In most new product development projects for electro-mechanical products, there comes a time when the company (and its investors) need to make a leap of faith when it comes to investing in tooling. They often need a lot of advice and … [Read more...]
Archives for September 2020
Exploring Process Audits | Vetting Chinese Suppliers (Part 7) [Podcast]
Why perform process audits? So far in this mini-series of podcasts about vetting Chinese suppliers we've discussed what quality audits and social compliance audits are and their respective benefits. Since auditing prospective suppliers is … [Read more...]
3 Vertical Integration Benefits: Transparency, Control, Speed
Last year I wrote about a very common problem in China Supply Chain Transparency and Monitoring: Not Getting Easier… and this year we are still lamenting that same problem: Further down the supply chain, unauthorized subcontracting is … [Read more...]
Are You Using A China Manufacturing Contract To Protect Yourself? [Podcast]
![Are You Using A China Manufacturing Contract To Protect Yourself? [Podcast]](https://qualityinspection.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/AreYouUsingAChinaManufacturingContractToProtectYourselfPodcast.jpg)
The importance of a China manufacturing contract I've written about terms to negotiate with your contract manufacturer and the positive effects of signing a strong manufacturing contract before. And some commonalities between them include … [Read more...]
Why Packaging Is Important For Both Protection & Product Differentiation
We have worked with many companies that develop their own new product for manufacturing in China or Vietnam. They have spent months (or longer) on product design & development. But they completely overlooked why packaging is … [Read more...]
All You Should Know About Management System Standards & Auditing Them [Podcast]
![All You Should Know About Management System Standards & Auditing Them [Podcast]](https://qualityinspection.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/AllYouShouldKnowAboutManagementSystemStandardsAuditingThemPodcast.jpg)
What are management system standards? Management system standards aren't 'just another tool.' When an organization is certified to one of these standards it's an important way to demonstrate that they're able to perform the tasks required … [Read more...]
From New Product Design to Production: What Is on the Customer’s Plate?
Many people contact us with an idea for a new product they want to develop... and nothing else. We usually explain that they are not ready for talking to China-based manufacturers until they have done more 'homework'. Over the weekend, I … [Read more...]
7 Manufacturing Challenges Due To Lack Of Transparency In China & How To Mitigate Them [Podcast]
The situation in Hong Kong, the US/China trade war, mistrust of China and attempts at decoupling, and other news stories are rightfully a cause of concern for importers with Chinese suppliers. But the manufacturing challenges you should be … [Read more...]
Picking a Contract Assembler in China: 6 Important Terms to Negotiate
Let's say you have found a CM that is a good fit for your needs, and you are about to give them some assembly work. I already made a list of the general terms you can negotiate. But what other terms can be considered specifically when … [Read more...]