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 … [Read more...]
About Us
Who is Renaud Anjoran? Our author, Renaud Anjoran, is a Certified ISO 9001 & 14001 lead auditor, ASQ certified Quality Engineer & Reliability Engineer who has been working in the Chinese manufacturing industry since 2005. What … [Read more...]
Why Following A Comprehensive NPI Process Pays Dividends And How Involved Buyers Need To Be
New product introduction is a complex process to master, and SMEs and hardware startups we often work with find it very challenging and seek our help to devise and manage the different steps in order to get into mass production on time, on … [Read more...]
Understanding The Role Of Manufacturing Process Control In Your Factory
Turning raw materials and components into a finished product can be a complex process. It usually requires more steps than a layperson would think of. And, if the manufacturer does not set up appropriate controls along these process steps, … [Read more...]
What Is a Certificate of Conformity (COC) and How To Get One?
Some clients have asked us "what is a certificate of conformity" over the years, and we wrote this article to answer that question. We'll explain what a CoC is, what it's used for, and what it includes. … [Read more...]
Sea freight costs falling in summer ‘22. Too early to celebrate?
Two years ago in June 2020 international sea freight costs started their slow climb to unprecedented levels. No importers with supply chains abroad were safe from ballooning costs. Shipping from any manufacturing hub was affected, … [Read more...]
Supply Chain Risk Management, Part 5: Moving Manufacturing to Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, or India (Pros & Cons)
One of the main conclusions of many companies is as follows: 'diversifying our supply chain outside of China is a must in order to reduce risk'. There are two main reasons for this. First, the USA has been leading the charge against … [Read more...]
How Quality Planning Drives QC and Process Improvement
What does quality management consist of? Juran wrote about this first in 1986, and he suggested 3 types of activities that make up the "Juran trilogy": Planning Quality control Improvement … [Read more...]
Does The Safety & Quality Of Products Sold On Amazon Pose Risks?
A few weeks ago, a journalist asked me whether products sold on Amazon present higher safety risks and whether their quality is inferior (relative to other distribution channels). My guess is that yes (I have no solid data to back that … [Read more...]
QC Basics: What is a Quality Inspection? Context, Tools & Template
This article answers the question: 'What is a quality inspection?' and explores when they typically take place (before, during, and after production). We will cover the types of inspections most widely used by buyers in international … [Read more...]