QualityInspection.org

Quality Assurance, Product Development, and Purchasing Strategies in China

Supply Chain Risk Management, Part 1: What are VUCA and Black Swans?

We seem to be at a pretty low point right now: Billions of people are confined at home. Economists are predicting a disaster and seem to think 2020 will probably be worse than what most of us can remember. The behavior and effects of this novel coronavirus are still partly unknown. It could still mutate and become more dangerous, for example. And, most amazing of all: the situation has been changing dramatically every 1 or 2 weeks. I am starting this new series on supply chain … [Read more...]

Advice for Buying Face Masks in China without Losing your Shirt

With the COVID 19 pandemic hitting more countries, and more people realizing how serious the situation is, it seems tens of thousands of people started looking for face masks and other personal protection products. And what I see is a lot of people sending money, receiving substandard products, or not receiving anything at all. I wrote this article as a warning about your risks. And also to improve your odds of getting what you want, if you are determined to pursue your project. … [Read more...]

China Factories: 7 Key Factors That Cause Shipment Delays

Last week, on Linkedin, I ranted about the many (not all) Chinese manufacturers that "fail to plan appropriately, are over-optimistic, and disappoint their customers with last-minute shipment delays". Someone commented that I should offer "good advice" to these suppliers instead of complaining. And that's right, so here goes... … [Read more...]

List of Contract Manufacturers in China – Top 13 Factories

These days it’s easy to find article after article stating that manufacturing in China is on the way out. And that's true, at least partly. Vietnam, Thailand, Mexico, and Portugal have many good potential suppliers. However, China is still the best place to produce relatively complex products, especially when time-to-market is critical and when assembly requires a lot of labor. Consumer electronics is a case in point. As Dr. Zhang, research director of IDC Worldwide Robotics, … [Read more...]

Unable To Go To Your China Factory Because Of Coronavirus?

The COVID-19 virus is spreading rapidly throughout the world. Wikipedia keeps count of it, country by country. This website show interesting maps that are kept up to date. Some countries are under-reporting their toll (Iran), while others are going over the top (Nth Korea). It is all happening right before our eyes! What does it mean for importers of Made-in-China goods who can't, or won't, visit China right now? Read on to explore its effects and a helpful list of actions you can take to … [Read more...]

Documenting Your New Product Development Process (for Quality & Speed)

A large part of the new product development process is the series of approvals to get through. It helps prevent quality issues in mass production and it helps reduce miscommunication... both of which are the biggest causes of a slower time to market. If your company develops and manufactures new products regularly, do you have a documented process? These 3 examples from the apparel, auto, and electronics industries can help you understand how the approvals work. … [Read more...]