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Good Project Management With Chinese Suppliers From A Product Designer’s Perspective [Podcast]

January 23, 2021

Good Project Management With Chinese Suppliers From A Product Designer’s Perspective [Podcast]

Let's hear from an experienced product designer about project management with Chinese suppliers... In this episode, we catch up with Andy Bartlett, a friend of Sofeast, who is an enormously experienced product designer from the UK, to discuss his project management best practices and observations from his 'designer's' perspective for when developing a new product and manufacturing it in China. If you're developing a new product and have Chinese suppliers, you'll love this episode. Andy … [Read more...]

Filed Under: New Product Development Tagged With: managing Chinese suppliers, new product development, NPI, podcast, product design, project management

New Physical Products: Patents Should Come After Market Success

January 13, 2021

New Physical Products: Patents Should Come After Market Success

We talk to a startup company developing a new physical (hardware) product at least once a week, and I'd estimate that about 25% of them try hard to secure a patent. I get it. They are afraid of being copied. They know investors and customers will like it. It looks like a wise investment. And, of course, not many lawyers will discourage a patent application, which is -- for good reason -- in their list of the best ways to protect a new product's intellectual property. However, here is … [Read more...]

Filed Under: New Product Development Tagged With: hardware startups, IP protection, legal risks, new product development, new product development on a budget, patents

Prototesting: Reap All the Value of Proof of Concept Prototypes

December 22, 2020

Prototesting: Reap All the Value of Proof of Concept Prototypes

Many of our clients design their own products. And we typically don't get involved in the initial concept/ideation phase. That's clearly not our competence, nor our offer. However, we are often invited to ask questions about their new product idea, to test if their concept is manufacturable, to confirm it won't be extremely hard to develop, etc. And we see the same patterns, over and over. Many people don't talk a lot to potential users/customers when planning for the features. They don't … [Read more...]

Filed Under: New Product Development Tagged With: developing new products, improving product design, new product development, npd, prototypes, testing new products

Choosing the right Battery for your New Electronic Product [Long Guide]

December 16, 2020

A question many of our clients have asked us is, 'What type of battery should we use in our new electronic product?" And, in some cases, the answer is not obvious for buyers who struggle with choosing the right battery. The number and variety of cheap sensors available are now staggering. And keeping a physical object connected to the internet, or to a mobile phone's app, has gotten easier over the past 10 years. That has sparked the explosion of IoT devices. Those "smart" and "connected" … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Develop a New Electronic Product in China Tagged With: batteries, consumer electronics, electronic hardware products, lithium-ion batteries, manufacturing electronics, sourcing batteries, types of batteries

Why The Bill Of Materials (BOM) Is A Key Document For Importers [Podcast]

December 3, 2020

Why The Bill Of Materials (BOM) Is A Key Document For Importers [Podcast]

The Bill Of Materials - more important than you may think! The Bill Of Materials is an incredibly important document which spans the product development process and evolves as you get closer to mass production. It provides all of the product's key information, from both the supply chain side and also design and technical side, too. Think of it as a kind of list of components, suppliers, costs, quality and compliance test results, designs (showing the relationship between components and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: New Product Development Tagged With: bill of materials, BoM, new product development, podcast, quality management, Sourcing, sourcing components, supplier management

Is Your New Product Design Ready for Manufacturing in China? [5 Questions]

November 21, 2020

Is Your New Product Design Ready for Manufacturing in China?

There is a misconception in many people's minds. They think there are many manufacturers in China & Vietnam capable of, and willing to, do a lot of the development work for a new product they think is promising. That is true if you have millions of Facebook followers, you run a popular TV program, or Apple's CEO declares they will distribute your product in his stores. In most cases, it is much harder, though.   5 product design questions you need to answer to be seen as a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: New Product Development Tagged With: mature product designs, new product development, npd, product design, product development

Why Product Safety, Quality, and Reliability Are Tightly Linked

November 9, 2020

Recently I read an article that calls for manufacturers to be more proactive in reducing risks for consumers. And they shared this (pretty scary) graph about product safety recalls: Many companies that develop & purchase products wonder how to minimize the risk of a forced recall, which can be extremely expensive. And my advice is simple: Put more efforts in assuring the quality and the reliability of your products, and it will greatly contribute to their safety.  Let's … [Read more...]

Filed Under: New Product Development Tagged With: consumer risk, product compliance, product quality, product reliability, product safety

Using Reliability Engineering for Designing a More Durable Product

October 12, 2020

using reliability engineering for designing a more durable product

Many leading brands have had to address concerns over the impact of their products on the environment. And one of the best responses is "make products that last longer". Here are the responses of two iconic brands: Apple: make iPhones last longer (optimizing battery charges, making display glass very hard, etc.) Patagonia: clothes that are durable and that are timeless (the opposite of 'fast fashion') Over time, customers have the feeling that those brands' products are of high … [Read more...]

Filed Under: New Product Development Tagged With: environmentally friendly, green manufacturing, product durability, product environmental impact, product quality, reliability engineering

Dangers of Amortizing Development Costs in the Production Price

October 9, 2020

Dangers of Amortizing Development Costs in the Production Price

When I offered a model for guiding buyers to choose an ODM vs. OEM vs. CM supplier, I mentioned that OEM suppliers often "subsidize" the cost of developing the new product. Then, the buyer ends up paying the cost of development, but it is "amortized" in the unit cost of the product. I'd like to explain why, in the context of when manufacturing a new product, that can be dangerous for the buyer. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: New Product Development Tagged With: new product development, new product development costs, new product development process, new product launch, NPI

Analyzing the (NPI) New Product Introduction Process & its Benefits [Podcast]

October 1, 2020

Analysing the (NPI) New Product Introduction Process & its Benefits [Podcast]

What is the new product introduction process? The new product introduction process is: A complete blueprint that takes an idea through various structured phases and that results in a finished product being launched into the marketplace. This process is driven and managed by a cross-functional team that keeps a check on every aspect of the project. The different phases are controlled by approval gates which ensure the project has met specific criteria before moving onto the next phase in … [Read more...]

Filed Under: New Product Development Tagged With: new product development, new product introduction, new product introduction process, NPI, NPI process, podcast, production risk

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Weekly updates for professional importers on better understanding, controlling, and improving manufacturing & supply chain in China.

This is the official blog of Sofeast.com.

This blog is written by Renaud Anjoran, an ASQ Certified Quality Engineer who has been involved in Chinese manufacturing since 2005.

Tweet Renaud here or hit the button below to get in touch.

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Latest Articles

  • Good Project Management With Chinese Suppliers From A Product Designer’s Perspective [Podcast]
  • 7 Reasons To Switch To A New Chinese Manufacturer
  • Why Do Importers Need Product Reliability Testing? [Podcast]
  • New Physical Products: Patents Should Come After Market Success
  • Does Checking 100% of a Production Batch Make Sense? Yes, It Often Does.

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