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28 Common Problems Chinese Suppliers Cause Importers

I was thinking of the most common problems Chinese suppliers cause for importers, especially those developing their own products. And I noticed something interesting. Most of them all linked to the way information is managed. … [Read more...]

How To Reduce The Risks Of Substandard Components In Your Productions

One of the major fears of importers is to notice substandard components when they receive a batch from China. But how to reduce the risks of receiving them from your suppliers? … [Read more...]

21 Assumptions To Avoid When Buying From Chinese Suppliers

Many buyers tend to make assumptions that are seldom valid in China, and it can be quite dangerous. When I started spending a lot of time in Chinese factories, what I saw blew my mind. A foreign buyer simply can’t imagine what is sometimes going on behind the scenes. I'll say that China is the land where everything is possible... from the worst to the best. I wrote 21 common assumptions below, in categories, along with my comments. … [Read more...]

What Is the Confidence Level when Working with AQL Tables?

A reader wrote to me and asked the following question about sampling plans by attributes: What is the "Confidence Level" when using the AQL Tables? How can we determine what the confidence levels are, and are there formulas we can use? That's a valid question. When playing with statistics, one often mentions a confidence interval. For example, "90% of the time, the value will be between 34.5 and 66.0". In theory, I guess one could do the same with the values in the AQL tables. There is a … [Read more...]

What Is The Minimum Viable Quality Management System For A New Manufacturer? [7 Steps]

I have often looked for best practices by looking at the automotive industry's practices when considering what the minimum viable quality management system for a new manufacturer can be. For example: ISO/TS 16949: Great Improvements Over ISO 9001 (Note: that standard is now called IATF 1m6949 and is even more work to apply) Best Practices for Qualifying a Chinese Factory (Note: that is called the PPAP) So, if IATF 16949 is "ISO 9001 ++", let's look at the opposite. What would "ISO … [Read more...]

Would Liability Insurance Protect You when Buying Product from China?

If your company sells products on the US market, and in the unfortunate event some of these products cause consumer injuries, there is no cap on the damages you might be forced to pay. The cost of recalls and/or the amount of damages might lead your company straight to bankruptcy. If you buy products from a Chinese supplier, and they only have assets in China, you will probably be unable to collect that cost back. To mitigate this risk, many importers look into liability insurance. The … [Read more...]

Why Design Defects Are Behind Many Quality/Safety Issues

There is a tendency for inexperienced importers to blame their suppliers for all quality and safety issues that come up. However, in the situation where the buyer works with an OEM or a contract manufacturer, they share some (and usually all) of the responsibility when something goes wrong. It may well be that manufacturing or design defects are the cause. … [Read more...]

8 Elements of a Low-Risk Supply Chain in China [Free Webinar]

Clients often ask us for assistance in improving their supply chain in China. For instance, it's common to hear that they aren't satisfied with poor quality, with missed timelines, or with unethical practices. If your supply chain is giving you issues like this, and it is causing your business unnecessary risk, you might not have taken all the necessary steps. How to lower these risks and build a low-risk supply chain in China? Over at Sofeast, we've created a free webinar for you about … [Read more...]