Here are some interesting or useful articles that I found recently. Walmart's 'Made in USA' push exposes strains of manufacturing rebirth In January 2013, Walmart promised to favor US-made products. But those companies trying to … [Read more...]
Archives for June 2014
Why you Need a Backup Factory for your China Production
In this article, I want to give advice to importers of custom products (i.e. not "off the shelf") who just spent many months getting a new product development right and that are ready to launch manufacturing in China. Chances are, they … [Read more...]
7 Mistakes Chinese Factories Make in Production Planning
Anybody who has imported products from China can attest that the planning process of most manufacturers is not exactly under control. The sad reality is, buyers are often happy when a shipment is "only" 10 days behind the promised … [Read more...]
The Value of Worker Interviews during Social Compliance Audits
Worker interviews is a typical part of social compliance audits. This is something auditors arrange in a closed room, one on one. They ask about the pay, the working time, the working conditions, the accidents, and so on. It gives them … [Read more...]
Auditing Cut & Sew Processes for Garment Manufacturing
This is one more article focusing on a certain type of process, this type garment production. It is basically the process of converting fabric into finished garments. In China, a factory normally produces garments in bulk quantity of a … [Read more...]
Future Trends in Supply Chain Management
Last week I had the good fortune of attending a seminar by John Benito on the subject of The Future of Supply Chain Management -- Adapting technology to improve business efficiency and performance. I took notes about John's most … [Read more...]
Overview of the Myanmar Production Sector
Here is the latest low-cost Asian country that our assistant Maria analyzed. Could Myanmar be the newest rising star in Asia? Will the new reforms in economic policies introduced by the Myanmar government sometime after the political … [Read more...]
China Price Inflation: Where are Cost Reduction Opportunities?
If you purchase products in China, you have noticed that price increases are often presented as a law of nature. This is one of greatest frustrations of importers. Fortunately, there are solutions. If you need lower costs, you can follow … [Read more...]
Helping Chinese factories Get Production Right
I always like seeing an importer being very "hands on" when it comes to helping a Chinese manufacturer develop a custom-made product. These are our best clients, and the relationship with the supplier tend to be balanced and … [Read more...]
Auditing Wood Machining Processes in a Furniture Factory in China
We work on more and more furniture-related projects, so we thought setting up a checklist specific to these processes was necessary. The difficulty we encountered was the many types of wooden furniture that we see in Chinese factories. … [Read more...]