What are manufacturing organizational charts and what are the key things that importers can learn from would-be suppliers' org charts during the sourcing process? The tips given here will help you avoid bad suppliers and be aware of common … [Read more...]
Pilot Run Best Practices
Hopefully, you already appreciate the importance of doing a pilot run (we already wrote about that here) to test all kinds of things before mass production starts, but here's a quick recap about why it's an essential part of the new product … [Read more...]
Assembly Fixtures: A Valuable Productivity and Quality Tool
Assembly fixtures are very important tools used in the factory to provide better quality, faster, and cheaper production. Almost every importer will like the sound of those benefits! Checking fixtures are similar, but they … [Read more...]
Is Investing In Process Automation In The Factory Worth It? + Implementation Best Practices [Podcast]
Automation is a major focus of the Chinese government and many manufacturers here, but can it really reduce costs..? Renaud will answer the questions: "Is Investing In Process Automation In The Factory Worth It?" and "What are the best … [Read more...]
Why Preventive Maintenance Is Important [Podcast]
How well could you cope if key equipment or machinery in the factory failed unexpectedly? Listen to this episode, where Renaud introduces why preventive maintenance is important and shares some examples to help illustrate how it all … [Read more...]
How We Set Up A New Factory In China From Idea To Operation [Podcast]
Planning on opening a factory in China in 2021? To get some insight into just what it takes to set up a new factory in China let's explore how WE came to open our own factory, Agilian Technology, there in 2018! Renaud will explain the … [Read more...]
Factory Management: the 4 Main Roles in the Quality Department
China, as a whole, has 35+ years of experience manufacturing products for export customers. They have accumulated a lot of experience. However, foreign buyers are rather consistently shocked at the level of mismanagement that plagues … [Read more...]
Quality Manager Interview Questions To Test Knowledge Of ISO 9001
Next time you're hiring, here are some quality manager interview questions you should ask to make sure that they know and understand the ISO 9001:2015 standard. … [Read more...]
Are Calibration Reports Always A Must? Why Auditors Should Think Before Raising Suppliers’ Costs
By Annie Chan Did you get a visit from an auditor who seemed obsessed with calibration reports? Was he/she happy to see that all tools had been calibrated based on internal reports, or (even better) on third-party lab … [Read more...]
The Problem With Visual Management Boards in Factories
Visual management boards of some kind are now basically the norm in all factories belonging to a multinational group, so they must be effective, right? I'm not so sure. Not that they cannot be useful (they CAN be VERY useful), but, in … [Read more...]