A few days ago I had a good discussion with Jeremy Gordon, director of China Business Services, about supplier due diligence. We both agreed that due diligence is necessary, but not sufficient. 1. Due diligence, before working with a … [Read more...]
Archives for February 2014
Overview of the Vietnam Manufacturing Sector
Our marketing assistant Maria has done research on the Vietnam manufacturing sector: the top export industries, the trends, the labor costs, and logistics. Here is her article. Textile and Clothing – top sector no more? Out of all … [Read more...]
Auditing a Die Casting Factory in China: Focus on the Process
This is the first in a series of articles about the way we do process audits. When I look at the quality assurance agencies that offer services to importers in China, they all seem to prefer "horizontal" requirements (quality system, … [Read more...]
Do Sourcing Agents Have a Future in China?
These days, it seems the same subject of conversation comes up whenever I meet with a sourcing agent: does their activity have a future? It is a very wide question, and as such it invites a nuanced answer. Actually I don't want to … [Read more...]
What to Do When A Supplier Can’t Provide Product Certifications?
As I wrote in How to Check Lab Test Certificates/Reports?, I guess that 10-30% of the product certifications given by Chinese suppliers to their customers are fake. A "fake" certification is often a real certificate that was issued … [Read more...]
How to Ensure the Effectiveness of QC Inspections in China
As I wrote on many occasions on this blog, there are few cases where an importer doesn't need a quality inspection before shipment. So, if inspections are such an important step in the supply chain, what can be done to ensure they … [Read more...]
The Evolution of Chinese Export Manufacturing sector
Here are some interesting or useful articles that I found recently. Rising Wages May Erode China's Low-Cost Manufacturing Advantage Economists predict an increase of Chinese wages by a bit over 10% this year. When adding the … [Read more...]