QualityInspection.org

Quality Assurance, Product Development, and Purchasing Strategies in China

Why a Supply Chain Map is Valuable for Importers (+ a few Simple Examples)

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Over the past 3 years, I have read a number of articles pushing importers to draw a supply chain map. They argue it is extremely important, to avoid getting caught by surprise again. (And most of those articles are written by software vendors...who offer a somewhat-automated way to create such a map.) On the other hand, what is the reality for companies that buy products from China, Vietnam, or other low-cost countries? They'd sure like to have a fully detailed map of their tier-1, tier-2, … [Read more...]

Is there a Relationship between Factory Audits and Better Quality Products? [Real Data Analysis]

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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 interesting findings that will help you to source better suppliers in Asia, specifically ones who are going to provide you with better quality products and/or be less likely to scam you. If you're wondering if performing factory audits has a tangible … [Read more...]

What Are the Most Highly Regulated Industries?

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There is a clear trend that people working in supply chain management have to get used to: pretty much all products are getting more regulated over time. Even apparel is going to be hit hard by the upcoming EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation! With that out of the way, some industries are clearly more regulated than others. Let's look at some of the most highly regulated industries that we may come across... … [Read more...]

Why You Need To Know Who’s In Your Supply Chain [Podcast]

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In this episode… Consider this: If you don't know who's making your key components or product itself, or even where they are, how can you be sure that your product will be of acceptable quality or compliant with market regulations? More importers than you might think do not have visibility over their supply chains, and there are a number of reasons for this. Renaud and Adrian discuss how to improve your visibility over your supply chain. You'll learn why new regulations are making … [Read more...]

Best Practices for Leaving your Chinese Supplier for a New One [Podcast]

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In this episode… One listener asked us: What checklist of activities does an importer need to perform when ending business relationships with a Chinese contract manufacturer?  So, in this episode, Renaud explains what the process of leaving your current Chinese supplier looks like, including plenty of best practices to follow to make sure that your transition goes as smoothly as possible.   Just hit the play button to start listening..! Listen to the episode right here … [Read more...]

Are YOU A ‘Hands-On’ Or ‘Hands-Off’ Buyer? [Podcast]

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In this episode... Many importers are new to sourcing from China so we've been creating a mini-series of episodes that explores the sourcing process with advice and best practices from Sofeast's CEO Renaud Anjoran. In this series of episodes, we’re exploring how to do your own sourcing from China, from finding suppliers for your products to getting them made. We’ve moved onto soft skills, and last time we spoke about building rapport with your suppliers. Now, we’re going to look at how … [Read more...]

Which Chinese Manufacturing Business Model Is Best For You? [Podcast]

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In this episode… Sofeast's CEO Renaud recently wrote this guest post on Harris Bricken's China Law Blog about which Chinese manufacturing business model importers will come across when sourcing a Chinese manufacturing partner. Today he goes deeper, joined by Adrian from the Sofeast team, and explains what the two models are in detail, why expectations about how most Chinese manufacturers will behave need to change, and their pros & cons to you if you're searching for a manufacturer right … [Read more...]

Exploring Manufacturing and New Product Development in Vietnam [Podcast]

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Vietnam continues to be a popular alternative to China for today's importers. Let's explore it... Renaud interviews Simon Caballero, a Hanoi-based purchasing manager and expert on manufacturing in Vietnam, to discuss the manufacturing industry in Vietnam, common risks and issues you will face when manufacturing garments there, and the relationship between developing new products and manufacturing in Vietnam and China. Simon, originally from Barcelona, Spain, has a background in logistics and … [Read more...]

7 Tips to Manage the Transfer of Production To Another Chinese Factory

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There are cases where importers really need to leave a current supplier. Some situations are unlikely to improve over time, and they are even likely to get worse. I wrote about this in 7 Reasons to Switch to a New Chinese Manufacturer last week. But the next logical question is, 'How to transfer production from the current factory to the next?' and that's what I am covering here. I will also cover the right timing to break the news to the current manufacturer. It is a very sensitive … [Read more...]