QualityInspection.org

Quality Assurance, Product Development, and Purchasing Strategies in China

Zero Covid in China is over: What next?

by

Following unprecedented protests across China, the government has been rapidly dropping its flagship 'Zero Covid' policy as of the start of December 2022. While a return to normalcy in China may come as welcome news to locals and visitors alike, the road to get there will no doubt be bumpy. A largely unvaccinated public with little exposure to the virus now sees rising cases around China, similar to the difficult situation the rest of the world had to navigate in 2020 and 2021. So what does … [Read more...]

Stop Unauthorized Subcontracting In Its Tracks [Podcast]

by

In this episode… Renaud is back with Adrian to discuss the risks of unauthorized subcontracting. Does it make sense for a manufacturer you don't know to make your products? Well, it could be happening if you're unlucky. Let's look at why it might, the risks you face, and some tips to reduce the risks here. Just hit the play button to start listening..! Listen to the episode right here 👇👇👇 🎧 How to Reduce The Risk Of Unauthorized Subcontracting? 🎧   Show Sections 00:00 - … [Read more...]

3 Supply Chain Risk Reduction Strategies: Integration VS Diversification VS Inventory

by

As I am writing this, in mid-2022, we're living in pretty unprecedented times. The Covid pandemic is ongoing, tensions between major world powers are at a high, previously solid supply chains and business practices are crumbling, inflation is rising affecting all kinds of costs, politics are causing countries to become more insular and closed-minded, and shipping is still a mess. Today's manufacturing businesses need to find suitable supply chain risk reduction strategies to help counter these … [Read more...]

Renaud Answers YOUR Manufacturing Questions [Podcast]

by

In this episode… To celebrate our 100th episode over on Sofeast's podcast Renaud called on listeners for their manufacturing-related questions and answered as many as possible!  They're questions that are relevant to so many importers, so, hopefully, the answers will help you get better results from your suppliers, too.   Just hit the play button to start listening..! Listen to the episode right here 👇👇👇 🎧 100th episode special: YOUR manufacturing questions … [Read more...]

How War In Ukraine Could Negatively Affect Global & Chinese Supply Chains [Podcast]

by

In this episode… We discuss how wars like the one waged on Ukraine by Russia right now could affect global supply chains. In particular, could China be affected, and if so, how? Is the West likely to decouple from China in the future in a similar way as they have done with Russia? Finally, Renaud leaves you with some guidance on ways to diversify your suppliers and therefore reduce the chances of supply chain disruptions and risks.   Just hit the play button to start … [Read more...]

How To Keep Your China Factories’ Identities Secret

by

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...]

QualityInspection.org’s Top Blog Posts & Videos Of 2021

by

The rollercoaster has continued in 2021! After a difficult 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic first hit, it's perhaps understandable that many of us might have hoped that things would settle down in 2021, however, since last year's roundup in the top posts and videos of 2020 it's been more of the same. Supply chains have buckled, commodity and sea freight prices have gone through the roof, covid continues to rage (what variant are we even on now!?), and importers have numerous reasons to feel … [Read more...]

China Power Cuts In Late 2021. Will Your Supply Chain Be Affected? [Podcast]

by

In this episode... Sofeast's CEO Renaud Anjoran dives into what's causing the power cuts around China that are affecting many manufacturers around the country in late 2021. Some manufacturers are having to close for days at a time or work night shifts, but normal people have also been affected, too. Many importers will be wondering: "Is my supplier affected?" and "Will my order be delayed?"  Given that this is affecting most o the major manufacturing provinces the likelihood is that it … [Read more...]

How To Choose The Right Packaging To Protect Your Products? [Podcast]

by

In This Episode… We take a close look at why packaging plays a key role in protecting your products during transit. Packaging materials, supply chain risks, and packaging reliability testing are all scrutinized to give you a good introduction to this topic and help you choose the right packaging for your needs. You'll see why considering packaging and developing the right inner and outer packaging for your needs should be done during the product development process and should neither be … [Read more...]

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

by

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...]