Here are some interesting or useful articles that I found recently. How I find factories I always find it refreshing when an experienced buyer describes how he works, and what tools he uses. Peter Keller, an American buyer who … [Read more...]
Archives for November 2013
Nike’s Efforts at Ethical Sourcing (CSR) and Lean
I wrote before about the joke of Walmart's "ethical sourcing" policy. Importers have asked me several times for examples of successful CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) strategies, and I had trouble coming up with real cases. Tchibo, … [Read more...]
A simple method to find a production problem’s root cause(s)
The biggest frustration I have with Chinese engineers is their lack of interest in fixing the root cause of a problem. Let’s say a machine’s printing mechanism deviates to the right, and their customer’s logo is totally disfigured. If … [Read more...]
China manufacturers should look at the example of South Korea
As I wrote several times before, I think many Chinese manufacturers -- probably 50% -- will go out of business in the coming 10 years. I usually point to historical parallels (other Asian countries like Japan or Taiwan that went through … [Read more...]
Scams related to email system hacking are on the rise
The first time I heard about this type of scam was about 2 years ago. An importer noticed that he received emails from "marc0@..." (with a zero at the end) instead of the usual "marco@...". A hacker has penetrated the supplier's email … [Read more...]
My HOW TO Guide to Buying in China
Over the past couple of months, I have written a guide for companies that import from China. It is delivered in 15 emails, as below: Sourcing: Go on Your Own, or Use an Agent? Sourcing: how to Identify Potential … [Read more...]
How many defects are still in a batch after an AQL inspection?
A client asked me an interesting question: If we base on AQL, how many pcs with defects will still be in bulk when shipping ? In other words, the inspectors find some defects during a random inspection, and these defects are supposed to … [Read more...]
My China Factory Has Gone Bankrupt: How to Get my Deposit Back?
A client called me and asked my advice regarding an uncomfortable situation. One of his long-time suppliers, a manufacturer in Zhejiang, just announced they had gone bankrupt and had stopped all activity. My client has wired a 30% … [Read more...]