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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
Tuesday Jan 24, 2023
Tuesday Jan 24, 2023
In this episode...
Adrian welcomes back Sofeast's head of New Product Development and resident product reliability expert, Andrew Amirnovin, and in this bonus episode, they're discussing UL compliance.
You'll find out what UL certification is, what it involves, the types of products that require it, and where. UL compliance is especially important for American importers, but UL screening gives any importer a good understanding of their product's safety, too, so give it a listen here.
Show Sections
00:00 - Greetings.
00:30 - The topic: UL compliance.
01:51 - What kind of product might be seen as a safety hazard?
02:48 - Where is UL usually required and is it mandatory?
05:53 - Risks if you do not do UL certification.
07:48 - How long does UL certification take and what does it cost?
13:00 - Do you need to re-certify a new version of your product?
15:36 - When should you start working on UL compliance testing?
19:40 - Some ideas to avoid doing full UL certification.
24:13 - Why UL compliance is important, which labs you need to use for the testing, and the kinds of advice and support we usually provide to help clients comply.
30:44 - Wrapping up.
Related content...
- 11 Common Electronic Product Certification And Compliance Requirements
- North American Product Safety & Compliance Certifications And Requirements For Electronics (UL, ETL, and CSA)
- FAQ: Can Sofeast help us with the certification of our new product?
- Get help from Sofeast to handle your product compliance process if you are unsure or confused. Our engineers research and take the time to understand which standards your product needs to comply with during the development stage, passing on testing suggestions and quotes from testing labs: Compliance Testing Consulting
Get in touch with us
- Connect with us on LinkedIn
- Send us a tweet @sofeast
- Prefer Facebook? Check us out on FB
- Contact us via Sofeast's contact page
- Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Subscribe to the podcast
There are more episodes to come, so remember to subscribe! You can do so in your favorite podcast apps here and don't forget to give us a 5-star rating, please:
Friday Jan 20, 2023
Friday Jan 20, 2023
In this episode...
Renaud and Adrian dissect two recent FT articles concerning how Apple set up a successful supply chain in China that helped them dominate rivals, how they handle the NPI process in a fairly unique way, and whether, in light of the current geopolitical situation, they're too reliant on China and what moves they're making to diversify.
Show Sections
00:00 - Greetings.
01:20 - The topic: A focus on Apple. How they built a successful supply chain in China, and whether are they too reliant on China now.
04:00 - "I want to make a product with Apple's quality and design." Realistic?
08:06 - Finding new suppliers to keep the pressure on their supply chain and get the best deal possible.
11:26 - Apple has 15k of their own staff in China. What does this mean?
17:47 - Apple may not own the factories, but they do own a lot of the equipment. Why?
23:32 - They get sub-suppliers to commit to building custom parts just for Apple in large quantities.
27:27 - The benefits of using CMs like Foxconn.
29:29 - Giving away too much control and technical know-how is not the Apple way.
35:27 - Apple's attempts to diversify supply chains into Vietnam and India.
40:07 - Will/should they leave China entirely?
49:48 - Wrapping up.
Related content...
- Article 1: How Apple tied its fortunes to China
- Article 2: What it would take for Apple to disentangle itself from China
- Further confirmation that India’s exports to North America are booming
- ”Enterprise China” – China’s Strategy for Economic Success (Author Interview with Drs. Allen J. Morrison & J. Stewart Black)
- Can We Remove China From Our Supply Chains? [Podcast]
- How Sourcing From India Has Changed In 2022 (Part 1: Trends & Manufacturing Landscape)
- Globalism 2.0: North American Importers To Move Supply Chains Out Of China Soon? [Podcast]
- How to Manage the NPI Process based on your Manufacturer's Ability [Video]
Get in touch with us
- Connect with us on LinkedIn
- Send us a tweet @sofeast
- Prefer Facebook? Check us out on FB
- Contact us via Sofeast's contact page
- Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Subscribe to the podcast
There are more episodes to come, so remember to subscribe! You can do so in your favorite podcast apps here and don't forget to give us a 5-star rating, please:
Friday Jan 13, 2023
Friday Jan 13, 2023
In this episode...
Renaud returns this week, but this time he's flying solo and coming to you from Las Vegas where he's been at CES 2023.
What's new, what's interesting, and everything else you need to know about this gigantic consumer electronics trade show is included in this episode!
Show Sections
00:00 - Greeting from Vegas!
00:39 - Why is CES important and how is it structured?
05:46 - There was a strong Korean showing.
07:04 - Reinvented 'smart' products were a hot category.
10:16 - Products that are more revolutionary.
12:16 - Health and concept products.
14:19 - The Metaverse.
17:40 - Other 'hot' products.
23:58 - Electric Vehicles.
25:12 - Wrapping up.
Related content...
- The weirdest and most wonderful products CES 2023 had to offer
- An Effective New Product Development Process for Electronics
- Why New Product Development of Electronics Takes So Long
- Electronics Videos: Basics about PCB, PCBA, and the SMT Process For Importers
- Plastic Enclosures for Electronics Projects (Plastics Sourcing Guide)
- Typical Problems with Electronic Contract Manufacturers in China
Get in touch with us
- Connect with us on LinkedIn
- Send us a tweet @sofeast
- Prefer Facebook? Check us out on FB
- Contact us via Sofeast's contact page
- Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Subscribe to the podcast
There are more episodes to come, so remember to subscribe! You can do so in your favorite podcast apps here and don't forget to give us a 5-star rating, please:
Friday Jan 06, 2023
Friday Jan 06, 2023
In this episode...
Sofeast's head of Supply Chain Management, Kate, joins Adrian from the team who is on hosting duty to kick off 2023 with an interesting discussion about how logistics from China are affected by the current Covid epidemic at the beginning of 2023, what has changed in the logistics and shipping industry (such as costs), and what other changes might be on the horizon for importers from China.
After some troubled years, it's mainly good news!
Show Sections
00:00 - New year's greetings, introducing Kate, and introducing today's topic: changes in logistics from China to the West since 2021 and looking ahead into 2023.
01:16 - What is China's Covid epidemic like right now in early Jan '23 and how is it affecting importers?
07:36 - What is the current situation in logistics from China now?
13:37 - What logistics challenges are we facing now in early 2023?
21:31 - Looking ahead into 2023.
24:56 - Wrapping up.
Related content...
- Chinese New Year 2023 Comes Early. Be Prepared! [Podcast]
- What Does a Re-Opened China (Without Quarantine) Mean for Foreign Business?
- Where does Sofeast provide logistics support from?
- Sofeast's logistics experts can help you get your products from Asia to where you need them - explore our Logistics Management solution where we take care of the entire process for you, from packing, incoterms, and warehousing, through to fulfillment and managing duties and tariffs upon arrival. Get a tailored quotation for your needs.
Get in touch with us
- Connect with us on LinkedIn
- Send us a tweet @sofeast
- Prefer Facebook? Check us out on FB
- Contact us via Sofeast's contact page
- Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Subscribe to the podcast
There are more episodes to come, so remember to subscribe! You can do so in your favorite podcast apps here and don't forget to give us a 5-star rating, please:
Friday Dec 30, 2022
Friday Dec 30, 2022
In this episode...
Renaud and Adrian review 2022's largest geopolitical and new stories that have affected manufacturers with supply chains in China (and other Asian countries to a lesser extent).
Covid has continued to be problematic in China for numerous reasons, even now that the Zero Covid policy has been dropped, the Russian invasion has the world nervously looking at China's actions towards Taiwan, the USA and China continue to fight a trade war, and other Western countries' relationships with China have also started to worsen. That's just a few of the stories discussed!
We also cover some of the Sofeast group's activities and achievements during 2022, and refresh your memory about our top podcasts and best pieces of content published during the year!
See you back here in 2023! 😉
Show Sections
00:00 - New Year's Greetings
01:20 - Covid's effects in 2022 and into 2023.
08:57 - Logistics and shipping costs and availability.
12:06 - Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
15:14 - The US/China trade war and tech war.
21:03 - Political friction increasing between the West and China.
24:27 - The expansion of Chinese-owned enterprises around the world and the future of ODM products.
29:21 - Key Sofeast group highlights from 2022.
33:01 - Top podcast episodes of 2022.
These episodes were the most popular with you all this year.
- Is It Time For North American Importers To Leave China? (Feat. Andrew Hupert)
- How to develop your Chinese suppliers? - Sourcing from China (Part 7)
- Levels of Quality Standards (from Basic to Advanced)
- An Effective QA Program For New Electronic Products
- ’Design for X’ Overview: 12 Optimizations for New Products (Feat. Andrew Amirnovin)
- The One ’MUST DO’ Before Mass Producing Your New Product (Feat. Andrew Amirnovin)
- Chinese Or Western Model Manufacturer. Which To Use In China?
- Risks You Face When Skipping New Product Introduction Steps (feat. Andrew Amirnovin)
- Factory Audits = Better Suppliers = Better Quality Products. Real Data Analysis! (Feat. Prof. Neale O’Connor FCPA)
- Calculating the Cash Needed to Prototype and Launch your New Product
- How To Start Developing Your New Product (Feat. Liz Long)
38:33 - Sofeast Content highlights
- A series of in-depth articles about the types of plastics that can be chosen for various common types of products like signage, electronic products, etc. How to Choose the Correct Outdoor Plastics for your next Product? (4 Guides) and Sourcing Guides for Internal Use Plastic Mechanical Parts.
- Content about product environmental impacts:
- What is the EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation?
- The EU Ecodesign Regulation Is Coming, But Are You Prepared? (Podcast part 1)
- How To Comply With The EU Ecodesign Regulation? (Podcast part 2)
- Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) and Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) Requirements: What Manufacturers need to know
- How To Do an LCA? (Measuring a Product’s Environmental Impact)
- Minimizing a Product’s ‘Cradle to Grave’ Environmental Impact
- 15 Key Eco Certifications For Green Manufacturers - Blog posts about sourcing different popular products from India.
41:25 - Wrapping up ~ happy new year to all of our listeners! 🎉
Related content...
- Ultimate Guide To Sourcing From China And Developing Your Suppliers [FREE eBook]
- Get help from Sofeast to comply with the EU Ecodesign regulation if you import into Europe.
- Sofeast assists you with LCA and/or EPD Support (For Measuring a Product’s Environmental Impact)
- We will continue to blog every month on Sofeast's blog, QualityInspection.org, and the Agilian Technology blog.
Get in touch with us
- Connect with us on LinkedIn
- Send us a tweet @sofeast
- Prefer Facebook? Check us out on FB
- Contact us via Sofeast's contact page
- Subscribe to our YouTube channel
- Don't forget to grab our monthly newsletter where we remind you about our latest content so you won't miss a thing - subscribe to the Sofeast newsletter here.
Subscribe to the podcast
There are more episodes to come, so remember to subscribe! You can do so in your favorite podcast apps here and don't forget to give us a 5-star rating, please:
Friday Dec 16, 2022
Friday Dec 16, 2022
In this episode...
Renaud and Adrian revisit the topic of protecting product IP and your business interests when doing your product development and manufacturing in Asian countries. Renaud shares 5 key pieces of advice for anyone who is concerned about this topic, such as which agreements to use and why, not getting bogged down with patents, what to share online about your new product idea and when, and much more!
Show Sections
00:00 - Greetings
00:24 - Today's topic: Protecting IP and yourself when manufacturing in Asia.
03:26 - 1. Don't let worries about being copied consume you and put you off from manufacturing in China.
10:59 - 2. Don't immediately take what IP and patent lawyers say at face value.
11:55 - Doing market research and raising funds the smart/safe way.
21:18 - 3. Don't get bogged down with questions about IP rights from investors.
23:46 - When to register trademarks?
24:29 - 4. DON'T add a category to your product name.
27:11 - 5. Use the right agreements.
34:03 - How agreements can help with supply chain transparency and protecting your business.
39:59 - Wrapping up.
Related content...
- IP Protection in China when Developing Your New Product [Importer’s Guide]
- How To Create A Valid Manufacturing Contract In China To Protect Your IP
- Will A China NNN Agreement Protect Us If We Start Assembling Products There?
- Chinese Copycats: A Real Problem For Entrepreneurs?
- Exploring Product Development Agreements For Importers [Podcast]
- Correctly Using A Non Disclosure Non Use Non Circumvention Agreement [Podcast]
- How To Get Transparency And Control Over Your Supply Chain? [podcast]
- My Supplier Won’t Provide Important Supply Chain Information!
Get in touch with us
- Connect with us on LinkedIn
- Send us a tweet @sofeast
- Prefer Facebook? Check us out on FB
- Contact us via Sofeast's contact page
- Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Subscribe to the podcast
There are more episodes to come, so remember to subscribe! You can do so in your favorite podcast apps here and don't forget to give us a 5-star rating, please:
Tuesday Dec 13, 2022
Tuesday Dec 13, 2022
In this episode...
Sofeast's CEO Renaud hosts a roundtable discussion about what is going to happen in China now that the Zero Covid policy has been abandoned with China-based experts Clive Greenwood of SMC GLOBAL Manufacturing Consultants and Ben King of Kinyu SCM (a support platform for businesses with a Chinese supply chain).
As you may know, the Chinese policy has shifted significantly in the past week or so at the time of publishing (Dec 13th 2022), so what does this mean for YOUR business? Let's find out...
Show Sections
00:00 - Greetings & Introductions.
02:02 - The national strategy is pivoting away from Zero Covid, but locally what has changed within China?
07:43 - How do the local governments announce and implement the changes?
14:16 - How will the local authorities react to the easing of restrictions?
21:31 - How quickly will the Chinese border reopen?
25:53 - Will people even want to come back to China if/when it reopens?
31:08 - Zero Covid and China's approach have been accelerating decoupling.
35:43 - What might happen next in China, then?
40:56 - If you are manufacturing in China and exporting to Europe or the USA, what will happen next year (2023) and how can you plan for it?
50:16 - Is the population ready for the end of Zero Covid? Will the government control the process?
55:47 - Conclusion.
Related content...
- Unable To Go To Your China Factory Because Of Coronavirus?
- If you can't always get to your factory in China, such as if they have a lockdown...How Blending Off-site & On-site QA Activities Helps You Reach Your Objectives
- 6 Advantages Of Conducting An Off-Site Product Inspection
- Off-Site QC VS In-Factory QC
- 100% Inspection in a Third Party Facility in China: The How-To
- Thinking of decoupling? We help you to source suppliers elsewhere in Asia.
- Setting up Manufacturing in Vietnam vs China: Focus on Vietnam
Get in touch with us
- Connect with us on LinkedIn
- Send us a tweet @sofeast
- Prefer Facebook? Check us out on FB
- Contact us via Sofeast's contact page
- Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Subscribe to the podcast
There are more episodes to come, so remember to subscribe! You can do so in your favorite podcast apps here and don't forget to give us a 5-star rating, please:
Friday Dec 09, 2022
Friday Dec 09, 2022
In this episode...
Renaud lifts the lid on the factors that can drive up product inspection costs. We all know that we need to inspect product quality, but if inspections aren't optimized you could end up spending too much on them. On the other hand, there are ways to improve production processes to reduce the need for as many inspections. Listen in for these and more tips on lowering inspection costs while getting the result you need.
Show Sections
00:00 - Greetings
01:19 - Today's topic: QC inspections and how to reduce their cost.
02:46 - Elements from your (the buyer's) side that drive inspection costs - 1. the product type.
06:33 - Inspecting a bicycle (example).
07:59 - Elements from your (the buyer's) side that drive inspection costs - 2. ordering patterns.
09:52 - Elements from your (the buyer's) side that drive inspection costs - 3. the choice of manufacturing facilities and how 'good' they are.
10:42 - Inspection processes that drive costs - 1. 100% or random sampling inspection?
12:14 - Inspection processes that drive costs - 2. Should you check every batch or use skip lot inspections?
13:08 - Inspection processes that drive costs - 3. Should you inspect close to the source or when you receive products as an incoming inspection?
15:31 - Approaches you can take to reduce the cost of random sampling inspections.
19:17 - Process engineering for the inspection process can make it more efficient.
24:20 - Quality: Pay me now or pay me later.
26:30 - Wrapping up.
Related content...
- How To Choose Which Product Quality inspection You Need?
- What is the AQL (Acceptance Quality Limit)? An exhaustive guide
- Using the Limiting Quality Level (ISO 2859-2:2020) Instead of AQL
- What Is A Quality Assurance Plan?
- How To Conduct Stricter QC Inspections Without Lowering The AQL? (5 Tips)
- Pay me now, or pay me later: What’s the real Cost of Poor Quality and Reliability? [Podcast]
Get in touch with us
- Connect with us on LinkedIn
- Send us a tweet @sofeast
- Prefer Facebook? Check us out on FB
- Contact us via Sofeast's contact page
- Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Subscribe to the podcast
There are more episodes to come, so remember to subscribe! You can do so in your favorite podcast apps here and don't forget to give us a 5-star rating, please:
Friday Dec 02, 2022
Friday Dec 02, 2022
In this episode...
Sofeast's CEO Renaud welcomes two guests, Dr. Allen J. Morrison & Dr. J. Stewart Black, to the podcast. These American leadership, strategy, business and manufacturing experts have recently written a new book "Enterprise China: Adopting a Competitive Strategy for Business Success" which was released on December 1st 2022.
Renaud read an advance copy of the book before this interview and discusses China's strategies for economic success and also asks some questions about risk analysis and risk mitigation for companies buying products from China.
Show Sections
00:00 - Greetings & introduction of today's guests.
02:02 - What is 'Enterprise China' about?
03:27 - China's 3-pillar strategy to succeed economically.
There are 3 strategic pillars to China's strategy for success.
- Reducing (or eliminating) their external dependency on importing key technology (03:39)
- Dominate domestically (06:00)
- Winning globally (17:23)
20:55 - Why Western companies seeking growth by looking to the emerging markets may be too late in some cases.
23:44 - How should companies who buy from China do their risk analysis when considering diversifying supply chains to include other sources other than just China?
31:21 - How about a Zero-China strategy?
34:53 - Talking about the book 'Enterprise China,' when it's on sale, and where it can be purchased from.
36:00 - Wrapping up.
Related content...
- Can We Remove China From Our Supply Chains? [Podcast]
- Globalism 2.0: North American Importers To Move Supply Chains Out Of China Soon? [Podcast]
- Nearshoring To Mexico. An Alternative To China? [Podcast]
- How Sourcing From India Has Changed In 2022 (Part 1: Trends & Manufacturing Landscape)
- Interested in having a conversation about sourcing from other Asian countries? We can help you.
Get in touch with us
- Connect with us on LinkedIn
- Send us a tweet @sofeast
- Prefer Facebook? Check us out on FB
- Contact us via Sofeast's contact page
- Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Subscribe to the podcast
There are more episodes to come, so remember to subscribe! You can do so in your favorite podcast apps here and don't forget to give us a 5-star rating, please:
Friday Nov 25, 2022
Friday Nov 25, 2022
In this episode...
Adrian and Sofeast's reliability expert, Andrew Amirnovin, delve into the topic of the cost of poor quality and reliability and why the phrase “Pay Me Now, or Pay Me Later" is so appropriate for when engineers talk about it.
You'll learn what makes up the cost of GOOD quality and reliability and why this amount is actually dwarfed by the cost of POOR quality and reliability. So if manufacturers don't pay now before production to solve and avoid issues, they're certainly going to pay a lot more later to put them right (if you even can by then)!
Show Sections
00:00 - Greetings and introducing the topic.
01:34 - What does “Pay Me Now, or Pay Me Later" mean?
03:34 - Why is the cost of poor quality so important?
05:34 - What is the difference between the cost of GOOD and POOR quality & reliability?
07:18 - What drives up prevention costs?
09:31 - What drives up appraisal costs?
18:40 - What drives the cost of internal failures?
22:56 - What drives the cost of external failures?
26:55 - Our recommendation: Pay now!
30:27 - Key takeaways from this episode.
Related content...
- What is Design for Quality (DFQ)?
- What Is “Quality?”
- Watch 3 quality experts discuss the cost of quality on our YouTube channel
- What To Do If You Have A High Product Return Rate? [6-step Process]
- You NEED to do product qualification BEFORE mass production!
- How To Do Product Reliability Testing?
Get in touch with us
- Connect with us on LinkedIn
- Send us a tweet @sofeast
- Prefer Facebook? Check us out on FB
- Contact us via Sofeast's contact page
- Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Subscribe to the podcast
There are more episodes to come, so remember to subscribe! You can do so in your favorite podcast apps here and don't forget to give us a 5-star rating, please: