Prof. Neale O’Connor, a China business and accounting expert and international keynote speaker, recently analyzed some of our own factory audit data and other third-party data about customer complaints and came up with some really … [Read more...]
Social Compliance Audits: Fear, Lies, and Corruption
Over the weekend, I came upon a webinar that gives a relatively nice overview of the issues surrounding social compliance audits, particularly in Asia. It was shot by a new company called Mosaic. If I had to summarize it, I'd use these … [Read more...]
3 Elements Required To Manufacture Great Products [podcast]
In this episode… Your host Renaud Anjoran is joined once again by Andrew Amirnovin, Sofeast's head of New Product Development, to discuss the 3 elements a factory (yours or your supplier's) needs in order to provide good manufacturing … [Read more...]
7 Reasons Why Ignoring Factory Audits Will Hurt Your Business
If you start working with a new supplier that you haven't visited or audited on-site, do you feel safe about your decision? I have talked to many people in that situation, and they usually haven't fully realized what they might be … [Read more...]
Tips For Buyers On A Budget Who Want To Start Manufacturing In China [Podcast]
In this episode... You'll love this episode as it contains loads of helpful tips for buyers from China who're operating on a smaller budget from Sofeast's CEO Renaud and this week's guest, sourcing expert, Rico Ngoma from Source Find … [Read more...]
Using Factory Audits To Qualify Your Chinese Suppliers
When I talk to someone who is contemplating whether they should work with a particular supplier, I advise them to visit the factory and/or have it audited. And this can lead to confusion, as the next question is usually "what type of … [Read more...]
What Are the Factory Assessment Reports Shown on Alibaba Worth?
About 10 years ago, I remember Global Sources was listing "verified suppliers". Good idea. And their competitors followed suit, showing factory assessment reports and anything that can make buyers confident. And I am not sure that has … [Read more...]
Brands and Retailers: Please Stop Doing Social Compliance Audits in Asia
Finbarr Bermingham and Cissy Zhou wrote an interesting article in the South China Morning Post, entitled Bribes, fake factories and forged documents: the buccaneering consultants pervading China’s factory audits. An interesting Linkedin … [Read more...]
How To Validate Your Supplier’s Factory’s Production Capacity (From Abroad) [Podcast]
You can't visit suppliers in China due to coronavirus. How can you validate their production capacity without going on-site? As we head into 2021 travelling to see suppliers in Asia, in particular China, remains difficult for most … [Read more...]
Exploring Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) [Podcast]
Time to pay attention to good manufacturing practices! Importers with suppliers over in Asia may benefit from adopting GMPs (Good Manufacturing Practices). What are they? How are they useful for managing and improving the performance of … [Read more...]