QualityInspection.org

Quality Assurance, Product Development, and Purchasing Strategies in China

How the right to repair movement & laws may affect manufacturers in future [Podcast]

In this episode... Sofeast's CEO Renaud Anjoran talks about the 'Right To Repair' movement that is gathering pace today. Consumers are calling for it and governments are starting to bring in legislation in order to steer the electronics industry in a more sustainable direction and reduce the huge amount of e-waste being created each year. But if you're manufacturing electronic products, how might it affect you? Having to design for repairability certainly adds new challenges, but … [Read more...]

Sourcing from China (Part 2): Negotiating terms, leverage over suppliers, and describing your needs. [Podcast]

In this episode... In episode 65 we discussed the different supplier options open to buyers who’re sourcing from China. One of the options is to do the sourcing yourself. Many importers want to pursue this, so we're creating a mini-series of episodes that explores how to handle the sourcing process from China yourself with tips and best practices from Sofeast's CEO Renaud Anjoran. In part 1 of the series (episode 69), we looked at the early stage of sourcing where you find your potential … [Read more...]

Exploring The Cost Of Quality When Manufacturing In China [Podcast]

In this episode… Renaud Anjoran, Clive Greenwood, and Max Phythian who boast decades of experience in manufacturing around the world dive into the costs of quality, especially poor quality such as defective parts coming from suppliers. They will explore what the cost of quality means, drivers of the cost, how to avoid or reduce the costs of poor quality, and how to work with Chinese suppliers who may not be very focused on quality.   Just hit the play button to start … [Read more...]

Is It Beneficial To Be First To Market With Your New Product Idea? [Podcast]

In this episode... A recent China Law Blog article questions the wisdom of rushing out your innovative new made-in-China product in order to 'beat the copycats' to market. While there are some situations where this may have some merit, sacrificing IP protection for speed seldom makes sense as you'll find out in this episode. What are the benefits and are they outweighed by the risks? What should you do to protect IP? When is the 'right time' to go public with your exciting new product and … [Read more...]

Deliverables Buyers Should Get When Developing A New Product [Podcast]

In this episode... When you develop a new product what deliverables should you be getting during the new product development process in order to assure that your product will make it mass production with the minimum of risks and at the required quality and safety standards? Renaud Anjoran explains the various deliverables, such as your BOM, control plan, validation testing, and more, that you can expect to gain that represent milestones during the NPD process.   Just hit the play … [Read more...]

Sourcing From China Part 1: Sourcing Suppliers, Vetting Them, & Developing A Backup [Podcast]

In this episode… Renaud talks about sourcing with Adrian in this episode. Specifically, how to handle sourcing from China yourself. He shares tips on deciding the best fit for your business, where to search for potential suppliers, how to vet them once you have found a list, and how and why to develop a backup supplier. This is part 1 of the sourcing journey, and stay tuned as there are more to come..!   Just hit the play button to start listening..! Listen to the episode right here … [Read more...]

5 Difficulties Importers Are Currently Faced With When Preparing For 2022 [Podcast]

In this episode… The coronavirus pandemic has caused a number of difficulties for importers with Chinese or Asian suppliers. Lack of visibility over suppliers, lockdowns, increased supply chain risks, sea freight delays and very high costs requiring very advanced booking, a global electronic component shortage, and a USD/RMB exchange rate that isn't ideal right now, are the topics under discussion in this episode. If these are affecting you, Renaud's views will be … [Read more...]

Which China Sourcing Option Is Best For You? [Podcast]

In this episode… Renaud and Adrian discuss your 4 China sourcing options: commissioned agents, trading companies, third-party service providers (like Sofeast) who provide sourcing as a paid service, and doing it yourself by going direct to manufacturers, including their pros and cons. Renaud also provides some insight into what exactly it takes to source directly from Chinese manufacturers yourself and shares some best practices for you to consider.   Just hit the play button to start … [Read more...]

If The EU MDR Is Product Compliance’s Future – Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid! [Podcast]

In this episode... Renaud Anjoran is joined again by Clive Greenwood, an expert in product compliance for a new episode following on from the first episode they recorded about product compliance (which covered the main compliance challenges faced by importers). This time they're looking at the future of compliance standards by examining the new Medical Device Regulation (EU) 2017/745 (MDR), an extremely comprehensive and stringent regulation. They believe this 'MDR' signposts how future … [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 Asia. They talk you through what you really need to do and some ways to lower costs where possible, so, hopefully, you can start budgeting for what's essential and handle some things yourself. For instance, it's possible to do some due diligence on potential … [Read more...]