5 Key Findings of a Supplier Review

by George Huang on 17 Aug 2015 | 0 Comments
How can you be confident about working with a new supplier without carrying out an audit or, at the very least, visiting the factory? Unlike a social compliance audit, which focuses heavily on working conditions, a supplier review mainly evaluates a supplier’s quality management system and relies on ISO 9001 standards. Here are five key findings that a buyer can expect from a professionally-conducted supplier review.

Topics: Manufacturing Tips & Advice

Social Compliance Audits – Why Importers Need Them

by Vicky Yu on 14 Aug 2015 | 0 Comments
Social compliance means that the factory meets its social obligation concerning working conditions, worker’s health insurance and labor practices. A social compliance audits investigate factories to make sure they are consistently within the ethical framework of standards. In this article, we discuss a few of the benefits to importers that conduct a social compliance audit, aside from helping to protect factory workers from unsafe working conditions.

Topics: Social Compliance

Quality Inspectors – How are They Hired?

by Crystal Ge on 10 Aug 2015 | 1 Comment
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

4 Roles in a QC Team – A Breakdown of QC Company Ops Staff

by Chao Wang on 6 Aug 2015 | 0 Comments
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

4 Ways to Tell a Trading Company from a Factory

by Oliver Knack on 4 Aug 2015 | 0 Comments
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

5 Largest Counterfeit Markets in China

by Stacy Bruce on 28 Jul 2015 | 2 Comments
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

4 Types of Social Compliance Violations

by Megan Young on 27 Jul 2015 | 0 Comments
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

Product Inspection Reports – 4 Steps to Getting the Most out of Yours

by Oliver Knack on 23 Jul 2015 | 0 Comments
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

A Fresh Look at Chinese Factory Conditions

by John Niggl on 21 Jul 2015 | 0 Comments
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

4 Types of Cookware Testing for Product Inspection

by Megan Young on 20 Jul 2015 | 0 Comments
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

4 Critical Quality Controls For Cosmetics Packaging