![Reliability Testing Plan For A Home Appliance in China [Example]](https://qualityinspection.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/ReliabilityTestingPlanForAHomeApplianceinChinaExample-1140x445.jpg)
So, you have found the product you wanted to re-sell on Alibaba or Global Sources. You feel the supplier will be fine. You had them audited and they seem reliable. They have the required certifications for selling on your market. Like tens of thousands of other buyers of home appliances are, you will go ahead if you feel there is sufficient market demand for this product. However, there is one important thing you forgot. How do these products behave in their users' hands? Maybe you … [Read more...]
23 Ways To Design & Make Eco Friendly Products
Increasingly, over the past couple of years, companies that design their own products have been asking us "how can our product be more eco friendly?" It is one of these questions that calls for some research and some long, long answers. … [Read more...]
18 Electronic Product Design Firms For ‘Made-in-China’ Products
You just came up with a great idea for a new electronic hardware product, and you are wondering what the next step is? The answer at this stage is working on electronic product design and probably not searching for a manufacturer, since they will need these elements: A detailed description of features List of components with specifications, and the product architecture PCB schematic A look-alike and work-alike prototype Testing stations Before you contact a design house you … [Read more...]
Supply Chain Risk Management, Part 3: A Purchaser Supply Chain KPI Scorecard’s Benefits
Most purchasers pay too much attention to the price of what they buy but fail to take risks into account. That's a very widespread issue. One solution to this might be developing a supply chain KPI scorecard, to force buyers to report on how risky the supply chain they are building really is. After all, setting up a solid supply chain is an important objective isn't it? This is what we are going to cover here. … [Read more...]
6 Tips To Nail Your Hardware Product’s Concept BEFORE Engaging A Design House
Many people have an idea for a new hardware product and call us, and in many cases, it is too early, and going to a design house now may also be too early! They need to work with an industrial designer. (I am thinking of electro-mechanical products here.) The logical steps are in this sequence: a. Concept > b. Aesthetic Design > c. CAD Design > d. Proof-of-concept Prototype > e. Work-alike & Look-alike Prototype So, getting the concept right is important. Here are 6 ways to … [Read more...]
When Should American Companies Reshore Manufacturing Or Stay In China?
In recent times it's very common to see stories about American companies scrambling to reshore manufacturing and leave China and the data seems to support this trend of reshoring or finding other locations. However, I suspect the American companies that moved to China for the wrong reasons originally are mainly the ones who are now reshoring back in the US. Is this the case, though? Let's explore this... … [Read more...]
3 Ways To Get Faster Results From Laboratory Tests On Your Products
The world is full of technical testing standards. The ASTM alone publishes more than 12,000 each year! However, in some cases, you might find that you need a customized test approach that fits your specific needs. Here are 3 tips that will help you get faster results. … [Read more...]
Don’t Let a Chinese Supplier Circumvent You: 5 Tips
Some risks and frustrations never go away... One of them is Chinese suppliers circumventing their customers, or selling to their customer's competitors, all the while using the product knowledge they gained... from their customers. Over the weekend, I stumbled upon a good old HBR article entitled When Your Contract Manufacturer Becomes Your Competitor. It came out in 2006, but the same trends are still at work! … [Read more...]
Bringing an IoT Product from Concept to Market: Case Study
We've been fortunate to help Ahera develop their OSIA IoT smart band from concept to prototype and to get them prepared to take the next steps (tooling, certification, preparation, production). It is actually a great case study for entrepreneurs planning to develop their own product and manufacture it in China, so I thought it would make for an interesting article. Ahera is in the middle of an Indiegogo campaign these days. I went to interview their founder, Rudy Bottin, about what it took to … [Read more...]
The 5 Levels of Quality Standards: From Worst to Best Practices
Setting clear quality standards for each type of product you purchase in Asia is a basic need. Like in "to keep living, breathing is a basic need". Despite this, very few companies that have production in China or Vietnam take the time to do it right. And, as a result, they have to suffer quality issues, misunderstandings, and the breakdown of trust with their suppliers. Let's go through the 5 levels of quality standards, from most basic to most advanced. … [Read more...]