During my frequent conversations with China importers, the subject of revamping their China supply chain, reduce operating costs and increase efficiency often comes up. Many of these importers have developed good sourcing systems that are sufficient for their immediate needs, but most acknowledge that they would welcome something better. So...
If you’re sourcing from China, you understand the importance of management and you are probably already evaluating your systems and processes on a regular basis to ensure that they are running optimally and according to your plans and your vision. (If you’re not, you really should.) SWOT stands for “Strengths,...
When sourcing from China, to maximize your profits, to ensure predictability and reliability and to make sure your own interests are protected, you need to have a good China sourcing team. Many companies get a “sourcing team” either by hiring agents or independent contractors, but for some companies, this...
Should you revamp your China supply chain? Maybe you should, maybe you shouldn't. How would you know if your supply chain is in need of improvement? One thing we know for sure is that things are always changing, and your China supply chain should change and adapt as well. Many...
China is the fastest developing major country in the world today and there does not appear to be any slowdown in sight. How does this affect your China sourcing, you ask? For starters, the booming economy can create new opportunities for the savvy importer. Sourcing in China becomes more attractive...
A lot of companies struggle when developing a buying program when sourcing in China. It’s an uphill battle to create a sourcing program from scratch, one that will work and continue to deliver. So much so that, by the time they manage to get their sourcing program to a good...
Do you ask your China sourcing team to get things done but you are not getting the results you expected? Do you assign tasks only to be disappointed – nearly every time? Maybe you set 4 major goals to be fulfilled by the end of the month, but only 2...
Recently, I read an article on QualityInspection.org, “The Danger of Choosing a ‘Cheap’ Chinese Factory.” The objective of most companies with China sourcing programs is to save money, it stands to reason that many importers are looking for cheap Chinese factories. But what happens when saving money becomes, in effect,...
