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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
Friday Oct 21, 2022
Friday Oct 21, 2022
In this episode...
Renaud shares 9 ways that importers who are using overseas suppliers to manufacture their products can save money.
Today, more than ever, cost-cutting is important for people at home and in business. Material costs, shipping, and energy costs are all rising, putting the squeeze on importers' profits.
So if there are ways that you can get your products made and delivered and shave the costs somehow, they're sure to be welcome. You'll learn how to reduce costs by sourcing great manufacturers, reducing risks during product design and development, reshoring or near-shoring production, optimizing the product inspections you're doing, and much much more!
Show Sections
00:00 - Greetings.
00:41 - Pre-chat: Our team member's story when she ended up in a quarantine hospital in China.
This episode can be heard here and real photos of the conditions are included: Travel To China In 2022 – Don’t Test Positive!
02:48 - Today's topic: 9 Ways for importers to save money.
03:29 - 1. Avoid big problems on the manufacturing & transportation side.
08:18 - 2. Avoid big problems on the distribution side.
14:04 - 3. Re-engineer your products.
21:42 - 4. Place larger orders with fewer key suppliers to benefit from lower pricing.
23:17 - 5. Use competition among your suppliers to drive down prices.
26:08 - 6. Avoid buying via a trading company if they don't add value that warrants the extra cost (in most cases).
29:49 - 7. Relocate manufacturing.
31:51 - 8. Internalize manufacturing (DIY).
36:21 - 9. Spend money more wisely on inspections, testing, etc.
41:35 - Wrapping up.
Related content...
- Travel To China In 2022 – Don’t Test Positive!
- Get help to find great suppliers in China: DIY Sourcing from China Podcast Series
- Explore a comprehensive new product introduction process
- Why You Need Mature Product Designs BEFORE Working With A Chinese Manufacturer!
- 9 Types of Packaging (Benefits, Costs, Sustainability, and more) - Guide for Importers
- 5 Main Reasons For A High Product Return Rate
- The Design for X Approach: 12 Common Examples
- Introduction to Design For Assembly (DFA)
- Is My Supplier A Trading Company Pretending To Be A Manufacturer?
- Chinese trading companies and their dirty little secrets
- Globalism 2.0: North American Importers To Move Supply Chains Out Of China Soon? [Podcast]
- How to optimize inspections & drive suppliers to improve quality to reduce costs & risks?
- Sofeast is tracking the costs of China raw materials to help give you transparency and control when dealing with your suppliers
- Get help with your product inspections and select only those that you need
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 Oct 14, 2022
Friday Oct 14, 2022
In this episode...
Renaud is back with Adrian this time and they're discussing the concept of quality.
You'll learn the difference between 'Little and Big Q,' why customer expectations matter, and how to drive quality improvement with your suppliers.
Importers know that quality is important, but are you taking a holistic view that can improve product quality as early as the design stage rather than quibbling over defective pieces with your supplier after production is over? After listening to this episode, you'll want to!
Show Sections
00:00 - Greetings and Renaud's first in-person presentation in 3 years (!) at the Global Sources show in Hong Kong.
You can rewatch Renaud's presentation about how to find the RIGHT suppliers on the Sofeast LinkedIn page 👀
03:27 - Today's topic: What is Quality?
04:42 - 'Little q' quality.
09:45 - 'Big Q' quality.
11:38 - Deming's Total Quality Management principles.
13:36 - Juran: A smart definition of quality.
18:59 - Getting away from 'Little q' quality.
20:35 - Customer quality expectations differ from product category to product category.
23:40 - David Garvin's book: Managing Quality.
35:57 - Summary about quality.
38:40 - Wrapping up.
Related content...
- Quality Control Plan: Defining Expectations Before Production
- Product Quality and Reliability Issues: Typical Classification
- What Is A Quality Assurance Plan?
- Design for Quality (DFQ)
- How To Get Better Quality Products From Suppliers & Optimize QC Inspections? [Podcast]
- Sofeast has an entire range of solutions to help you improve both Little and Big quality in China, India, Vietnam, and elsewhere in Asia!
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:
Wednesday Oct 12, 2022
Wednesday Oct 12, 2022
In this episode...
Adrian is here with our head of supply chain management live from her Chinese quarantine hotel, discussing what it takes to visit China as of October 11th 2022...a perfect topic for you if you'd like to visit China on business soon.
She recently travelled back to China from Europe and explains the various hoops you need to jump through to get into China, what to expect if you test positive for Covid (as she, unfortunately, did), and some tips on how to minimize your risks of anything untoward happening.
If you've been planning on visiting China this episode gives you some real truths about how complex it can be, so buckle up...her experience is a bit of a shock! 🙈
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 Oct 07, 2022
Friday Oct 07, 2022
In this episode...
Sofeast's CEO Renaud Anjoran and Adrian from the team talk about what founders need to do in order to validate their new hardware product idea in the eyes of potential investors.
You'll learn about a huge blindspot that many founders have that can easily destroy their chances of success, what potential investors and manufacturers are looking for from a startup and its idea, and some tips on how to get information at an early stage that can positively influence your design before you have even invested in prototypes!
If you have a new product idea you want to bring to market, this episode is a must-listen!
Show Sections
00:00 - Greetings
00:25 - Pre-chat: Hong Kong has dropped quarantine and is open to visitors!
08:36 - Today's topic: How to validate your new hardware product idea in the eyes of investors?
12:18 - The 3 key risks faced by founders with a new hardware product idea.
14:01 - An example of market risk: A new energy-efficient cooking solution.
22:33 - What to do with the feedback from target customers?
25:59 - The minimum viable product for hardware startups.
27:54 - 2 key milestones investors use to validate a new product and the startup behind it.
30:07 - The Hardware Academy - a good place to get advice.
31:30 - No market research = Higher risk of project failure, lack of investment, and difficulty in working with the best manufacturers.
34:50 - Wrapping up.
Related content...
- Hong Kong drops pre-flight tests and quarantine for visitors
- 8 Ways To Get Funding For Hardware Startups
- How To Develop and Launch a New Product? Feat. Liz Long [Podcast]
- Read The New Product Introduction Process Guide for SMEs and hardware startups
- Prototyping Process To Test & Refine a New Product Design
- Hardware startup founders can get a lot of help and guidance from The Hardware Academy
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 Sep 30, 2022
Friday Sep 30, 2022
In this episode...
Sofeast's CEO Renaud Anjoran is back with Adrian from the team this week and they're discussing which communication medium is best for communicating with Chinese suppliers, why, and when it should be used.
Learn about WeChat, email, project management software, DingTalk, and much more, as well as the importance of using clear working templates as opposed to 'freestyling' it!
Select the wrong medium and it can lead to a breakdown in communication, delays, quality issues, and dissatisfaction all round, so this episode will help you avoid those problems.
Show Sections
00:00 - Greetings and introducing the topic
01:59 - Common issues that cause communication difficulties
06:43 - WeChat
12:46 - Email
16:11 - Project Management Software
19:31 - DingTalk
23:09 - Working templates
30:00 - Formal legally-enforceable agreements
33:41 - Why templates for deliverables are so important
38:03 - Wrapping up.
Related content...
- Communication with Chinese Suppliers: Banging Your Head Against the Wall?
- DIY Sourcing From China Part 5: Building Rapport [Podcast]
- 7 Signs That Your Chinese Factory Is Poorly Managed [Infographic]
- Quality Control Plan: Defining Expectations Before Production
- Learn how to create a valid manufacturing contract in China, with a focus on protecting product IP
- Sofeast can help check that you're ready to go into production with an NPI deliverables review
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 Sep 23, 2022
Friday Sep 23, 2022
In this episode...
Sofeast's CEO Renaud Anjoran is joined by special guest Liz Long, founder of Learn to Make a Product, a platform that supports customers to launch products, providing expert advice and assistance to set up their supply chains, develop products, and go through all of the steps needed to get to market!
American new product manufacturing expert Liz shares her own experience, best practices, and tips in this episode to help entrepreneurs and SMEs get an understanding of the first steps required to start developing their own new products.
If you've been sitting on your new product idea, hopefully, this episode will give you the impetus you need to start bringing it to market!
Show Sections
00:00 - Greetings and introducing the topic: How to start developing your new product
01:27 - Who is Liz Long?
04:00 - How could a would-be entrepreneur start out with their new project and how long before they see 'success' after launch?
06:20 - How long would it take to be ready to launch?
07:40 - Benefits of private labelling VS custom product development from scratch.
14:06 - Are there product types that have a lower barrier to entry or lower investment required to get to market quickly?
20:14 - What tools, sites, and resources are helpful to someone who is developing a new product?
26:38 - Finding the right supplier/factory and if working with an intermediary is OK?
31:42 - The dangers of being overly optimistic when starting.
34:47 - Wrapping up.
Related content...
- Sofeast can help with your NPI process and product launch, with our engineers and supply chain experts supporting you every step of the way with product engineering solutions for every need.
- What is the New Product Launch Process?
- NPD Project Constraints (3 common examples)
- What is an NRE Cost (Non-Recurring Engineering)?
- How to Calculate the Cash Needed to Prototype & Launch your New Product [Podcast]
- Ultimate Guide To Sourcing From China And Developing Your Suppliers [eBook]
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 Sep 16, 2022
Friday Sep 16, 2022
In this episode!
The Sofeast Group's reliability expert, Andrew Amirnovin, shares his 8 secrets for successfully implementing a dFMEA (Design Failure Mode and Effects Analysis).
This approach will help you de-risk your product design at an early stage, greatly reducing the chances of failure once the product reaches customers.
Many businesses and staff members know what the dFMEA is, but not so many know the secrets to successfully implementing it so the preventive actions you come up with 'stick' and you enjoy long-lasting improvements.
Show Sections
00:00 - Greetings and introducing the topic: dFMEA.
01:29 - What is a dFMEA and its purpose?
04:40 - How to implement the dFMEA (10 steps included in the process)?
09:01 - The 8 secrets of dFMEA implementation that will set you up for success.
17:29 - Wrapping Up.
Related content...
- FMEA (Failure Modes and Effects Analysis) definition
- Risk Priority Number (RPN) definition
- dFMEA: 8 Secrets for a Successful Implementation
- 3 Basic Process Improvement Tools: Flow Chart, FMEA, Control Plan
- NPI Process (New Product Introduction)
- Process FMEA: Template, Use Cases, and Examples
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:
- Apple Podcasts
- Spotify
- Stitcher
- Google Podcasts
- TuneIn
- Amazon Podcasts
- Deezer
- iHeartRADIO
- PlayerFM
- Listen Notes
- Podcast Addict
- Podchaser
Friday Sep 09, 2022
Friday Sep 09, 2022
In this episode...
Sofeast's CEO Renaud Anjoran and Adrian from the team are back and talking about something else you don't want to experience but may if you're unfortunate. A failed product inspection!
Renaud will explain to you why the type of inspection matters, a step-by-step process to follow to fix problems highlighted by a product inspection report now, and how to put corrective and preventive actions in place to stop the problem from reoccurring in future production runs.
Show Sections
00:00 - Greetings & Topic: What happens if a product inspection is failed?
01:56 - What kind of inspection has been failed?
03:42 - Actions you need to take to fix the problem/s now if a final inspection has been failed.
04:10 - 1. Insist that the manufacturer does NOT ship anything until the matter has been investigated and settled.
05:57 - 2. Examine your quality standard, the situation found by the inspector, and what the cause of the gap between them is.
17:56 - 3. Make the right people at the factory aware of the inspection report in a neutral manner to get their cooperation.
20:43 - 4. Get the manufacturer to fix an issue.
25:12 - 5. Order another inspection before shipment to remove doubt.
26:14 - Preventing the same problem from occurring again in future.
32:54 - In summary.
Related content...
- Sofeast offers an incredibly wide range of product inspections throughout the manufacturing cycle for you to take advantage of across East, SE, and South Asia.
- Use a Corrective Action Plan after a Failed Inspection
- How To Fill Out an 8D Report and Fix a Problem in a Factory
- Fixing Product Quality Issues: MFG vs. Product Design Causes
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 Sep 02, 2022
Friday Sep 02, 2022
In this episode...
Sofeast's CEO Renaud Anjoran and Adrian kick off the episode by talking about Hong Kong's new and improved immigration and Covid procedures and the heatwaves and droughts in China that have been affecting manufacturing there.
The main topic is getting to grips with is calculating how much money is required for prototyping and then launching your new product - a popular question for many entrepreneurs and SMEs who aim to bring their new product concept to market!
Show Sections
00:00 - Greetings.
00:37 - How visiting Hong Kong in August 2022 has become easier.
04:20 - What effects are the heatwave and drought in China, especially in the Western provinces of Sichuan and Chongqing, having on manufacturing?
09:13 - The psychological side of launching a new product and how ambition affects a product launch.
14:46 - What are the finance numbers involved?
- What's your investment required to be ready for manufacturing (NRE costs)?
- How much is the unit cost going to be?
- What will the selling price be?
22:59 - What's included in these costs? (action & item breakdown)
- NRE costs
- Total landed cost per unit (production & shipping cost)
32:39 - Why do many products end up being sold at a loss?
35:06 - Other 'hidden issues' that don't always show up in the calculations.
37:39 - In summary.
Related content...
- Sofeast can support you when bringing your new product to market in almost all aspects discussed in this episode, for instance, select our NPI support solution
- Explainer: Hong Kong’s ‘3+4’ Covid-19 hotel quarantine arrangements for international arrivals
- China drought causes Yangtze to dry up, sparking shortage of hydropower
- New Product Launch Process
- What Are Your Non-Recurring Engineering Costs for Production in China?
- Getting To Grips With Non-Recurring Engineering Costs (NRE) [Podcast]
- How to calculate landed cost
- Dangers of Amortizing Development Costs in the Production Price
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 Aug 26, 2022
Friday Aug 26, 2022
In this episode...
Sofeast's CEO Renaud Anjoran and Adrian from the team discuss product failure analysis. Hopefully, you never need to do one, but if you are hit with quality, reliability, or safety problems with your product during development or, more likely, in the field, it may be necessary to help you decide what to do. This is especially important if problems are severe enough to warrant a recall.
Renaud explains what a failure analysis is, when it may be required, and the FA methodology you can follow step-by-step with required actions per step.
Show Sections
00:00 - Greetings
00:45 - Today's topic: Product failure analysis.
01:18 - The 'firefighting' or 'scattershot' approach to problem-solving by many factories that doesn't work well.
What kinds of problems warrant performing a failure analysis?
Failure analysis may be required in these 2 scenarios:
06:27 - Failure analysis during new product development
09:41 - Failure analysis after products have been shipped
19:02 - What failure analysis methodology could you follow?
0: Who will work on this analysis and what are the timelines and project context?
- Gather information
- Document any information about the failure
- First analysis
- Deeper analysis
- Containment, if needed
- Corrective action plan
- Corrective action implementation & follow-up
35:45 - Wrap-up.
Related content...
- Get help from Sofeast's experienced product engineers to perform your product failure analysis and follow-up testing if required.
- Missing Important Tasks During DVT Could Result In Damaging Product Recalls! [Podcast] - Philips medical device recall example.
- Investigating the Causes of Product Failure and Improving Design
- Why Product Safety, Quality, and Reliability Are Tightly Linked
- Product Reliability Testing | 7 FAQs
- 8D Problem Solving Process
- Corrective action plan + template
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: