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Join Renaud Anjoran, Founder & CEO of Sofeast, in this podcast aimed at importers who develop their own products as he discusses the hottest topics and shares actionable tips for manufacturing in China & Asia today! WHO IS RENAUD? Renaud is a French ISO 9001 & 14001 certified lead auditor, ASQ certified Quality Engineer and Quality Manager who has been working in the Chinese manufacturing industry since 2005. He is the founder of the Sofeast group that has over 200 staff globally and offers services (QA, product development & engineering, project management, Supply Chain Management, product compliance, reliability testing), contract manufacturing, and 3PL fulfillment for importers and businesses who develop their own products and buyers from China & SE Asia. WHY LISTEN? We‘ll discuss interesting topics for anyone who develops and sources their products from Asian suppliers and will share Renaud‘s decades of manufacturing experience, as well as inviting guests from the industry to get a different viewpoint. Our goal is to help you get better results and end up with suppliers and products that exceed your expectations!
Episodes
Sunday Apr 26, 2020
Hot Topics In China Manufacturing Spring 2020
Sunday Apr 26, 2020
Sunday Apr 26, 2020
In this extended episode...
Renaud is interviewed by CMC (China Manufacturing Consultants) about the hottest topics in China manufacturing in Spring 2020.
These topics are covered:
- If there is a global recession/depressed demand, what are the effects of this on manufacturing?
- Why the bargaining power of buyers will increase and how it's the time for buyers to seriously evaluate their Chinese suppliers for a better future supply chain (including the kinds of activities you might perform).
- How to spur Chinese suppliers to make positive changes if it's found that they need to adjust.
- How short term thinking is affecting long-term improvement projects in Chinese manufacturers (we blogged on this here) which negatively affects quality, delivery, efficiency. How consultants can come in to assist with this.
- Who should Chinese factories be hiring internally to complement consultants to make long-term improvements?
- The advice to PPE & medical supply manufacturers and buyers - this industry is booming due to the coronavirus pandemic causing unprecedented demand, so there are certain things that both parties should consider which Renaud explores, such as selecting the right kind of equipment to cope with a temporary increase in demand.
- What can buyers of high-demand products such as PPE do to assure that their customers will get the right quality products on time? This includes production planning and more.
- How has factory relocation from China to other countries been affected by the pandemic? Some useful tips for manufacturers who still intend to move, such as how to plan ahead and why starting small is a good idea.
- The top 3 things a big buyer (30-50% of output for a supplier) should be doing right now.
- The 3 things that buyers of medical supplies and PPE should be conscious of in the current environment.
Show notes
As promised here are the links from today's show.
- China Manufacturing Consultants website
- Sofeast.com
- Medical products and PPE were mentioned quite a lot, so our coronavirus medical supplies resources hub will help you if you're in that market.
If you have any questions arising from the pod, please contact us and we'll be happy to help if we can.
Thursday Apr 16, 2020
Tips for Buyers of Coronavirus Medical Supplies from China
Thursday Apr 16, 2020
Thursday Apr 16, 2020
As the world battles coronavirus, there is an increasing number of buyers rushing to buy coronavirus medical supplies such as masks, gowns, face shields, ventilators, test kits, and more from China.
The situation is fast-moving and the market is risky. So when lives are on the line, what can buyers do to assure that the products they're importing are safe, high-quality, and permitted to be exported from China and/or imported into their countries?
Adrian from Sofeast and our CEO, Renaud Anjoran, discuss this topic today.
Show Schedule
- What is the situation on the ground in China now regarding the manufacturing of PPE/medical supplies to deal with coronavirus?
- Has China implemented any rules to improve quality?
- Loopholes, risks, and importing to the West.
- Renaud's main TIPS for importers.
- If buyers can't get the products they need from China, what other options do they have in Asia if any?
Resources for coronavirus medical supply buyers
- Various resources and solutions for buyers
- The minimum buyers should do is undertake supplier certificate verification
- Risk Reduction For Buyers Of COVID-19 Medical Supplies With Existing Suppliers - YOU manage the purchasing, WE work with you to reduce your risks
If you have any questions or need help with buying medical devices or PPE, please feel free to contact us. We're already working with clients worldwide to help support them during this difficult time.
Tuesday Apr 07, 2020
The Relationship Between Factory Audits, Product Inspections, & Lab Testing
Tuesday Apr 07, 2020
Tuesday Apr 07, 2020
This episode focuses on factory audits, product inspections, and testing in laboratories, are really important for importers, and how they fit together! It's a must-hear if you're buying from China!
We discuss the elements in order:
- Factory Audits - We cover popular types of factory audit, what's included in them, and why they're helpful, especially when working with new suppliers. Without auditing supplier's factories, it's very hard to know if they're reliable and capable of providing you with conforming products. We also share tips on how often to audit and how to handle regular auditing in China if you have a buying office there, for example. (Start to 13:55)
- Product Inspections - We'll talk about why inspections provide a safety net before your products are shipped, as they allow you to head off quality issues before they become serious or you receive defective products. I explain why inspections during production and before shipment are two of the most popular product inspections, and what you need to think about when deciding to conduct inspections in order to get best results for a reasonable budget, such as using correct sampling. (14:00 to 27:00)
- Lab Testing - 3 occasions where lab testing should happen. First, when a manufacturer is developing its own product and needs to guarantee its compliance before production. Second, when a buyer wants to check if a new supplier's product reaches their country's certification requirements before placing an order. Third, a buyer who has an order being produced sends some random samples for lab testing before shipment.
I also share some tips on choosing the right testing lab and working with suppliers to get the testing done to prove product safety to your satisfaction, and deciding which tests to carry out. (27:00 to end)
If you have any questions based on this podcast's topics, please let us know by contacting us.