So you’ve been offered temptingly low prices from cheap Chinese suppliers? Wait a moment, there are many risks here because you might end up with a very different deal than expected or be stuck with an unsuitable supplier. We explain why here…   Prefer listening to reading? Listen to the audio here.   Should we be wary of choosing cheap Chinese suppliers? We see problems commonly occur when an importer selects cheap Chinese suppliers offering the lowest prices because they feel it will allow them to make the most profit margin. Our regular warning is to be very careful, as it’s ofte ..read more

The EU’s forthcoming directive on product liability should make you nervous if you import products to and sell in Europe. Both Clive Greenwood and Prof. Simon Choi, two highly experienced compliance & legal experts, give you the basics here and Professor Choi brings a fresh legal outlook on how this affects manufacturers in China and EU importers.   Prefer listening to reading? Listen to the audio here.   This proposal for a new version of the directive on this topic comes into force between March to June 2024, with a one-year grace period, so by mid-2025 its changes will a ..read more

Let’s look at how a supplier’s quality can be evaluated and validated so you know that they will supply you with parts and products that meet your expectations.   Prefer listening to reading? Listen to the audio here.   Evaluating and validating supplier’s quality is a concern for any business selling products, regardless of whether you buy off the shelf, get your own custom products manufactured, or manufacture products for someone else. You will always be worrying about the material and component suppliers in your supply chain, or even the assembly supplier if you don’t assemble t ..read more

Sofeast’s head of supply chain management, Kate, shares 7 tips that will help you get better results when you’re sourcing from China (or other countries in Asia, too). She also sheds light on how we approach the process effectively for our customers after doing so for a decade. Read and listen and you’ll either be ready to get started with sourcing new suppliers or power up your existing sourcing game by avoiding more risks and common errors.   Prefer listening to reading? Listen to the audio here.   1. Use platforms to find suppliers. Alibaba The most famous of China-sourcing platf ..read more

Angel Ho, CEO of Hongda Business Services in Shenzhen, gives us a view from on the ground in China today about what the business environment for foreigners seeking to do business there is really like right now. She also explains the process and timelines of setting up a manufacturing facility in China for foreigners, the legal and administrative points you’ll need to take care of, and provides a warning of some of the key mistakes that foreign businesses make when setting up their factories.   Prefer listening to reading? Listen to the audio here.   What’s the general business ..read more

Is there a proven electronic component selection process that will help you get into manufacturing with a minimum of stress? Actually, yes, and it can be broken down into these 18 steps.   Prefer listening to reading? Listen to the audio here.   Introducing the component selection process The electronic component selection process is essential for any electronic device and is more involved than many people think. Proper electronic component selection is not actually as simple as going to Radio Shack, buying a part, and just using it as long as it works. Today’s manufacturers need to ..read more

The  Technology Readiness Levels product development framework was developed by NASA and is often used to gauge the progress of a new product launch project, especially during prototyping. It gives visibility and control over the process of going from concept to prototype that can be used as required. But is this a beneficial framework for manufacturers who are mass-producing products today?   Prefer listening to reading? Listen to the audio here.   Where did the TRL framework originate? Frameworks and tools like EVT, DVT, PVT, usually originate from a certain industry or compa ..read more

Let’s look into what test to failure is, the benefits it provides, and why you will find it a useful tool in your product reliability testing arsenal for almost every product type, especially electronics. This post will also provide the goals of TTF, 5 key reasons why you need to implement it into your testing processes, and some common testing methodologies you can harness.   Prefer listening to reading? Listen to the audio here.   What is test to failure? A lot of the products we rely on today need to be reliable and durable, be that a pacemaker, mobile phone, laptop, automobile ..read more

What is reliability data and how can it be gathered and used to help you make better products and/or reduce your production costs? Let’s find out…   Prefer listening to reading? Listen to the audio here.   What kind of reliability data can we get? Reliability data can come from product returns after it’s been on sale and in customers’ hands in the field, from reliability testing (especially such as from failed tests and qualifications) and also the issue tracking database during design and development, etc. Even if this is a new product that has not been on sale before, you will st ..read more

Find out where you need to be with new product designs before you approach Chinese manufacturers. We go through why immature designs are so risky and the work involved in getting designs that can be ‘industrialized,’ as well as pointing out some common red flags that will show you that your designs aren’t as ready as they should be.   Prefer listening to reading? Listen to the audio here.   What do we mean by mature product designs? Mature product designs are closer to being industrialized. New products always have some uncertainty for manufacturers because they haven’t been manufa ..read more