability (to ensure uniform material flow through the detection zone and prevent missed detections), and control system reliability (simulated 24-hour continuous operation without downtime);
- Pre-Shipment Testing: Required Manufacturer B to conduct simulated sorting tests using Phutong Food’s actual rice and cashew samples. The results verified:
- Rice: Yellow grain rate reduced from 1.2% (raw material) to 0.3% (below the client’s 0.5% requirement), with a misjudgment rate of only 0.05% (minimal broken kernel waste);
- Nuts: Moldy cashew removal rate 99.8%, peanut insect-infestation removal rate 99.6%, with no high-quality materials mistakenly discarded.
Production Report Output: The resident inspector documented daily progress and key parameters (assembly completion status, test data) and submitted biweekly Production Progress Briefings to Phutong Supply Chain and Phutong Food. Upon completing the 85th day of production, a final Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) was conducted, and a Factory Acceptance Report (including test videos and parameter certificates) was issued to confirm the equipment met all contractual requirements.
Step 3: Final Inspection—Guaranteeing End-Quality Before Shipment
To eliminate cross-border logistics risks, Phutong Supply Chain arranged for a professional inspection team (comprising mechanical engineers and food equipment experts) to conduct a three-step final inspection at the Shanghai port (before shipment to Haiphong Port, Vietnam):
- Visual and Packaging Check: Inspected the equipment for transport damage (e.g., body scratches, broken optical windows) and verified that all accessories (spare sensors, operation manuals, toolkits) were complete and undamaged;
- Functional Test: Conducted a trial run at the port using temporary power and air supplies to simulate rice/nut sorting. Retested core parameters (impurity removal rate ≥99.5%, processing capacity ≥15 tons/day) and confirmed seamless operation of the Vietnamese/English/Chinese interface;
- Document Verification: Reviewed all required documents, including the origin certificate (Form E for Vietnam import tariff benefits), CE certification copies, bilingual operation manuals, two-year core component warranty cards, and customs clearance documents.
Inspection Conclusion: The equipment passed all functional and document checks. The inspection team issued a Final Inspection Report, authorizing shipment and delivery to Phutong Food’s facility.
Step 4: Logistics Integration—Efficient Delivery and Installation Support
To reduce Phutong Food’s logistics burden and coordination complexity, Phutong Supply Chain provided end-to-end logistics integration services:
- International Transport: Coordinated with a freight forwarder to book a full-container sea shipment (fast vessel route) from Shanghai Port to Haiphong Port, minimizing transit time to 12 days. Handled container loading reinforcement (to prevent damage during ocean transport) and completed Vietnam import customs clearance (including tariff calculation, origin certificate submission, and Ministry of Industry and Trade equipment filing);
- Inland Transport: Arranged for a professional heavy-duty truck (equipped with vibration-damping bases) to transport the equipment from Haiphong Port to Phutong Food’s facility (150 km away). Conducted pre-transport site surveys to ensure the facility’s ground could bear the equipment’s weight and had sufficient space for installation;
- Installation and Training: Coordinated with Manufacturer B’s technical team (two engineers) to assist with on-site installation (connecting the equipment to the factory’s power and air systems) and conducted a 72-hour continuous trial run. Provided Vietnamese-language operation training for Phutong Food’s staff, covering daily operation procedures, simple troubleshooting (e.g., clearing jams), and routine maintenance (e.g., cleaning optical lenses).
4. Project Outcomes and Client Feedback
- Equipment Performance: Post-installation, the BX-3000Pro delivered exceptional results:
- Rice: Impurity removal rate stabilized at 99.6% (yellow grain rate ≤0.4%), meeting the client’s strict quality standards;
- Nuts: Moldy cashew removal rate 99.7%, peanut insect-infestation removal rate 99.6%, with no false rejections of high-quality materials.
These improvements reduced Phutong Food’s customer complaint rate from 3% to 0.2% and increased export orders from European markets by 20%.
- Efficiency Gains: The single machine’s daily processing capacity (18 tons) exceeded the client’s requirement by 20%, replacing the original manual sorting line (8 workers/shift). This cut labor costs by 60% and improved overall production efficiency.
- Supply Chain Service Evaluation: Phutong Food’s Procurement Director commented: "Phutong Supply Chain’s end-to-end control—from factory audits to final inspections—gave us peace of mind. The integrated logistics solution eliminated cross-border transport hassles, enabling door-to-door delivery and immediate operation after installation. This is truly a ‘turnkey project.’"
5. Summary
This case demonstrates how VINAC Supply Chain Services Company leveraged its factory audit, production supervision, final inspection, and logistics integration capabilities to help Vietnam Phutong Food Company procure a high-quality, customized rice and nut color sorter. By mitigating procurement risks and ensuring seamless delivery, Phutong Supply Chain enabled Phutong Food to upgrade its production capacity, meet international quality standards, and enhance its competitiveness in global markets. Moving forward, Phutong Supply Chain plans to expand its presence in Southeast Asia, offering more "equipment + service" integrated solutions for food enterprises seeking cross-border procurement support.
