Here is my second favorite video from the "Made in Asia" seminar organized by the French Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. This panel entitled "Financial best practices to optimize your sourcing". It will be of interest to midsize and … [Read more...]
Archives for May 2012
How human factors shake traditional sourcing models [video]
Three weeks ago, I attended the "Made in Asia" seminar organized by the French Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. I am going to share two videos from this event, in two different articles. Here is the video of the panel entitled "How human … [Read more...]
How to develop Chinese suppliers
Three weeks ago I wrote How to improve your Chinese supplier pool?, where I argued that importers should distinguish 3 categories of suppliers: I also posted it as a discussion on cha1n.com (a social network for supply chain … [Read more...]
QC Inspectors cannot follow different quality standards
Two weeks ago, I wrote that different importers have different quality standards. I even listed 3 tips to explain your quality standard to QC inspectors. So, is it enough to explain what the different standards are? The more I think … [Read more...]
Is the market for quality inspections in China still growing?
Over the past 20 years, an entire industry has appeared in China to offer quality inspection services. It was a response to the lack of reliability of most suppliers, as well as their refusal to take responsibility for problems found after … [Read more...]
Bans on dangerous substances: how Chinese factories react
About two months ago, I was discussing with a French importer about his requirements regarding the glue in his products. He buys packaging for wine. Air pollution is a common cause of corked wine (yes, it doesn't always come from the … [Read more...]
How importers can improve their margin: Q&A with an expert
I recently had a good talk with Wouter de Roos, from WSDR. Wouter is a consultant who helps importers optimize their operational effectiveness. His goal: better margin for less risks! I asked Wouter 4 questions: Q: What are the most … [Read more...]
RMB settlement for paying Chinese suppliers
The possibility to pay Chinese suppliers in RMB is a recent development that importers should be aware of. Last week I attended an excellent seminar organized by the French Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. RMB settlement was a hot … [Read more...]
How to improve your Chinese supplier pool?
Many importers have learned the value of a good supplier pool the hard way. For example, Carrefour Global Sourcing "killed its supplier base" (in the words of their managing director) because they pursued low prices with a reverse … [Read more...]
The 3 categories in your Chinese supplier list
From what I was told, the Chinese tax department classifies companies as below: Black list: very frequent controls (because they misbehaved in the past); Grey list: relatively frequent controls; White list: relatively infrequent … [Read more...]