Several clients asked precise questions recently about food GMPs. I asked Annie, our food production safety specialist, to clarify some key topics. Q: What are food GMPs? Food GMPs are the industry-specific 'good manufacturing practices' … [Read more...]
Archives for December 2018
Transitioning to Supplier Self Inspections: Go Stage by Stage
It seems nearly every major retailer has given some thought to letting their suppliers check quality themselves. I wrote about it in Why Supplier Self-Inspections Are Getting More Popular in China. The obvious benefit is cutting costs. … [Read more...]
A Key China Sourcing Criterion: Can Your Factory Improve?
If you are only going to place 2 or 3 orders with a supplier, the key sourcing criteria will probably be quality, price, past production of similar products, and understanding of compliance requirements. However, if you are looking for a … [Read more...]
Carbon vs. Alloy vs. Stainless: Steel Grades You Might Buy in China
There are basically 3 steel grades (types of steel) that are used when it comes to product manufacturing: Carbon Steel Alloy Steel Stainless Steel Each of these steel grades is comprised of different amounts of iron and carbon … [Read more...]
The Real Purpose of Factory Audits? Evaluate and Prevent Risks.
I had a good discussion with a client whose background was in auditing for a Big Four accounting firm. He pointed that audits, in that context, is mostly about looking at what happened in the past. In contrast, when buyers request … [Read more...]
Tired of Your Chinese Factories’ High MOQs & Long Lead Times?
A few months back, I wrote about how some buyers can no longer put up with their suppliers' quality issues. And I often lament on the poor state of quality systems here. In this article I'd like to mention the other enormous source of … [Read more...]