Manufacturing and Quality Control blog

How can you be sure the quality inspectors tasked with verifying your products are qualified? Have you wondered about how QC companies hire their QC staff? In this article, we highlight the recruitment process for quality inspectors.

Topics: Quality Q&A

As a buyer that has hired or considered hiring third-party QC for inspections or a factory audit, have you ever wondered how your instructions and requirements reach the person that carries out the service? In this article, we break down the structure of a typical QC company into the four key positions directly involved in making sure your products are inspected efficiently.

Topics: QC Processes and Terminology

Do you prefer to import through a trading company or work directly with a factory to manufacture your products? Is there a way of differentiating a trading company from a factory at first glance? The truth is, it can be difficult to be 100 percent sure. However, you can get a pretty good idea by using these four indicators of a trading company in order to distinguish from one or the other.

Topics: Sourcing

There are countless fake markets in almost every major city in China with extensive selections of products and luxury brands for just a fraction of the cost you would pay back home. You will lose yourself in the mesmerizing maze of fake merchandise. And if you play your cards right, you can walk away with some great bargains. Here are the five biggest and best fake markets in China.

Topics: Travel Tips & Advice, china quality control

There are many different frameworks you can use to conduct a social compliance audit. The questions these frameworks use and the areas they focus on also differ. In this article, we'll tell you about four common areas where we typically find social compliance infractions.

Topics: Social Compliance

An inspection report is the most valuable tool a buyer can attain when manufacturing abroad. However, many buyers don’t really take advantage of this opportunity simply because they don’t know how to. We are here to change that and teach you what to look out for in order to get the most value out of your inspection reports.

Topics: Manufacturing Tips & Advice

I wanted to talk to someone relatively new to the manufacturing scene in China to see what his first impressions were of Chinese factory conditions and whether or not his expectations were met. I asked Client Manager George Huang to join me for a similar podcast interview to discuss his viewpoints on the working conditions of the factories in China he visited in recent weeks. Here is what George had to say.

Topics: Social Compliance

Have you considered some of the issues that can arise when a cookware item fails during use? Enamel can chip off. Handles on a skillet can come apart. Appliance can short circuit or catch fire. In this article, you'll learn about some of the common types of product testing commonly performed for cookware.

Topics: Special Inspection Tests

Is it easy to source products in China? Most experienced buyers of Chinese-made goods will tell you that finding a supplier that can manufacture the product you want isn’t a problem. What is frequently a challenge is finding a reputable supplier that can make a product that meets your standards. In an earlier article, we answered the compelling question, Is Sourcing in China Still Competitive? Now, we want to share with you the five steps you should take in order to begin sourcing and securing a long-term supplier in this competitive country.

Topics: Sourcing

As a buyer of manufactured goods in China, how many suppliers do you use for production? Have you ever considered your supplier development strategy? Or, maybe you don’t really have a strategy for developing suppliers. If you’re accustomed to utilizing multiple suppliers, satisfied by the benefits of their price competition in the past, are you still playing the same game in China today? Do you want to enjoy the streamlined communication and relative simplicity offered by using a single supplier?

Topics: Sourcing