Many importers lament that Chinese suppliers don't take any responsibility when quality issues are found after shipment. Ten years ago, I would have confirmed that it happens less than 0.1% of the time. These days, it seems to become more … [Read more...]
Archives for March 2018
Global Supply Chains: Transparency Drives Compliance Risks Down
The French Chamber of Commerce organizes the Made In Asia conference every year. I missed last year's edition, but I attended this year. The theme was transparency in sourcing. Here are my notes. What drives transparency in the supply … [Read more...]
Sourcing From China 101: The 15-Part Guide for New Buyers
I have recently published the 15-part 'Sourcing From China 101' series for new buyers who are starting to work with Chinese suppliers (and for more experienced people who want to double-check whether they are working in a smart way). The … [Read more...]
4 Ways to Test Battery Capacity on an Electrical Product
As you look at the products you manufacture in China, you need to evaluate the risks that something goes wrong. When it comes to electrical products, one of the major risks is that the supplier uses substandard components in order to … [Read more...]
Most Chinese Factories Are Bad at Sourcing Materials & Components
I used to believe that Chinese manufacturers were great at sourcing their own materials/components. There are many reasons for this: They are based here and have teams who can go and visit local suppliers. They have extensive … [Read more...]
Sourcing from China 101, Part 15: How To Improve Factory Productivity
This is the last part in this 15-part series. Here we'll focus on how to improve factory productivity in China. Why is it important for buyers? Because, unless your suppliers make progress in this area in the next 5-10 years, many of … [Read more...]
Sourcing from China 101, Part 14: How To Improve A Factory’s Quality
I bet you are tired of hearing your Chinese suppliers say “this is made by hand, so avoiding defects is impossible”. So am I, because it’s so wrong. Some small factories have decreased their defect rate below 50 parts per million … [Read more...]