About 2 months ago, I posted a video about the steps to make a customized product in China. I noted that most of the steps outlined in that video don't apply when the importer is buying simple products that don't require serious … [Read more...]
How To Cooperate With Your Chinese Supplier, Part 18: What Does PPAP Stand For?
PPAP stands for Production Parts Approval Process. It is a standard requirement imposed by OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) in the European and North-American auto industry. By following the PPAP process in the product development … [Read more...]
A Control Chart You Can Ask Your Chinese Suppliers to Keep Track Of
A few days ago I introduced a basic statistical tool (the capability index) that is simple and can be represented visually, so that any Chinese factory can understand it and try to improve it. Today I want to introduce the p chart. It is … [Read more...]
Basic Statistics Any Chinese Factory Can Understand
Whenever some product attributes can be measured, statistical tools can help understand the situation, prioritize improvement efforts, and even help those improvement efforts. For example, if you measure your product's size, thickness, or … [Read more...]
What KPIs for Your Procurement Office in China?
A few months ago I asked Alexandre Godvin a few questions about the KPIs of purchasing departments. He listed 4 common types of KPIs: Margin % Time to market, or average delay Supplier quality Social/environmental compliance If … [Read more...]
China Management Best Practice: Always Give Some Context
One thing that always amazes me is the lack of understanding of the average Chinese worker of his/her context. Let me give a few examples and it will become clear. In the West, the airline counter lady can pull a lot of information … [Read more...]
The Danger of Choosing a “Cheap” Chinese Factory
One of the biggest mistakes importers make is to work with a "cheap" factory. The price is good, but you need to revise your expectations way, way down. Instead of "cheap" or "expensive" factories, I like to talk about "high-volume, … [Read more...]
The Magic Triangle: Product Specifications, Sample Reviews, and QC Inspections
Recently I was asked what the "20% of efforts that give 80% of results" are when it comes to quality control in China. Interesting question. Well, first is to find the right supplier. That's probably the most important thing you can do, … [Read more...]
Conference for Hardware Startups in October, in Hong Kong
Global Sources has totally revamped the free conferences they run besides their trade shows in Hong Kong. They seem to primarily target hardware startups, but days 3 and 4 can be interesting to any company. Here is the new … [Read more...]
What Good Assembly Work Instructions Look Like
A few weeks ago, I wrote How To Ensure Quality In Chinese Factories By Writing Work Instructions. (By the way, we have recently published a number of resources on the CMC website. If you are interested in good factory management, you … [Read more...]
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