John Niggl

John Niggl

John Niggl comes from Bolton, Massachusetts and has worked in various roles in client services, sales and marketing at InTouch since 2013 to October 2019. He has lived in Shanghai, Jilin City, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.
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Recent Posts

Product Inspection: 3 Key Procedures for a QC Company

by John Niggl on 25 Jun 2015 | 0 Comments
If you’re hiring a QC company to carry out product inspection, how can you trust that they’re staff is familiar with exactly how you want your product to be shipped? How can you be sure they’re actually verifying your specifications point-for-point? For answers to these pressing questions, I met with InTouch Managing Director Andrew Reich to discuss the kinds of procedures that are vital to a quality control company.

Topics: Manufacturing Tips & Advice

How a Social Compliance Audit Can Prevent Tragedy

by John Niggl on 2 Jun 2015 | 0 Comments
Did you know that manufacturers are sometimes held criminally accountable for infractions and damages? Yesterday, the BBC reported that 41 people face murder charges related to the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh two years ago. Learn how a social compliance audit might have prevented the factory collapse and protected the manufacturer and the workers.

Topics: Quality Control News

Another Importer Shows How to Avoid a Product Recall

by John Niggl on 21 May 2015 | 0 Comments
Back in March, many of us were stunned to hear about the formaldehyde scandal in North America’s largest distributor of wood flooring. A story released this past Tuesday prompted me to revisit the issue of product recalls and ways to prevent these types of issues in supply chains.

Topics: Quality Control News

4 Signs of Effective Communication in a QC Company

by John Niggl on 6 May 2015 | 0 Comments
Knowing full well how important communication is to quality reporting, I approached Andrew Reich, Managing Director of InTouch and an expert in the quality control industry, who agreed to answer some pressing questions. In the extensive podcast interview that followed, Andrew revealed four signs that buyers can look for as indicators of effective communication in a QC company. The following is an abridged transcript of that interview.

Topics: Manufacturing Tips & Advice

4 Core Functions of a Product Inspection Company

by John Niggl on 13 Apr 2015 | 0 Comments
Should I hire a 3rd-party to inspect my products? This is a common question among buyers. And it helps to understand the basic functions of a product inspection company in order to answer this question. In this article, I’ll give you a rundown of the main functions – and a couple limitations – of a 3rd-party inspection company.

Topics: Manufacturing Tips & Advice

6 Steps to Maintain Quality Chinese Manufacturers

by John Niggl on 9 Apr 2015 | 0 Comments
What are the best ways for a Western company to monitor quality at a contract Chinese manufacturer? What groundwork should you lay before working with a Chinese supplier? You'll learn the answers to these questions and more in this bulletin article.

Topics: Manufacturing Tips & Advice

China Sourcing Challenges and Processes

by John Niggl on 3 Apr 2015 | 0 Comments

I wanted to learn about the processes involved with sourcing in China and the kinds of challenges buyers might face trying to find a quality supplier. To that end, I sat down with Sourcing Specialist Terry Zheng of InTouch for a manufacturing podcast interview where he gave me an insider's view of what it's like to search for a quality supplier in China. The following is a transcript of that interview:

What products have you sourced?

Terry: I have sourced products such as chairs, batteries, cameras, various electronic parts, magnets and so on.

What kinds of electronic products have you sourced?

Terry: I’ve done some sourcing for tablets and touch monitors.

What does the sourcing process look like for you day-to-day?

Terry: Normally, we will check what the client needs and find the products accordingly. First of all, we will compose an e-mail and make an excel form to summarize all the information we have. We will then search for the suppliers from the Internet, see which suppliers have the required products, and then we will call them and send an e-mail to them to make sure they can make the products. After that, we will see which supplier provides fast feedback and good communication. We will also check the quotation and make sure that the supplier we recommend to the client provides good quality, good price, good communication and fast response. With such information, we can try our best to find a good supplier for our clients.

What kinds of websites do you use for your search?

Terry: Normally, we will look for suppliers from websites such as Alibaba, Global Sources, Made-in-China, and some other local websites.

Do you think that buyers must be able to speak Chinese to find a supplier in China?

Terry: I think if you can speak Chinese, it will be much easier for you to get a good price. It will also be much easier to find out if a supplier is actually a ‘fake’ supplier or actually just a trader and not the actual factory. It’s possible to find out if the supplier you are corresponding with is a ‘fake’ supplier, based on the communication in Chinese.

What are some of the challenges with sourcing in China, some of the things that make it difficult for you to do your job?

Terry: I think there are three points I need to raise. These may be the most difficult aspects for me when I am sourcing.

The first issue is that some of the companies will give you false information. Perhaps the factory is actually very small, but they will tell you that they are a big factory, and there are many workers in the factory or something like that. However, the information is totally wrong.

The second issue is that they will tell you that they can do everything, but actually they are unable to.

The last issue is that, maybe they will tell you that they can make all the parts themselves, but actually they will just buy the parts from another company or another factory.

Topics: Sourcing

3 Reasons to Separate Defects During Product Inspection

by John Niggl on 1 Apr 2015 | 0 Comments

Can you remember a time when you were really disorganized? Now imagine the effect poor organization can have on the factory that’s manufacturing your product. Finally, consider the negative consequences that disorder can have on your QC partner when they’re carrying out a product inspection.

Topics: Manufacturing Tips & Advice

Lumber Liquidators and Their QC Disaster

by John Niggl on 6 Mar 2015 | 0 Comments
How important is it to you to make sure that the product you source from China is safe for your customers? Viewed from another angle, how important is it to you that the products you buy and use are safe?

Topics: Quality Control News

The Buyer’s Guide to the Product Inspection Process

by John Niggl on 26 Feb 2015 | 0 Comments
As an experienced buyer, you know how hard it can be to get the product you ordered manufactured to your specifications. You may have even considered product inspections to catch quality issues and make sure your orders are on track. But have you stopped to consider the inspection process and how it should be done properly? This step-by-step guide will tell you how product inspections are performed so that the buyer gets an accurate look at the order and is able to help the supplier improve.

Topics: Product Inspection

4 Critical Quality Controls For Cosmetics Packaging