A few weeks ago, a friend who has worked in a midsize inspection firm for a while told me "there is a rule in the industry: you won't keep all your clients forever -- you will lose them one by one". Fortunately, my first client still … [Read more...]
How to improve your Chinese supplier pool?
Many importers have learned the value of a good supplier pool the hard way. For example, Carrefour Global Sourcing "killed its supplier base" (in the words of their managing director) because they pursued low prices with a reverse … [Read more...]
The 3 categories in your Chinese supplier list
From what I was told, the Chinese tax department classifies companies as below: Black list: very frequent controls (because they misbehaved in the past); Grey list: relatively frequent controls; White list: relatively infrequent … [Read more...]
Rising prices in China: 5 solutions for importers
The RMB rate has been going up steadily against the USD (see below), and labor costs have been increasing even faster. When you add the raises in shipping rates and in certain raw materials prices, prices have often increased by more than … [Read more...]
How to select the cartons to inspect in a factory
Let's say you intend to conduct a final random QC inspection, after all the products are packed. (I already explained why the whole order should be ready for final QC). You need to select a few cartons at random. What are the best … [Read more...]
Top 10 mistakes when outsourcing your China sourcing
Some importers don’t have the expertise, or the time, to find and manage Asian manufacturing partners. They typically need help from an external sourcing agency to handle the tasks associated with China sourcing: Identifying, … [Read more...]
Training an internal inspector in a Chinese factory
We provide more and more training sessions for inspectors of factories and trading companies. I don't know anybody else who provides this service in China, but I think it responds to an enormous need. The training can be about the … [Read more...]
The 2 types of inspection companies
Let's say you are an importer, looking for a provider of QC inspection services in China. You will evaluate candidates on how serious they look, on their size, and maybe on their knowledge of your product line, right? Well, you'll be … [Read more...]
Managing independent quality control: what it takes
Some importers often over-estimate the amount of time it will take them to manage a third-party quality control (QC) firm. So I made a list of the main "touch points" and of the required steps. Writing clear specifications and/or sending a … [Read more...]
Timing for a final random inspection
As part of their quality control plan, importers should decide when final random inspections should take place. As I wrote a while back (see here), each option has drawbacks. An earlier inspection is easier on the factory, and it allows … [Read more...]
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