If you have been designing a new product and you plan to have it manufactured in China or another Asian country, when and how should you contact a manufacturer, and what should you do first? … [Read more...]
Remote Audit Of A Factory’s Quality System: It Can Work!
Performing a remote audit (conducted without actually going to the factory) is nothing new. And a lot of companies have started using them because of the covid-19 pandemic. In 2013, The ASQ Quality Press published eAuditing - Virtual … [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 … [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 … [Read more...]
Pricing, Negotiation, Contracts | Vetting Chinese Suppliers (Part 10)
Getting quotations is a part of vetting new Chinese suppliers, too. We have been creating a mini-series guiding you through effective vetting of Chinese suppliers that will help you to find the best possible manufacturer for your products … [Read more...]
How To Perform In-Depth Due Diligence On Your Supplier [Podcast]
Do your new or current suppliers pose a risk to your business? Sometimes the only way to find out if a supplier poses a risk is to perform some deep due diligence on them in order to assess their business health and if they're able to be a … [Read more...]
7 Manufacturing Challenges Due To Lack Of Transparency In China & How To Mitigate Them [Podcast]
The situation in Hong Kong, the US/China trade war, mistrust of China and attempts at decoupling, and other news stories are rightfully a cause of concern for importers with Chinese suppliers. But the manufacturing challenges you should be … [Read more...]
Why Conduct On-Site Social Compliance Audits? [Podcast]
In part 6 of our mini-series of podcast episodes about vetting Chinese suppliers, I'm discussing social compliance audits. After regular factory audits are done on a prospective supplier, it may make sense to assess their social … [Read more...]
The Importance Of On-Site Factory Quality Audits [Podcast]
In this episode of the podcast, I discuss factory quality audits as a part of the new Chinese supplier vetting process. Loosely based on this article, you'll understand where these audits fit into the vetting process and the more formal … [Read more...]
Vetting Suppliers In China [Podcast Series]
Vetting suppliers is important. After all, these suppliers are responsible for your company's reputation. Hopefully, everyone by now will understand the dangers of checking Alibaba or Global Sources and 'choosing' a supplier who 'looks' … [Read more...]