I have noticed something funny about a few commercial buildings that were built recently in Shenzhen. The top floors are empty. Or, should I write, the place that should be occupied by the theoretical top floors is empty. You can see it on … [Read more...]
You want a good report? Here is how to do
In the majority of inspections, the situation looks like this: The buyer pays for the inspection, and wants the inspector to be objective. If anything, the inspector should be too tough with the supplier, not too easy. The supplier … [Read more...]
QC inspections: basic concepts
Buyers often take decisions based on QC reports, but most of them have no idea about the industry-specific terms. I noticed that I spent time explaining the same things over and over again. So last April I wrote a four-part tutorial to … [Read more...]
How Chinese factories cut their costs
I often blame the attitude of factory bosses for the quality issues experienced by importers in China. But the problems really come from the business environment. Few manufacturers (in proportion) truly commit to maintaining a quality … [Read more...]
Should the inspector know the production process?
As I wrote before, some suppliers try to discredit third-party inspectors, in an attempt to persuade their customer to stop doing QC. That's why serious inspection firms have to maintain a certain standard of professionalism. One remark … [Read more...]
What does a QC inspection cost to the supplier?
Last week, a supplier was apparently very fed up with our inspectors' visits. They pretended that our inspections, even though they might be helpful in uncovering issues before shipment, cost them some money. And these costs should be borne … [Read more...]
The value of promises in China
Chinese exporters have grown wary of the foreigners' rigidity, and they often do all they can to avoid precise promises. It can be a shipment date, a certain level of quality, a proportion of wastage of materials, etc. What Americans of … [Read more...]
Giving money to inspectors? It’s normal!
In the QC business, the worst a supplier can do is denounce an inspector to the buyer for corruption. Sometimes it is true, and I'm happy they open up about it. But I investigated some cases where all appearances were against the supplier, … [Read more...]
China business: avoiding intermediaries
In my previous job (in a small trading company based in Hong Kong), I quickly concluded that it was better to deal directly with a retailer, rather than a wholesaler who sells to retailers. With few exceptions, retailers are less sensitive … [Read more...]
Dubai, Singapore and Hong Kong: same purpose?
Small countries (or autonomous regions) have an unfair advantage over large nations. What do Hong Kong, Singapore and Dubai have in common? A lot of freedom in re-issuing bills of lading and in arranging trans-shipments; A strong … [Read more...]
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