Every day in China, in Vietnam, in Bangladesh, and in India, thousands of inspectors and auditors take a bus or a car to a factory. And, in some of those factories, managers are plotting how to cheat those unwelcome visitors. Let's look … [Read more...]
Factory Audit Tips: 10 Signs of a Bad ISO 9001 Implementation
A few days ago, I wrote about the basics of ISO 9001 -- both the standard and the certification/registration process. I got some comments on Linkedin about how useless ISO 9001 is. It is useless indeed in many manufacturing facilities I … [Read more...]
Quality Auditor vs Consultant For Suggesting Factory Improvements
How to choose between quality auditor vs consultant for quality improvements in your or your supplier's facility? Many people think auditors go on site, look at the situation, and suggest improvements. However, it is not that simple. … [Read more...]
How To See if a Chinese Manufacturer Is Capable of Improving in the Future?
Last week I wrote about the best way to have a Chinese supplier take responsibility. However, the most important question, I feel, is how to work with manufacturers that will keep improving over time. And it all starts from supplier … [Read more...]
3 Types of Factory Evaluations for Purchasing in China
More and more importers discover that they can appoint an auditing agency to evaluate factories before they issue an order. But not all these evaluation services are equally helpful. I distinguish between 3 broad types of factory … [Read more...]
How Factory Audits, Inspections, and Lab Tests Fit Together
I am often asked questions such as “what is the difference between audits and inspections” or "why are lab tests necessary if you send an inspector". In this article, I will show how these three types of services fit together. Let's … [Read more...]
Are Technical Auditors Necessary for ISO 9001 Audits?
Many people think the ISO 9001 standard is pretty generic is applicable to all industries (that's mostly correct), so a good auditor can check any type of business when performing ISO 9001 audits (I don't agree with that). And the ISO … [Read more...]
Auditing a small Chinese factory: does it make sense?
I see some well-meaning importers who pay for factory audits based on a checklist inspired by the ISO9001 standard. However, I am really questioning the value of auditing a small factory (below 400-600 workers). Don't get me wrong, I am … [Read more...]
ISO 9000 factory audits for your China suppliers
Factory audits in China and other Asian countries are often (loosely) based on a checklist inspired by the ISO 9000 series. That means the main part of these audits consists in looking for holes in the factory's quality system. Why are … [Read more...]
How to find a suitable Chinese supplier? More art than science.
How to find a suitable Chinese supplier is a process consisting of several steps, one of which is often an audit of the manufacturing facilities. But how to audit a factory? Some buyers tour the plants themselves, while others delegate … [Read more...]