QualityInspection.org

Quality Assurance, Product Development, and Purchasing Strategies in China

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...]

Common Compliance Gaps & Loopholes With ‘Made In China’ Products [Podcast]

In this episode... Renaud Anjoran is joined by Clive Greenwood, an expert in product compliance to discuss the issues with compliance that most importers face and some compliance gaps and 'loopholes' to be aware of. Many people buy products from China (or elsewhere) without checking if they are compliant with their country's rules and regulations. This means that a lot of products are being   Just hit the play button to start listening..! Listen to the episode right here … [Read more...]

How Did Sea Freight End Up In Such An Expensive Mess In 2021? [Podcast]

In this episode... Renaud is joined this week by global logistics expert Jon Monroe who boasts over 30 years in the logistics industry and has a strong focus on Transpacific trade. They discuss the current global sea freight crisis (in June/July 2021) that is hitting a lot of importers with both towering costs and delays and explore how we came to this point while dispelling certain misconceptions. Jon also gives some insight into the situation in the USA specifically, but touches on other … [Read more...]

How To Improve Supplier Performance? [Podcast]

In this episode... Renaud talks you through a common query that we get on a regular basis when customers ask us: "How do I get my suppliers to improve?" A recent survey of importers found that 70% said that their biggest challenge was working with suppliers to improve performance. So, with this in mind, Renaud goes through the topic based on training that he gave for European Chamber of Commerce in China members on improving suppliers with a focus on product quality, delivery times, price, … [Read more...]

Exploring Product Development Agreements For Importers [Podcast]

In This Episode... We explore product development agreements that clarify your expectations, protect your IP, keep leverage over your supplier, provide you with transparency and control over your supply chain, and make it 100% clear who is responsible for what when working with a supplier on developing a new product that is going to be manufactured in China or other Asian countries.   Just hit the play button to start listening..! Listen to the episode right here 👇👇👇 🎧 Deep … [Read more...]

Exploring The Benefits Of Rapid Prototyping And Rapid Tooling [Podcast]

In This Episode... Renaud and Adrian talk about rapid prototyping and rapid tooling methods to make prototypes a lot faster than production tooling, with a focus on electromechanical products and plastic injection molding. You'll get answers to the following questions: What are rapid prototyping and rapid tooling? What do we discover from different rounds of prototyping? What are the features of hard tooling? What are the pros and cons of the different technologies used for rapid … [Read more...]

Why Is A PP Sample So Important? [Podcast]

In This Episode… Renaud and Adrian are discussing why a PP sample (pre-production) is so important for obtaining your desired results once your products go into mass production. What are PP samples? How do they evolve over time until they're a final 'golden' pre-production sample? What problems do they help avoid? How to specify your exact requirements? Who pays for them? These questions and more are answered in this episode!   Just hit the play button to start listening..! Listen … [Read more...]

Vietnam VS China Manufacturers & Digitizing Processes In The Factory [Podcast]

In This Episode... Renaud interviews Greg Fleming, an experienced merchandising and manufacturing operations manager who went from New Zealand to Australia to China and finally is now based in Ho Chi Minh City in South Vietnam. Greg's background is mainly in the apparel trade, from fabric production to retail. Due to his experience in both Vietnam and China, he is well-placed to give us some really interesting insight into manufacturing in both countries. Since Vietnam is a very popular … [Read more...]

How To Qualify A Contract Manufacturer Or Component Supplier? (Best Practices)

In This Episode… We're often asked how to qualify a contract manufacturer or component supplier. In this episode, Renaud explores the best practices importers could follow when sourcing new manufacturers or suppliers in China, or beyond. This includes sourcing options (who to use), the typical sourcing process, if the lowest prices are always best, IP protection, manufacturer types, and CM sourcing tools and steps. The purpose of this episode is to give you the awareness of risks that … [Read more...]

9 Things Small Importers Can’t Negotiate With Chinese & SE Asian Suppliers [Podcast]

In This Episode... Renaud is joined by Adrian for a conversation about some of the things that smaller companies who are getting products manufactured abroad either cannot or will have great difficulty negotiating with suppliers in China, Vietnam, or other popular manufacturing destinations in Asia. This list of 9 items will give you some idea about what is realistic if you're manufacturing lower volumes.   Just hit the play button to start listening..! Listen to the episode right … [Read more...]