| It's lead paint on a children's giveaway toy. It's a | | | | with your supplier overseas. Online telephony such |
| computer mouse that can seriously shock the | | | | as Skype, which almost everyone in China is |
| user. It seems that every new day brings a | | | | familiar with, makes it easy and free for you to |
| wave of product recalls and safety alerts in | | | | communicate with contacts in China. Although this |
| regard to product coming from China. Promotional | | | | may not work for a supplier with low level English |
| product importers and distributers are just as | | | | speaking capability, I suggest never placing an |
| susceptible as retailers to the disastrous effect on | | | | order if you have not had at least one phone |
| business and reputation that distributing a | | | | conversation. |
| dangerous product will bring. As more of us in the | | | | 4. Verify Raw Materials or Risk Everything - It is |
| promotional product industry deal with China | | | | absolutely integral to the quality of your product |
| suppliers on a daily basis, the following strategies | | | | that you know exactly what materials are being |
| can serve as a guide to ensuring you receive only | | | | used, and request documentation from the |
| the highest quality product from overseas. | | | | supplier that the materials are safe. The US |
| 10. Know Who You're Working With - When | | | | continues to see recall after recall of products |
| you're buying product from China it's often hard | | | | that have been manufactured with sub-standard |
| to tell if you are working with a factory, a trading | | | | materials. For example, if the item you are buying |
| company, or something in between. When it | | | | is white plastic, one should ensure that white |
| comes to product and quality issues it is key that | | | | plastic meets general flammability standards. If |
| you know exactly who you're working with, and | | | | the item is likely to come in contact with food, |
| that the relationship is transparent to all parties. If | | | | ensure that it is of food grade. You should |
| you are not working with the factory directly and | | | | assume that the factory you are buying from in |
| the supplier can not provide you satisfactory | | | | China will use the cheapest materials possible |
| answers about the product, then they are | | | | unless you specify differently. Insist that your |
| inhibiting the sourcing process for you and you | | | | supplier provide you with written verification. The |
| should reconsider the relationship. If you're having | | | | FDA and other US organizations have regulations |
| a tough time putting your finger on who you're | | | | on which plastics, metals and other materials can |
| working with you should contact a company | | | | safely be distributed. If your supplier can not |
| specializing in China Supplier Verification. | | | | verify this then contact a 3rd party QC company |
| 9. Keep Emails Short, Sweet and to the Point - I | | | | for guidance. |
| have great respect for how much English the local | | | | 3. Samples Are Worth a Thousand Photos - When |
| Chinese staff uses having never lived in an | | | | working with China you must insist on getting |
| English-speaking country. However, from my | | | | samples as often as possible. Don't accept |
| experience doing business in China for over 7 | | | | excuses unless there is a serious obstacle (i.e. no |
| years, I will tell you that your China-based supplier | | | | existing mold). Make sure to label and store these |
| most likely understands only about 50% of what | | | | samples properly, and each time you receive a |
| you write in emails. Keep this in mind the next | | | | new sample compare it carefully with the last one |
| time you start a long-winded explanation or | | | | you received. Never confirm to a factory in China |
| suggestion to an overseas supplier. English is not | | | | that production can go forward until you approve |
| this person's first language. Keep your emails | | | | a pre-production sample. You will be able to catch |
| simple and your directions clear. | | | | a great number of quality issues before they |
| 8. Paying Chinese Suppliers - Wire Transfer (W/T) | | | | happen just by putting this process in place. |
| or Letter of Credit (L/C)? - Having a safe and | | | | 2. Don't Expect, Inspect! - Just about the simplest, |
| well-communicated payment arrangement in place | | | | least expensive, and most efficient way to |
| before you place your order is beneficial to both | | | | eliminate quality issues with your China-made |
| parties and one of the parameters to a | | | | product is to have it inspected BEFORE it leaves |
| relationship that encourages quality. Unless you | | | | the factory in China. The best way to arrange |
| have a long-standing relationship and trust with | | | | such an inspection is with a 3rd party QC |
| your supplier, then L/C should always be your | | | | company (mentioned above in #7), but it may |
| preferred method of payment. If you haven't | | | | also be arranged with your own staff in Asia, or |
| used a L/C before then contact your bank's | | | | that of your agent. You should insist on seeing an |
| business department for assistance. | | | | inspection report in English (including photos) that |
| 7. Save Money and Headaches with a 3rd party | | | | documents the process. |
| Quality Check ("QC") - Working with a 3rd party | | | | 1. Product QC Checklist - Poor communication |
| QC company in China allows you to draw on the | | | | during the ordering process is by far the root |
| experience of firms whose entire mission is to | | | | cause of most quality issues with China-based |
| ensure a products quality meets certain standards. | | | | suppliers. One sure-fire way to dramatically |
| These companies provide services such as | | | | improve this communication is with a Product QC |
| product inspection, factory auditing, and lab | | | | Checklist. The QC Checklist is a several page |
| testing. The service is usually available at a fixed | | | | document that details in writing all the important |
| rate which can offer a great value relative to the | | | | aspects of the items you're buying. It is best |
| total cost of your purchase (approximately $350 | | | | created with the help of a 3rd party QC company |
| to inspect a shipment of goods). The most well | | | | who specifically offers this service, but you can |
| known companies in China that provide QC | | | | create a simple and effective one on your own |
| services are InTouch Services, Bureau Veritas, | | | | by following the points below. For more on |
| and Intertek Testing. | | | | creating a QC Checklist check Quality Wars which |
| 6. Confirm you Production Schedule - Don't Get | | | | is my blog about QC. The key points that should |
| Bumped! - Receiving your order from China on | | | | be included in this checklist are:a) Item details |
| time is just as important as receiving the right | | | | (item number, SKU description, etc.)b) Contents |
| product. Chinese factories are notorious for | | | | and Packagingc) Colord) Barcodese) Appearance |
| bumping less important (to them) production | | | | and Functionf) Specifications and Special |
| when a more profitable order comes in the door. | | | | Requirementsg) Photos |
| Issues with quality are more likely to occur as a | | | | Make sure you have this document professionally |
| result of the supplier rushing to catch up on the | | | | translated into Chinese, and make the QC |
| schedule that they promised you. So, make sure | | | | Checklist the starting point for discussing |
| you are asking the right questions and getting | | | | production and quality with your supplier. You may |
| answers in email. These questions include: a) When | | | | find that you don't have a lot of the details that |
| will production start? Be 50% done? Complete? | | | | the QC Checklist calls for. If that's the case then I |
| Ship out? (Confirm that these milestones are | | | | suggest you make up the template and send it |
| being reached) b) Have all the raw materials for | | | | over to your supplier to fill in. There's no shortage |
| this order already arrived at the factory? How | | | | of promotional product companies who now work |
| about all the packaging materials? | | | | direct with overseas suppliers. With all of the |
| 5. Don't be Afraid of the Phone - You can only | | | | horror stories we hear about import orders gone |
| communicate so much with email. When going | | | | bad, you can distinguish yourself by being able to |
| back and forth with an overseas supplier does it | | | | consistently deliver excellent quality. Your |
| sometimes seem like they're just not "getting it"? | | | | customers will no doubt appreciate your due |
| The time difference can be a pain, but don't let | | | | diligence, and ability to speak intelligently about |
| that stop you from arranging a phone conference | | | | your focus on quality. |