Pilots follow a checklist before they fly. Same thing for doctors & nurses. But, for some reason, I see very few Chinese factories follow a checklist that can help them avoid assembly problems before they make a new product (for the first time). I jotted down some important points any assembly factory should confirm before production begins in order to avoid assembly problems. (It is not very different from the points we typically check in a 'production readiness audit' for an … [Read more...]
7 Reasons To Switch To A New Chinese Manufacturer
Many times, importers ask me "how to control production better?", and they proceed to give me examples of the recent issues they have had with their current Chinese supplier. And I often tell them "switch to a better supplier". Now, making a switch is not always easy. It takes preparation. On the one hand, a new factory has to be identified and vetted. They need to be onboarded and trained to your requirements. They probably need to find sources, they may need to adapt their internal … [Read more...]
How To Perform In-Depth Due Diligence On Your Supplier [Podcast]
Do your new or current suppliers pose a risk to your business? Sometimes the only way to find out if a supplier poses a risk is to perform some deep due diligence on them in order to assess their business health and if they're able to be a stable, reliable supplier for the long-term. Especially in these times where we're dealing with a pandemic, getting a realistic picture of how suppliers are doing is hard without the ability to be on the ground in China. But there are actions you can … [Read more...]
7 Manufacturing Challenges Due To Lack Of Transparency In China & How To Mitigate Them [Podcast]
The situation in Hong Kong, the US/China trade war, mistrust of China and attempts at decoupling, and other news stories are rightfully a cause of concern for importers with Chinese suppliers. But the manufacturing challenges you should be concerned the most about are those that may prevent you from receiving the products you expect from your suppliers. These challenges can be categorized into 7 different areas and often occur due to a lack of transparency which is either intentional or a … [Read more...]
Why Pay Close Attention To Your Factory Managers’ Personalities?
A few years ago, I wrote an article on '7 Common Mistakes Revealed by Factory Org Charts'. I described two issues I have seen many times in Chinese factories: Mistake 1: not having a quality department Most small workshops don’t have personnel dedicated to checking quality on a full-time basis. The problem is, very often nobody checks quality at all! That’s a serious problem and only importers who can station inspectors on site 24/7 should do business with such … [Read more...]
China Sourcing: Does Your Sales Contact Really Work At The Factory?
When I meet someone who has recently started working with Chinese companies, I often urge them not to make any assumptions. One of the most common 'discoveries' buyers make is... that they haven't been working with a factory directly when they thought they were. … [Read more...]
28 Common Problems Chinese Suppliers Cause Importers
I was thinking of the most common problems Chinese suppliers cause for importers, especially those developing their own products. And I noticed something interesting. Most of them all linked to the way information is managed. … [Read more...]
5 Ways To Have a Chinese Manufacturer Take Responsibility for Quality Issues
Many importers lament that Chinese suppliers don't take any responsibility when quality issues are found after shipment. Ten years ago, I would have confirmed that it happens less than 0.1% of the time. These days, it seems to become more common. … [Read more...]
Chinese suppliers’ lack of reliability: 5 tips for importers
You import from China. You sell to customers who want the right quality at the right time. You know that, if you can't deliver, they will go elsewhere. And, on the other hand, your suppliers say "we'll try our best, don't worry". And you know that they are late, say, 40% of the time and that their products are substandard or defective 30% of the time. Oh, and they might subcontract production without telling you about it, which makes things even worse. As an importer, you have to make an … [Read more...]