Whenever I come across an article that might interest importers, I keep it aside to publish it. (Last list of articles is here).
Here are the latest ones.
Product Sourcing and Manufacturing
This is not a written article. This is a podcast interview of Michael Michelini, who relates his experiences buying from China. This podcast is full of real-life observations about factories, trading companies, and sourcing consultants.
4 Things to Ask Your Chinese Supplier
An excellent reminder of common misunderstandings that might kill your manufacturing project. These simple questions will force the supplier to clarify the process.
Every new-to-China importer should make sure to integrate these questions in their buying process. Pure gold!
Made In China Not Worth Hassle For Small Firms Returning To U.S.
The title is a little extreme but is valid for [some] small firms that should not have started buying from China in the first place. This piece from Bloomberg draws its conclusions on the cases of several companies and is interesting in several respects.
China Product Sourcing. Ten Things To Do To Get It Right.
I am always glad to get feedback from another blogger about one of my posts. When it comes from the China Law Blog and they agree on 100% of my points, it makes my day!
Techniques to access the truth about your supplier
Auditing a factory based on a scientific process is good. But, sometimes, evaluating the motivations of the owner is more important. Learn about a few questions to ask during your next factory tours.
The last one is for quality and manufacturing geeks… A funny illustration of the PDCA process, based on the concepts outlined in Toyota Kata (one of my favorite management books).
P.S.
You may also like my post: Agent vs. trader vs. importer: what differences?