In China, there are a few entirely different breeds of manufacturers you can work with. One of them is the contract manufacturer (CM). Working with a CM makes sense when you purchase relatively high volumes (e.g. more than 10,000 pieces … [Read more...]
New Version of ISO 19011 Is Available – Guidelines for Auditing
When an ISO standard is a set of "requirements", like ISO 9001, it is often seen as a constraint. It is like a law. It is not fun. When it is a set of "guidelines", though, it is only positive. The standard is full of advice on how to do … [Read more...]
How China Is Losing Competitiveness… On Paper
Three years ago, inĀ Comparing Wages Across Asia to Make Sourcing Decisions, I showcased 2 analyses large companies tend to do before they decide on their sourcing strategy. These data are key measures of the competitiveness of producing … [Read more...]
Helping a Chinese Factory Improve While Still Holding Them Accountable
You might discover that helping a Chinese factory improve makes sense if you have quality requirements that are challenging to one of the factories you work with, or if you are working with them to develop a complex new … [Read more...]
OEM, ODM, Contract Manufacturers: Choose your China Supplier Wisely
By Fabien Gaussorgues Do you prefer to work with an OEM or an ODM? What are their pros and cons? And what is a CM? This is particularly important if, as the importer, you want to develop a product that is different from what is … [Read more...]
Factory Audits and Product Inspections: Similarities and Differences
I wrote 2 articles about the similarities and differences between product inspections and factory audits on the SynControl blog. I thought it would be interesting to mention this here, too. Here are the main points I mentioned. Main … [Read more...]
Quality Auditor vs Consultant For Suggesting Factory Improvements
How to choose between quality auditor vs consultant for quality improvements in your or your supplier's facility? Many people think auditors go on site, look at the situation, and suggest improvements. However, it is not that simple. … [Read more...]
How To See if a Chinese Manufacturer Is Capable of Improving in the Future?
Last week I wrote about the best way to have a Chinese supplier take responsibility. However, the most important question, I feel, is how to work with manufacturers that will keep improving over time. And it all starts from supplier … [Read more...]
Most Chinese Factories Are Bad at Sourcing Materials & Components
I used to believe that Chinese manufacturers were great at sourcing their own materials/components. There are many reasons for this: They are based here and have teams who can go and visit local suppliers. They have extensive … [Read more...]
Sourcing from China 101, Part 15: How To Improve Factory Productivity
This is the last part in this 15-part series. Here we'llĀ focus on how to improve factory productivity in China. Why is it important for buyers? Because, unless your suppliers make progress in this area in the next 5-10 years, many of … [Read more...]
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