A few months ago I published an ebook about quality assurance in China. I also offered it for download on my company’s website and I got great comments about it.

This time I am listing 15 strategies to avoid problems with your suppliers in China. I am tired of hearing advice about “cultivating guanxi“. So I wrote 8 pages about customer-supplier communication, buying processes, and quality control tips… without mentioning guanxi.

If you follow this ebook’s advice, you will get all the fundamentals right.

Open the e-book now (127 kb)

Table of contents:

1. Select capable and reliable suppliers

2. Beware of subcontracting

3. Keep written records of all promises

4. How to use pre-production samples

5. Visit the factory frequently

6. Don’t put all your IP in one company’s hands

7. Check materials before final assembly starts

8. Check quality early in the manufacturing cycle

9. Communicate mostly in person / over the phone

10. Be polite at all time

11. Release payments after milestones are reached

12. Sign an enforceable contract

13. Sort defective goods with a 100% check

14. Line up a backup factory

15. Never say never again

What do you think?