A reader told me about a case "whereby upon arrival in Europe it was found that the majority of consumer products were defective, however the [final random] inspection report by a foreign inspection agency in China did not show any … [Read more...]
How does a random quality inspection work? [infographic]
On the last trade show I attended, I noticed that I explained over and over again how we perform random quality inspections. There must be a better way to pass this message. A graphic designer helped me render it visually, and here is … [Read more...]
Why you should ignore guanxi in China
There has been a bunch of blog posts about guanxi recently -- on Chinese Negotiation, on the China Law Blog, on Silicon Hutong, and others. My audience is mostly interested in sourcing and QC issues in China. What should you do about the … [Read more...]
Managing Chinese suppliers: how to maintain your authority
Some of my clients are great at managing their Chinese suppliers and finding quick solutions to any issue that arises. But other importers consistently let factories force their hands--it seems they have no authority at all! For example, … [Read more...]
Quality assurance in China: best practices [free e-book]
I have been writing about quality assurance issues in China for more than 18 months on this blog. It has pushed me to clarify my thinking, to be more curious, and to get in touch with many interesting people. A blog is perfect for … [Read more...]
When changes in plans are not the buyer’s fault
Sometimes a client does everything he can to ensure that inspections will take place in good conditions. They send me clear specifications about the product, they pass the right message to the supplier, and they keep a couple of days … [Read more...]
4 Proven Ways To Enforce A Quality Standard In China
How can importers establish a quality standard, and then enforce it? Here are 4 proven ways to enforce a quality standard in China and other Asian countries, and also improve how you handle your suppliers, too. … [Read more...]
Container loading inspection: a guide for importers
A lot of things can go wrong when a shipment is loaded in a container, or during transport. A good solution is to send a technician conduct a container loading inspection. For some urgent shipments, it is performed in combination with a … [Read more...]
Doing quality control in China without paying twice
In China, suppliers seldom speak out about their most important concerns, but they usually do something about it. Many importers feel that factories make them pay, in one way or another, for everything they resent. A few examples: A … [Read more...]
Ranking my clients’ suppliers
Some of my clients have many suppliers in China--somewhere between 5 and 20. I get to know a lot of things about them, and my clients are usually quite interested in what I can tell them. One question I often get is "can you rank them, … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 37
- 38
- 39
- 40
- 41
- …
- 44
- Next Page »