China Manufacturing Decoded

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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 Aug 19, 2022

How DVT & PVT Mistakes Result In Poor Quality Or Even Unsafe Products!

Friday Aug 19, 2022

In this episode...

The Sofeast Group's head of New Product Development, Andrew Amirnovin, is back on the pod with Adrian from the team and are discussing what happens if mistakes are made during the DVT and PVT phases of NPI process.

Electronics giant Philips has been in the news due to a huge recall of ventilators and sleep apnea machines that have, unfortunately, caused deaths and injuries. This got us to thinking: What could have caused such a problem to make it into the production of such sensitive medical devices, and what can we learn from this example?

Andrew explains that issues like this likely originate in the DVT stage of the NPI process, talks about what activities and testing are included, why they're necessary for your new product launch project and talks about how DVT issues spill over into PVT and then into mass production, too.

If you're bringing a new product to market, this story demonstrates why following a detailed new product introduction process that leaves no stone unturned when trying to find potential risks is crucial for manufacturing safe, high-quality, and reliable products.

Show Sections

00:00 - Greetings, introducing the topic: DVT & PVT, and activities during each NPI phase that are important to bring a successful product to market.

01:44 - What do the acronyms EVT/DVT/PVT mean?

04:42 - The risks of rushing into production without completing DVT thoroughly.

07:43 - The huge Philips medical device recall happening in Summer '22.

11:58 - What happens during DVT to help us avoid product risks and recalls?

16:39 - The need for a solid reliability growth plan.

19:44 - The temptation to rush into production and miss DVT steps.

27:25 - What a reliability engineer looks out for when devising the reliability test plan and use cases.

31:42 - What is PVT and why can it also cause a lot of product issues after production if steps are missed?

40:19 - Wrap up.

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Friday Aug 12, 2022

How To Optimize QC Inspections & Use Preventive Measures To Get Better Quality Results?

Friday Aug 12, 2022

In this episode...

Sofeast's podcasting duo, our CEO Renaud Anjoran and Adrian from the team are back to talk about strategies that importers who are placing large and valuable orders with their overseas manufacturers and performing a lot of product inspections can follow to optimize the inspection schedule to get better results and, perhaps, reduce costs without increasing risks, and upstream preventive measures that can be put in place to improve quality before and during production that reduce the need for as many inspections in the first place.

SMEs and larger companies that regularly do a lot of business with Asian manufacturers could benefit from cost and time savings and reduced risks with this advice.

Show Sections

00:00 - Greetings

01:05 - Changes to Hong Kong Covid quarantine and news of Covid lockdowns in Yiwu (although not too severe).

11:02 - Today's topic: How to optimize QC inspections and get better results. Why would a business seek to do this?

16:22 - Adjusting inspection type, severity, and regularity could be a helpful cost-saving exercise.

18:26 - What does a business need to prepare before starting an optimization initiative like this?

23:38 - What information should we gather from the supplier's side?

35:35 - Which kinds of importers this upstream product development and process optimization is more relevant to?

37:03 - Delegating inspections to the supplier over time (without raising risks, hopefully).

41:56 - Wrap-up.

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Friday Aug 05, 2022

Your Product Return Rate & How To Control It?

Friday Aug 05, 2022

In this episode...

The Sofeast Group's reliability expert, Andrew Amirnovin, joins Adrian once again to discuss what the product return rate is and how to reduce yours.

He provides a checklist of activities you can take during development to avoid issues that result in returns, and, should the worst happen and you start receiving returns on products that have been sold already, he also gives you a series of activities to follow to triage and fix the problems.

Don't miss it, this information could save you a LOT of effort, money, and damage to your reputation!

Show Sections

00:00 - Greetings, introducing the topic.

01:17 - Andrew introduces his role as new product development head in the Sofeast group.

02:58 - What is the product return rate?

05:07 - How return rates vary depending on product type.

06:45 - What are the 5 main causes of product returns?

10:37 - 7 Steps you can take to ensure you get as low a return rate as possible BEFORE the product is sold.

25:51 - If a product you’re already selling starts getting returned, what can you do? (6 steps)

33:00 - Some famous product recalls.

36:10 - The role of the NPI process.

38:27 - Wrap up.

Get in touch with us

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Friday Jul 29, 2022

Should You Buy Parts for Mass Production from Taobao?

Friday Jul 29, 2022

In this episode...

Sofeast's CEO Renaud Anjoran is joined by Adrian from the team to discuss the dangers you face if buying parts for your product's mass production from Taobao.

Taobao is a convenient Chinese online marketplace where you can purchase almost anything, usually at a decent price. If you can jump onto the site and find a vendor and quickly place an order, where's the harm in that?

This bypasses a secure sourcing process and impacts your product's quality, safety, and compliance negatively...here's why.

Show Sections

00:00 - Greetings + why not to take checked baggage on flights within Europe + the UK's 2-day heatwave 😂

01:59 - Today's topic: Why not to buy parts from Taobao to use in mass production?

02:40 - What is Taobao?

10:36 - Scams and other issues on Taobao.

11:32 - Why buying parts from Taobao for use in early proof-of-concept prototypes is fine.

13:00 - More advanced prototypes and mass production are not the same as proof-of-concept.

15:55 - 5 reasons why using Taobao parts for mass production is not a good idea.

Batches may vary each time.
The item on your BOM might suddenly be delisted.
You buy subject to Taobao's terms and conditions.
The vendor probably has little liability for performance or quality issues.
They might not be a real company.

27:06 - Could your IP be at risk when dealing with Taobao vendors, and will you get the best price?

28:29 - You can't really pay and get an invoice (fapiao) that is needed for business purchases.

30:58 - The lack of transparency and control.

32:06 - Wrap-up.

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Friday Jul 22, 2022

July ’22 Update on the Logistics situation in the USA (Feat. Marshall Taplits)

Friday Jul 22, 2022

In this episode...

Sofeast's CEO Renaud Anjoran is joined again by US East-Coast supply chain and logistics expert, Marshall Taplits founder of Ship It Done.

As we get to grips with the new reality of higher shipping and energy costs, delays, and war in Europe, Renaud asks: What is the logistics situation like now in the USA, what will it be like for the rest of 2022, and what might it be like a few years from now.

They give their thoughts on cost drivers, near-shoring, the state of China and more, too.

If you're interested in global logistics and/or are importing into the USA, this one's a must-listen!

Show Sections

00:00 - Greetings and introduction.

01:49 - Introducing our guest Marshall Taplits.

Marshall gives his history and also introduces his business, US East Coast 3PL warehouse: Shipitdone.com and his new warehouse management system, 3PLMax.com.

04:53 - What is the logistics situation in the USA right now (July '22)?

11:25 - Has getting containers into and out of US ports improved recently?

15:15 - Has the change in legislation for truckers in California made a difference?

16:39 - Why energy, gasoline, and diesel costs are a key driver in trucking costs.

18:24 - What might the logistics situation in the USA be like for the rest of 2022 (July to December)?

21:57 - Focusing on China.

27:29 - How might the logistics situation in the USA be in 3 years' time?

33:13 - Have other countries taken a bite from China's business?

36:55 - Wrap-up.

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Friday Jul 15, 2022

How to keep your supplier’s costs under control? - Sourcing from China (Part 9)

Friday Jul 15, 2022

In this episode...

We wrap up our mini-series of episodes on how to do your own sourcing from China today.

Sofeast's CEO Renaud Anjoran has talked you through every stage of the sourcing process, from finding suitable suppliers, negotiating, getting your products manufactured, and building lasting relationships with them. The final topic focuses on improving existing supplier performance, in particular: How to keep their costs under control.

If their costs are lower, your costs are lower...

By the way, this is part 9 of 9 of this mini-series, and if you want to go back and listen to every earlier part of this series check out the links below.

Show Sections

00:00 - Greetings

00:58 - Brief recap of last week's episode about the EU Ecodesign regulation

You can listen to both parts on this topic here (Part 1) and here (Part 2).

04:31 - Why should we be concerned about our suppliers' costs?

07:45 - Who may be able to influence their supplier to undertake work to take control of costs.

10:28 - Using sourcing as a tool to control costs.

How factory owners or key customers can get their/their supplier's costs under control?

12:48 - 1. You find out what is driving their costs by visiting.

15:47 - 2. Stop buying in large quantities and making large batches.

21:39 - How to make suggestions to the supplier that they will listen to.

26:34 - 3. Tackle manufacturing aspects that are hidden costs.

29:21 - 4. Find hidden office costs.

35:11 - How does India differ from China?

36:44 - Summarising keeping costs under control.

38:11 - Mini-series wrap-up.

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Friday Jul 08, 2022

How To Comply With The EU Ecodesign Regulation? (Part 2. Feat. Clive Greenwood)

Friday Jul 08, 2022

In this episode...

Sofeast's CEO Renaud is joined again by Clive Greenwood of SMC GLOBAL Manufacturing Consultants, to continue discussing the EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation that's going to have quite a significant effect on importers of products into the EU.

In part 1 on this topic, they explained what the EU ESPR is and why it's something importers need to start preparing for now.

Now, in part 2, they're going to talk you through how to comply with the regulation, providing some actionable advice to get you started.

Show Sections

00:00 - Greetings & Introduction to today's topic: EU Ecodesign Regulation.

02:26 - Why is product design important?

08:07 - The role of 'Repairability' and 'Maintainability.'

10:12 - The need to document your approach.

12:03 - How product designs will need to change according to the EU ESPR proposal [quotes].

18:38 - Addressing 'Greenwashing.'

20:47 - Postmarket surveillance.

25:01 - Calculating energy consumption throughout the product lifecycle.

30:11 - Supply chain information will be transparent - suppliers who are more sustainable will be preferred.

34:37 - The example of garments and their supply chain.

37:58 - Detailed traceability & visibility over the supply chain - requirements.

43:18 - ESPR will evolve over time and cause headaches for importers...

46:23 - The key data you need to start collecting NOW.

48:13 - Will ESPR negatively impact SMEs more than large businesses?

52:36 - You have been warned!

Get in touch with us

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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 Jul 01, 2022

How to Reduce The Risk Of Unauthorized Subcontracting?

Friday Jul 01, 2022

In this episode...

Our CEO Renaud is back with Adrian and talks about a serious problem for buyers: unauthorized subcontracting.

This is where the supplier you think is manufacturing your products, outsources the work to someone else that you have no knowledge of and haven't given permission to work on your products. This, obviously, is not a good situation...let's explore it in more detail.

Show Sections

00:00 - Greetings, catching up with Renaud, and some discussion about his India trip and the various content we created about it (check the links below).

04:13 - Introducing the topic: Unauthorized subcontracting.

05:04 - What is subcontracting/unauthorized subcontracting?

07:45 - Why this happens in China quite a lot and how it affects social audits.

What problems does unauthorized subcontracting cause?

12:41 - Non-compliance.

13:41 - Poor quality.

17:51 - IP at risk.

19:26 - Products made in banned areas or staff where slave labor is a concern.

How to reduce the risks of unauthorized subcontracting happening?

23:16 - 1. Factory data collection.

26:45 - 2. Plan to improve capacity and reduce delays.

32:40 - 3. Sign a manufacturing agreement with the supplier.

34:09 - 4. Give the supplier a pre-order confirmation.

35:57 - 5. Follow up on production.

36:38 - 6. Utilize unannounced audits.

41:14 - Extra: Travel to China in Summer 2022.

44:13 - Wrapping up.

Get in touch with us

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 Jun 24, 2022

The One ’MUST DO’ Before Mass Producing Your New Product (Feat. Andrew Amirnovin)

Friday Jun 24, 2022

In this episode...

The Sofeast Group's reliability expert, Andrew Amirnovin, joins Adrian to talk about the process of getting a new product to market and, in particular, the one key thing you must do before you start mass production.

You'll get a good insight into the different kinds of testing you need to do in order to get your product to market with low risks.

Show Sections

00:00 - Greetings, introducing Andrew and the topic.

02:25 - What's the difference between validation and verification?

05:59 - What MUST you do before you go into mass production?

13:00 - Is a qualified design and prototype a golden sample?

16:28 - Product qualification.

18:05 - Manufacturing line qualification.

21:02 - Compliance and regulatory qualification.

24: 33 - How to get started with product qualification?

27:40 - In summary.

Get in touch with us

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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 Jun 17, 2022

An Effective QA Program For New Electronic Products

Friday Jun 17, 2022

In this episode...

Our CEO Renaud and Adrian from the Sofeast team delve into what a great Quality Assurance program for new electronic products looks like, as new products come with a large number of unknown risks (there are many things that can go wrong in terms of components, firmware, testing, production processes, and more, which we'll get into).

Controlling these risks has become harder for importers since Covid as it's not always possible to travel to China (and other Asian countries to a lesser extent) easily or at all, meaning that they were not able to oversee the development and manufacturing of their products increasing the risks of them going into production with problems.

So, how to use local resources to do Quality Assurance activities to control those risks in your new electronic product, and what does a QA program for new electronics include?

Show Sections

00:00 - Greetings, mentioning Renaud's recent trip to India to check out component suppliers.

01:55 - Introducing the topic: Why Quality Assurance is particularly important for new electronics that have a lot of risks.

Electronics QA Program

07:21 - Activities to do at the start of product development.

20:34 - Activities do when the design is frozen and we're transferring to manufacturing.

27:49 - Activities to do during mass production.

31:08 - Wrapping up.

Get in touch with us

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:

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