Over the past few days, I have been learning a lot about the ISO/TS 16949 standard. We are working on the development of adequate auditing services to clients in the automotive industry. This "technical specification" (TS) goes much … [Read more...]
Inspecting During Production vs Monitoring Production
Some buyers realize that they need to keep a close eye on production is important, and that catching problems earlier is far cheaper than later. This is an approach I strongly encourage. There are two ways of checking production … [Read more...]
How Can Inventors Develop a Custom-Made Product in China?
From time to time, I talk with an inventor who is planning to have his/her new-to-the-world product made in China. And they often need to get from initial designs to production... Which means they need to get the "development" … [Read more...]
How Adidas Footwear Helped Suppliers Increase Labor Productivity
Last month, Mr. Guenther from Adidas Footwear's Manufacturing Excellence department gave a presentation on the topic of "Dealing effectively with increases in labor costs in a labor intensive industry". It was one of the best presentations … [Read more...]
VAT Rebate for Exporters in China: How Does It Work?
Note added in October 2018: The full VAT rate is now 16% (not 17%). To see a graphical representation of the VAT and VAT rebate flows, see this post. Most importers buy their goods under FOB terms and don't need to worry … [Read more...]
What Does Quality Mean to Chinese Manufacturers?
I often ask potential hires "what is quality?" and it seems even people who've been in the quality assurance industry for 10 years don't have a ready answer. It seems like I am not the only one. Here are the most common responses … [Read more...]
Mobile Applications (on Tablets) for Quality Inspections
Over the past three years, I guess more than a dozen people have told me "tablets are a perfect fit for inspectors". Yet I haven't seen any company that developed a good application that works on iPad or Android, and that is suitable for … [Read more...]
Moving Tooling/Molds from one Chinese Factory to Another
Clients asked us several times to oversee a transfer of tools/molds from one factory to another. So we have written a checklist (see below). Why move tooling from one factory to another? Maybe the buyer selects one factory to make a … [Read more...]
How to Use Statistical Tools to Improve Production Processes
In Limits of Statistical Process Control in China, experienced consultant Brad Pritts described his observations over the years. Below is his advice to use statistical tools to improve production processes. ----- What I do when I work … [Read more...]
Limits of Statistical Process Control in China
I am always interested in tools that prove useful in improving a factory's operations. But I always wondered, how useful is Statistical Process Control (SPC)? The fact is, I have never seen a Chinese factory make good use of SPC tools. I … [Read more...]
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