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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 Apr 01, 2022
Friday Apr 01, 2022
In this episode...
To celebrate our 100th episode Sofeast's CEO Renaud Anjoran takes questions from our listeners and answers as many as possible in this special episode.
100 episodes is an important milestone and we're so glad that listeners enjoy the podcast and find it helpful, so thanks for the kind comments in your emails!
Show Sections
00:00 - Greetings and introduction.
01:50 - Should importers be worried about Chinese supply chains in relation to the Russian invasion and its sanctions?
06:56 - What inspection level is needed for medical devices? (AQL limits).
10:19 - How to improve the quality of products being purchased from China? The bikes and office furniture we buy keep breaking!
18:13 - Any tactics to deal with volatile costs these days?
25:02 - How to work with Chinese suppliers without being ripped off?
30:10 - How can I be sure that the product quality is as expected if I'm not in China to supervise the order myself?
38:34 - Wrapping up.
Related content...
- The Impacts of Russia Sanctions on International Trade & Logistics
- What is the AQL (Acceptance Quality Limit)? An exhaustive guide
- Manufacturing Contract: Fear And Its Impact On Payment Terms
- Factory audits
- Product inspections
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 Mar 25, 2022
Friday Mar 25, 2022
In this episode...
Sofeast's CEO Renaud Anjoran is joined once again by our reliability expert, Andrew Amirnovin, and this time they're giving an overview of 12 things that a company can optimize for when designing and developing a new product. These include 'Design for Manufacturing,' Design for Assembly,' and many more. So, what are the DfX principles, what are their benefits if adopted by designers, and which could be right for you to focus on? Keep listening...
Show Sections
00:00 - Greetings and introducing the topic of DfX.
02:30 - 1. Design for Short Development & Time to Market.
05:16 - 2. Design for Crowdfunding.
08:13 - 3. Design for Manufacturing (DFM).
10:29 - 4. Design for Assembly (DFA).
13:35 - DFM & DFA tips for product designers to keep in mind.
19:19 - The rise of modularization.
25:04 - 5. Design for Quality & 6. Design for Testing
32:37 - 7. Design for Packaging.
35:45 - 8. Design for Reliability
45:12 - 9. Design for Maintainability.
49:15 - 10. Design for Ease of use/Ergonomics.
49:35 - 11. Design for Fewer SKUs.
50:20 - 12. Design for Sustainability.
51:02 - Which DfX principles are crucial?
51:55 - How to implement DfX?
53:58 - Wrapping up.
Related content...
- The Design for X Approach: 12 Common Examples
- Design for Distribution (DFD)
- Design to Cost (DTC)
- Design for Manufacturing (DFM)
- Design for Quality (DFQ)
- Design For Sustainability
- Design For Crowdfunding (Kickstarter & Indiegogo)
- Design For Assembly (DFA)
- Design for Distribution: What Hardware Startups Need To Know
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 Mar 18, 2022
Friday Mar 18, 2022
In this episode...
Many importers are new to sourcing from China so we've been creating a mini-series of episodes that explores the sourcing process with advice and best practices from Sofeast's CEO Renaud Anjoran.
In this series of episodes, we’re exploring how to do your own sourcing from China, from finding suppliers for your products to getting them made.
We’ve moved onto soft skills, and last time in episode 92 we spoke about building rapport with your suppliers. Now, we’re going to look at how closely to follow production - either closely as a hands-on buyer, or with more distance as a hands-off buyer. Either approach might benefit you, but it depends on a number of factors, such as product type, the volume of SKUs being purchased, whether or not you're developing a new product from scratch, and more.
Listen and decide if you'd be better served by being more hands-on or hands-off.
Show Sections
00:00 - Greetings & quick mention of Covid in China
01:42 - Introducing the topic: How closely to follow production?
02:41 - What is a hands-off buyer?
08:33 - Buyers who should be more hands-on, but aren't, and the risks they face
11:29 - What is the typical sourcing process for hands-off buyers?
17:59 - What is a hands-on buyer?
23:32 - Benefits of being hands-on.
30:06 - Is there a risk of the supplier taking advantage of long-term customers who're reliant on them?
35:10 - Wrapping up.
Related content...
- Part 1: Good Fit, Sourcing, Vetting, & Backups [Podcast]
- Part 2: Negotiations, Terms, Leverage, & Quality Standards [Podcast]
- Part 3: Project Management & Checking Quality Early [Podcast]
- Part 4: Final Inspections [Podcast]
- Part 5: Building Rapport [Podcast]
- New Importer from China? Beware the Credulous Foreigner Syndrome!
These resources will also help you understand how to build relationships with suppliers or improve (or end) those that you already have:
- Get help to find a good manufacturer in China with this free eBook
- When a relationship turns sour with a Chinese supplier
And, if all else fails and you need to ditch your current supplier and switch to a new one...
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:
Monday Mar 14, 2022
Monday Mar 14, 2022
In this episode...
Renaud is back with a bonus episode about the Covid situation in China. Since our last episode, the situation has gotten a lot more serious and there are lockdowns all around China, including in some major manufacturing cities and provinces, including Guangdong, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Changchun (to name but a few).
Until now supply chains probably haven't been affected so much, but now factories are being shuttered, staff are at home, and deliveries and shipments can't take place. Add this to the sanctions on Russia, and times are getting complicated.
Show Sections
00:00 - Introduction.
00:52 - The uncertain situation. Have the figures been accurate?
02:05 - Shenzhen has been locked down, here's what we know.
04:28 - Focus on South China (including Hong Kong)
08:08 - Can the government contain the outbreaks and what's the impact on manufacturing?
14:14 - Other areas and cities around China's North facing restrictions.
16:06 - How these lockdowns will impact importers, especially logistics.
21:34 - Ports in China and shipping are at particular risk of disruption by Covid cases.
22:37 - Wrapping up.
Related content...
Here are some related posts:
- The Impacts of Russia Sanctions on International Trade & Logistics
- China Massive Lockdowns (March 22): The Domino Effect In Full Force
- Supply Chain Risk Reduction Strategies [Presentation]
- How Blending Off-site & On-site QA Activities Helps You Reach Your Objectives
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 Mar 11, 2022
Friday Mar 11, 2022
In this episode...
Renaud and Adrian are back to discuss 'Cradle to Cradle' product design. Sustainability is in the media a lot these days as we have global instability from Covid and war causing energy, material, and shipping cost increases (among others) and climate change and environmental damage becoming more serious leading to the need to reduce carbon emissions as well as lowering the amount of hazardous waste produced.
So, traditional products that become waste at the end of their lifecycles are starting to be replaced by more sustainable ones, and one of the most sustainable product design concepts is C2C that, theoretically, stops products from becoming waste at all.
Sit back and listen as we discuss the history of manufacturing, how it has evolved to become 'less bad' in the late 20th Century and now more sustainable in the early 21st, what's included in C2C certification, how to design Cradle to Cradle products, and the pros & cons of following this approach.
However, as the Covid situation in China becomes more serious, we start by checking in on how this could be affecting supply chains and the situation on the ground there...
Show Sections
00:00 - Greetings & introduction to the topic.
01:47 - The Covid situation in China and Hong kong.
07:45 - How we got from unsustainable (take/make/waste) to more sustainable (cradle to grave) manufacturing.
15:08 - The move to fully sustainable (cradle to cradle) manufacturing due to the failure of recycling to be sustainable.
20:22 - Key features of the C2C ethos.
25:18 - How much can manufacturers do to increase their use of renewable energy?
27:20 - C2C certification.
33:54 - C2C product examples.
36:55 - What do product designers need to keep in mind when designing a C2C product?
41:15 - Benefits of C2C.
44:55 - Drawbacks of C2C.
49:16 - How Sofeast can help your businesses become more sustainable.
53:22 - Wrapping up.
Related content...
Here are some related posts:
- 15 Key Eco Certifications For Green Manufacturers
- Minimizing a Product’s ‘Cradle to Grave’ Environmental Impact
- Designing New Products With A Cradle To Cradle Cycle In Mind
- Sofeast Oil Based Plastic Alternatives whitepaper
- The Benefits Of Silicone As A Production Material And How It Compares To Common Plastics
- What Items Are Recyclable?
- What does biodegradable mean in the context of manufacturing?
- Sustainable Manufacturing
- What Does ‘Eco-Friendly’ Mean?
- What does compostable mean in relation to manufacturing and packaging materials?
- What Is Recommerce?
- 9 Types of Packaging (Benefits, Costs, Sustainability, and more)
- Advantages of Bioplastics vs. Disadvantages: Memo for Product Designers
- 7 Negative Effects Of PVC And Other Environmentally Harmful Plastics
- How Can Poor Quality & Reliability Products Affect Your Business? [Podcast]
- C2C product certification - official site
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 Mar 04, 2022
Friday Mar 04, 2022
In this episode...
Renaud and Adrian speak about the current war in Ukraine as we reach about a week into Russia's invasion. How can large-scale wars like this affect global supply chains? Where does China come into it? Is the West likely to turn its back on China in a similar way as they have done with Russia in the future? Finally, Renaud leaves you with some tips to reduce supply chain risks by potentially not leaving all of your eggs in the China basket.
Show Sections
00:00 - Greetings & introduction.
01:15 - Some thoughts about the war in Ukraine.
04:26 - The speed of Western sanctions against Russia and their effects.
07:57 - Will sanctions on Russia affect China?
10:34 - Logistics costs.
12:28 - Could the decoupling happening to Russia happen to China, too?
17:24 - Is the risk of a sudden decoupling from China higher or lower now?
20:29 - What can be done to reduce supply chain risks in this time of instability?
25:06 - Wrapping up.
Related content...
Here are some related posts:
- Ukrainian invasions adds to chaos for global supply chains
- A Guide to Fast-Moving Russian Sanctions and Export Controls
- You may check up-to-date information on the war in Ukraine on Reuters
- Supply Chain Risk Reduction Strategies [Presentation]
- Supply Chain Risk Management, Part 1: What are VUCA and Black Swans?
- Supply Chain Risk Management, Part 2: The Business Continuity Plan
- Supply Chain Risk Management, Part 3: A Purchaser Supply Chain KPI Scorecard’s Benefits
- Supply Chain Risk Management, Part 4: How Much Inventory Do You Need?
- Supply Chain Risk Management, Part 5: Moving Manufacturing to Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, or India (Pros & Cons)
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 Feb 25, 2022
Friday Feb 25, 2022
In this episode...
Andy Bartlett, an experienced UK-based product designer, joins Sofeast's CEO Renaud Anjoran on the podcast once again. Following on from a recent episode where Andy introduced industrial design and how to work with designers, this time they break down the ID process (with a focus on electro-mechanical products being made by startups and SMEs) into 6 detailed 'phases' and Andy explains each drawing from his own long experience. This will be helpful for anyone who's currently developing a new product and will need to work with an industrial designer as you will understand roughly how the process will work.
*Apologies for any occasional tapping sounds during this recording* 😉 🙏
Show Sections
00:00 - Greetings & introduction.
03:22 - What does the ID process typically include?
There are 6 phases:
- Clarification of needs
- Early discovery
- Initial concepts
- Focus on 1 concept
- Detailed aesthetics
- Handover & follow up
04:38 - Clarification of needs.
16:29 - Early discovery.
19:19 - Initial concepts.
33:57 - Focus on 1 concept.
41:29 - Handover & follow up.
43:07 - Detailed aesthetics.
45:17 - Follow up once the product is being developed.
47:36 - Wrapping up.
Related content...
Andy is a friend of the show and has been on a few times. You may remember him from shows about good project management of Chinese suppliers and NPI process best practices.
- What Does An Industrial Designer Do? [Podcast]
- Why You Need Mature Product Designs BEFORE Working With A Chinese Manufacturer!
- Why Product Reliability Testing Is A MUST During Product Design [Podcast]
- A Product Designer’s Tips For New Product Launches
- How Bad Product Design Leads to Many Quality Issues
- Is Your New Product Design Ready for Manufacturing in China? [5 Questions]
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:
Thursday Feb 24, 2022
Thursday Feb 24, 2022
In this episode, Renaud and Adrian give a bonus update on the Covid situation across China as localized Omicron outbreaks lead to restrictions and difficulty moving in and out of affected areas.
Why is this important information for importers?
Some major manufacturing hubs are affected, including Shenzhen, Wuhan, Chengdu, and Suzhou. This could mean that your supply chain is affected as workers are quarantined. Alternatively, it may affect your ability to keep control over or in contact with your supply chain and visits such as factory audits and product inspections may need to be cancelled.
Restrictions are affecting logistics, too, as shipping to and from China is currently subjected to fairly strict quarantine procedures.
We also explain some of the ways that we've used at Sofeast to keep providing remote services such as inspections at times when access to manufacturers is not possible...these could be helpful for you if your supplier is in an affected area.
Related content...
- How Blending Off-site & On-site QA Activities Helps You Reach Your Objectives
- Get help from Sofeast to remotely audit a supplier's factory during times when auditors may not visit
- Utilize an off-site product inspection to maintain control over product quality even if an inspector can't visit
- 6 Advantages Of Conducting An Off-Site Product Inspection
- Does Sofeast need to go on-site to audit a supplier?
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
Friday Feb 18, 2022
Friday Feb 18, 2022
In this episode...
Many importers are new to sourcing from China so we've been creating a mini-series of episodes that explores the sourcing process with advice and best practices from Sofeast's CEO Renaud Anjoran.
Up until now, we have discussed hard skills in parts 1-4 (links below) such as how to identify suitable suppliers, arrange backups, negotiate terms, create your quality standard, manage your project, and inspect product quality.
But dealing with suppliers takes soft skills, too, and this is the area that Renaud and Adrian explore today as they discuss how to build rapport and relationships with Chinese suppliers and the benefits of doing so.
Show Sections
00:00 - Greetings & introduction
02:48 - Examples of 3 types of typical customer/supplier relationships
07:25 - Reciprocity for favors between suppliers and customers
10:18 - What are the inner and outer circles in Chinese relationships?
13:30 - Is it worth befriending your Chinese supplier to break into the inner circle?
16:04 - What is the concept of 'face?'
23:13 - Tips for how to build relationships with suppliers in China.
26:20 - How to be seen as a 'good customer?'
28:15 - Risks facing customers without a good relationship
31:31 - How to get better results from email communication?
33:22 - Wrapping up.
Related content...
- Part 1: Good Fit, Sourcing, Vetting, & Backups [Podcast]
- Part 2: Negotiations, Terms, Leverage, & Quality Standards [Podcast]
- Part 3: Project Management & Checking Quality Early [Podcast]
- Part 4: Final Inspections [Podcast]
These resources will also help you understand how to build relationships with suppliers or improve (or end) those that you already have:
- Get help to find a good manufacturer in China with this free eBook
- When a relationship turns sour with a Chinese supplier
- Relationships with Chinese suppliers: be clean!
- Bad relationship with a Chinese supplier: just end it!
And, if all else fails and you need to ditch your current supplier and switch to a new one...
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 Feb 11, 2022
Friday Feb 11, 2022
In this episode...
Renaud is joined this week by two guests who both have decades of industry experience each: Sofeast's reliability expert, Andrew Amirnovin who has a background in electrical engineering and a keen focus on product reliability, and Clive Greenwood a quality consultant at WWMG associates who is a Six Sigma Black Belt and has a special focus on medical devices and product compliance.
They'll be discussing the long-term costs of poor product quality and reliability, including some real product examples you've probably heard of, the negative effects of poor reliability and quality products hitting the market, how to prevent those issues when developing & making a product, and how to prevent those issues when building a quality management system.
Show Sections
00:00 - Greetings & today's topic
01:16 - Clive & Andrew introductions and industry experience
03:59 - Some real-life examples of products that suffered from bad quality and reliability
11:17 - People often focus on quality, but not reliability. A mistake?
17:28 - How to make a reliable product and prevent quality & reliability issues?
27:27 - Where do design engineers go wrong?
34:34 - Compliance standards
37:22 - A list of typical costs of poor quality once a bad product hits the field
39:39 - The example of a defective toy and how it affected the brand
42:47 - The relationship between the design and quality & reliability teams
47:45 - Process risk analysis
50:51 - The 8D corrective action process
55:26 - Summary and conclusion
Related content...
- What’s The Cost Of Quality? [Podcast]
- How To Drive Your Chinese Suppliers To Improve Reliability
- Your Cost of Poor Quality Is Higher Than You Think
- How Bad Product Design Leads to Many Quality Issues
- Sofeast product engineering solutions to help you develop a reliable and good quality product
- Sofeast QA solutions for inspecting products and assuring compliance
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: