QualityInspection.org

Quality Assurance, Product Development, and Purchasing Strategies in China

How To Build Relationships With Suppliers? [Podcast]

In this episode… 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. Today, how to build relationships with suppliers! It includes hard skills, that we’ve already covered in episodes 1 to 4, such as identifying suppliers, negotiating terms and describing your specifications, how to manage projects, and how to check product quality. Click here to listen to those earlier episodes. However, … [Read more...]

How To Keep Your China Factories’ Identities Secret

Last week I wrote How To Push a Chinese or Vietnamese Supplier for Supply Chain Transparency. And, of course, pushing suppliers for transparency is hard: In the vast majority of cases, Chinese suppliers (and, to a lesser extent, those in Vietnam, too) do NOT want to disclose that supply chain information, mainly for 2 reasons: If the buyer can see the cost of the full bill of material, it becomes much easier to challenge the final price. In many cases, the final assembly … [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...]

A Few Tips To Avoid Quality Fade in China

When Paul Midler wrote ‘Quality Fade’: China’s Great Business Challenge in 2007, I remember it struck a nerve and that article was widely quoted. And, nearly 14 years later, the term 'quality fade' is rather well known among importers. As Midler described it: One of the problems facing China is that manufacturers continue to engage in a practice I call “quality fade.” This is the deliberate and secret habit of widening profit margins through a reduction in the quality of materials. Importers … [Read more...]

Strategies For Reducing Lead Times From Suppliers In China [Podcast]

In This Episode… We discuss reducing lead times from suppliers in China or other countries in Asia like Vietnam. Lead times are the time you can expect the process of getting your order from a supplier to take, from placing the purchase order, for the supplier to obtain and check materials, manufacture the goods, and then ship them to you. There are many separate elements involved here on the supply chain and manufacturing sides and so plenty of opportunities to make improvements and reduce … [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...]

Importer’s ‘Supply Chain Spring Clean’ Checklist To Find Risks & Opportunities [Podcast]

Got some time on your hands during Chinese New Year while your suppliers are on holiday? In this bumper 43 minute Chinese New Year episode to keep you entertained during the holiday, Renaud & Adrian discuss tasks importers can perform to spring clean their supply chains during the CNY holiday when you might have a little extra time on your hands. The point of this episode is to provoke some thought and help you to face some of the more difficult questions and tasks that often get put … [Read more...]

How To Plan for Transferring Production To a New Factory: 45 Point Checklist

Many productions have been transferred to China over the past 25 years. Some are getting transferred out of China to places like Vietnam or Thailand these days. And, of course, not all Chinese factories are doing a great job, so there is a great deal of switching from one to the next. The problem is, some transfers are quite complex. There is the supplier management aspect (which I will cover in an upcoming article), and there are all the technical details to get right. I have put together … [Read more...]

Tips For Continually Getting Good Results From A New Supplier | Vetting Chinese Suppliers (Part 11) [Podcast]

You've successfully vetted and started working with a new Chinese supplier. What's next? In our mini-series on vetting Chinese suppliers, you will already have learnt about due diligence, factory audits and visits, exploring testing facilities, and much more when it comes to vetting suppliers. If you follow through this process logically, perhaps with the help of local factory auditors and quality inspectors in China, you will be well-placed to find reliable suppliers who reach your … [Read more...]

Why The Bill Of Materials (BOM) Is A Key Document For Importers [Podcast]

The Bill Of Materials - more important than you may think! The Bill Of Materials is an incredibly important document which spans the product development process and evolves as you get closer to mass production. It provides all of the product's key information, from both the supply chain side and also design and technical side, too. Think of it as a kind of list of components, suppliers, costs, quality and compliance test results, designs (showing the relationship between components and … [Read more...]