What I Learned in Church on Sunday.
I went to church on Sunday, as I do on most Sundays. It was nice, as it is on most Sundays. There are many great reasons to go to church, whatever “church” is to you. For me, the opportunity to take a break from the world and sit in quiet meditation is always welcome.
But this week, after the service was over I got an extra lesson. More than one of the guys that attend church was, after the meeting, sharing some of the current difficulties they have with working in China. Here’s a smattering of thoughts from guys working in the furniture, house-wares, sporting goods, electronics, crafts and garment industries as well as a few guys working for major retailers too.
1. Beware the golden the sample. No matter what industry you’re in, no matter what you eventually wind up with for production and no matter where your supplier is located—the golden sample is the bane of all manufactures. The golden sample can pass every test devised by man and it can be delivered on time (it has been said to even be able to walk on water!). So what is there to be scared of? Once the golden sample is approved you will never see production that meets those standards or looks that good or is delivered on time again.
2. Confirm the destruction of samples, old color standards, old CAD files and rejected product or you’ll be seeing it again. Maybe not directly in your market; maybe not for a couple of years. But as sure as God is great, you’re going to see them again.
3. The number of times you come to China directly correlates with the quality of product you get. If you live here (hire someone, open an office) you will get much better product than in if you come once or twice a product cycle (or once or twice a year). There is a reason why prices are so cheap going direct—all the QC has been removed!
4. Regardless of the size of your operation, there are things that you have to check for and incorporate into your processes: Quality Control, if not done by you will most likely not be done by anyone else. Product testing, including materials testing, in line testing and testing for specific market standards, needs to be done by an independent third party. International style/quality project management systems, unless you bring it with you, teach it, live and invest heavily in the people involved you’ll not get the quality of management that you’re used to “back home.”
5. Vietnam ain’t all it’s cracked up to be just yet. If you can afford to build your own factory and are big enough to draw in with you the necessary support industries then Vietnam (or even many Western Chinese provinces) could be right for you. If you are buying stock or slightly customized items that are reliant on additional manufacturing/labor/finishing and accessory items (packaging, for example) you may still need to wait a few years. If you are buying material intensive product that has little additional packaging or components (wood furniture) then Vietnam could be good for you now.