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Remote Audit Of A Factory’s Quality System: It Can Work!

October 13, 2021

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 Communication and Remote Auditing, and much of that book’s advice is still relevant today. After all, there were already iPads and iPhones, as well as wifi connections.  What’s new? There are a lot more options when it comes to hardware (typically on … [Read more...]

Filed Under: China Supplier Vetting Tagged With: auditing suppliers, audits, coronavirus, vetting suppliers

Sourcing From China Part 1: Sourcing Suppliers, Vetting Them, & Developing A Backup [Podcast]

September 3, 2021

Sourcing From China Part 1: Sourcing Suppliers, Vetting Them, & Developing A Backup

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 vet them once you have found a list, and how and why to develop a backup supplier. This is part 1 of the sourcing journey, and stay tuned as there are more to come..!   Just hit the play button to start listening..! Listen to the episode right here … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Sourcing New Suppliers Tagged With: Alibaba, due diligence, finding a new supplier, podcast, sourcing from china, sourcing new suppliers, sourcing tips, trade shows, vetting suppliers

Tips For Buyers On A Budget Who Want To Start Manufacturing In China [Podcast]

July 23, 2021

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...]

Filed Under: Sourcing New Suppliers Tagged With: factory audits, logistics, lowering costs, manufacturing contract, new product development, podcast, product compliance, qc inspections, sourcing from china, vetting suppliers

Pricing, Negotiation, Contracts | Vetting Chinese Suppliers (Part 10)

November 13, 2020

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 this year, and, as we come to the end of it, it's time to focus on one of the final stages: negotiating price, getting quotations, and signing contracts (listen back to the entire mini-series on vetting Chinese suppliers here 👍). Let's assume you have … [Read more...]

Filed Under: China Supplier Vetting, Uncategorized Tagged With: China, commercial negotiations, negotiation, pricing, Quotes in RMB, rfq, sourcing fro china, vetting suppliers

How To Perform In-Depth Due Diligence On Your Supplier [Podcast]

October 28, 2020

How To Perform In-Depth Due Diligence On Your Supplier

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 stable, reliable supplier for the long-term. Especially in these times where we're dealing with a pandemic, getting a realistic picture of how suppliers are doing is hard without the ability to be on the ground in China. But there are actions you can … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Risk Management Tagged With: common problems with Chinese suppliers, due diligence, minimizing risks, podcast, supplier relationships, supply chain risk, vetting suppliers

7 Manufacturing Challenges Due To Lack Of Transparency In China & How To Mitigate Them [Podcast]

September 3, 2020

7 manufacturing challenges in china due to lack of transparency

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 concerned the most about are those that may prevent you from receiving the products you expect from your suppliers. These challenges can be categorized into 7 different areas and often occur due to a lack of transparency which is either intentional or a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Risk Management Tagged With: chinese suppliers, common problems with Chinese suppliers, managing suppliers, podcast, vetting suppliers

Why Conduct On-Site Social Compliance Audits? [Podcast]

August 26, 2020

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 compliance, too. But are these audits into things like legal practices and health & safety truly everything that they promise? … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Factory Audits Tagged With: ethical sourcing, factory audits, podcast, social compliance, sourcing from china, vetting suppliers

The Importance Of On-Site Factory Quality Audits [Podcast]

August 12, 2020

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 benefits that they provide when you have narrowed down potential suppliers. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Factory Audits Tagged With: factory audit tips, factory audits, factory quality audit, podcast, quality system, vetting suppliers

Vetting Suppliers In China [Podcast Series]

July 24, 2020

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' good, or perhaps trusting that Alibaba Gold suppliers are somehow more legitimate and trustworthy (spoiler alert: they might not be). So what does a good vetting process look like? … [Read more...]

Filed Under: China Supplier Vetting, Sourcing New Suppliers Tagged With: chinese suppliers, finding chinese suppliers, podcast, Sourcing, sourcing from china, sourcing suppliers, vetting suppliers

21 Assumptions About Buying From Chinese Suppliers To Avoid

August 6, 2019

21 Assumptions To Avoid When Buying from Chinese Suppliers

Many buyers who are seeking to manufacture products in China tend to make assumptions about buying from Chinese suppliers that are seldom valid here, and it can be quite dangerous. When I started spending a lot of time in Chinese factories, what I saw blew my mind. A foreign buyer simply can’t imagine what is sometimes going on behind the scenes. I'll say that China is the land where everything is possible... from the worst to the best. I wrote 21 common assumptions below, in categories, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Supplier Management Tagged With: assumptions about Chinese manufacturers, commercial negotiations, new product development, product compliance, qa, QC, quality systems, supplier background check, supplier development, vetting suppliers


Weekly updates for professional importers on better understanding, controlling, and improving manufacturing & supply chain in China.

This is the official blog of Sofeast.com.

This blog is written by Renaud Anjoran, an ASQ Certified Quality Engineer who has been involved in chinese manufacturing since 2005.

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