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...]
How To Keep A Clean Factory And Stop Dust On A Budget
In many industries, one of the most common reasons for defective goods is dust contamination, and they have adopted different cleanliness standards (see the Wikipedia page on cleanrooms and factory cleanliness). If you have visited … [Read more...]
Setting Up a New Factory in China: from Idea to Operation
We have followed the needs of some clients and set up our own assembly center in South China. I took some notes about the 6 phases we have followed, to get from idea to operation. But first, for those curious of what a factory looks … [Read more...]
Auditing a Metal Machining Factory in China: Focus on Processes
Machining is an operation that changes the shape, surface finish, and/or mechanical properties of a material by the application of special tools and equipment. This is typically carried out by machines where a cutting tool removes … [Read more...]
Auditing the Processes of a Plastic Injection Molding Factory in China
We are continuing with our series of articles about process audits in Chinese factories. What is Injection Molding? Injection Molding as a process has been around since the early 1930s, but a lot has changed since those early days. The … [Read more...]
Auditing a Die Casting Factory in China: Focus on the Process
This is the first in a series of articles about the way we do process audits. When I look at the quality assurance agencies that offer services to importers in China, they all seem to prefer "horizontal" requirements (quality system, … [Read more...]
Chinese factories are offering better working conditions
First, an important note. Working conditions in Chinese factories are not great (read this if you want an idea of how bad it can be). My point is that they are getting better. They are getting better thanks to market adjustments -- a lower … [Read more...]
What happens to rejected products in China?
In China, a conscious effort is made to avoid wasting anything. For example, they will try to eat all organs of an animal. This good habit naturally made its way in the manufacturing industry: There are some defects? Let's just mix … [Read more...]