A few weeks ago, in Will 3D printing replace China mass production?, I concluded that we would see no disruption of mass production in the coming 5 years -- in spite of all the examples the press might find. I just read a book called 3D … [Read more...]
Chinese manufacturers are targeting their own domestic market
Every month, we see data about China's exports (and the latest ones don't make much sense, by the way). But who knows a reliable source of data about China's domestic trade? I was curious to read the findings of the survey of nearly 200 … [Read more...]
How to find a CMT apparel factory
A reader asked me recently how he might find a good CMT factory to make garments. Here is my advice. The first question is: where? For buyers based in Europe: logical choices are Tunisia and Morocco, or Eastern Europe. For buyers … [Read more...]
The rise in popularity of social compliance audits in Asian countries
Because of the bad publicity earned by importers such as Wal Mart and C&A after the recent factory fire in Bangladesh, more and more importers are considering social audits as a normal part of their supplier monitoring process. In … [Read more...]
How a Chinese factory can REALLY improve its quality
Auditing a factory's quality system, and helping them patch the main holes found by the auditor, is helpful. But is it enough? I used to think so. A good quality management system is supposed to stop defects before it is too late. … [Read more...]
Don’t rush to produce in China
Here are links to the interesting articles I found recently. When 5%-10% more is a bargain David Dayton gives us a checklist to go through before deciding to have something produced in China. I wish more people took the time to ask … [Read more...]
Production optimization in China. Good luck with that.
As the pressure on costs is getting more intense, many importers wish their suppliers focused on optimizing their production. In most cases, there are no optimization efforts going on. Why is that? 1. A focus on the golden eggs, not on … [Read more...]
Importers should not rely too much on Chinese suppliers
As I wrote before, it is the buyer's responsibility to pay for independent quality control before shipment. When this is not the case, the importer is relying totally on his Chinese suppliers... and is taking maximum risks. In this … [Read more...]
Chinese factories are offering better working conditions
First, an important note. Working conditions in Chinese factories are not great (read this if you want an idea of how bad it can be). My point is that they are getting better. They are getting better thanks to market adjustments -- a lower … [Read more...]
Will 3D printing replace China mass production?
Two days ago I was listening to a few Chinese factory managers who were invited to a Global Sources forum, and one hot topic they discussed was 3D printing. They see 3D printing as a potential disruption to their business, but in a time … [Read more...]
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