It is good for importers to read about best practices. Many first-time buyers have never heard of letters of credit or quality control plans. They often find it useful to follow a "how-to" guide. On the other hand, it is much easier (and … [Read more...]
China quality: run away at the first alert!
Last week I wrote about bad relationships with Chinese suppliers and Dan, on the China Law Blog, mentioned it in There Must Be Fifty Ways To Leave A Bad China Supplier. Specifically, Dan asked this question to his readers: What percent … [Read more...]
The different kinds of sourcing agents
Importers often feel like they need some help to find a good supplier in China or in other Asian countries. In this article I am going to study the different options available to them. I heard lots of stories about sourcing agents, and … [Read more...]
Bad relationship with a Chinese supplier: just end it!
Many importers have a bad relationship with their key Chinese supplier(s), but they don't look for other companies. Sometimes it leads to unbelievable situations. For example, some buyers got screwed on 3 orders in a row by the same … [Read more...]
Why does it take so much time to manufacture in China?
Recently I saw a few friends based in France. One of them said "maybe I should get this manufactured in China, and do a quick market test." Would it really be quick? Only in their dreams. I had to explain a few basics about Chinese … [Read more...]
QC inspections on a platform: pros and cons
The vast majority of quality inspection services (either through a third-party provider or by the buyer's staff) takes place in the factory. But some of them are performed on a "platform", which is basically a warehouse where the goods … [Read more...]
Are your orders too small to buy in China?
The CSIC just published another good article (Too small to go factory direct?), which adds up all the fixed costs of buying in China. From their calculations, it takes about 5,000 USD for visiting & qualifying one supplier, and for … [Read more...]
Why the garment industry is different
I have worked in the garment industry since 2005. Over the last couple of years, I started to help purchasers of other products (from tools to furniture and electronics), and I realized the "right way to go" was different. I am also a … [Read more...]
Chinese factories: the restaurant analogy
Many people in Europe and in the US think of factories are large organizations where everyone follows a standard procedure. Quality and lead times are consistent because of detailed planning, and because it doesn't matter if a few cogs … [Read more...]
What to do after receiving bad quality products from China?
From time to time, a reader who has received unacceptable products asks me how they can force a Chinese supplier to refund an order. My response is usually "forget it, and do things right on your next order (make sure you read about best … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 127
- 128
- 129
- 130
- 131
- …
- 158
- Next Page »