• Seller
  • Exporter
  • Engineering
  • Manufacturer
  • Buyer
  • Importer
  • Designer
  • Marketer 
  • Distributor

Raw material storage.

Work-in-proces (WIP): Southwest Guagxi

                      " Start by doing what's necessary,


                                   then do what's possible;


   and suddenly you are doing the impossible."    

Onboarding three (3) qualified partner factories is critical to managing Execution Risk successfully. 

  • Leverage to enforce safety standards.
  • Walk-away option when negotiating product cost.
  • Walk-away option when product fails safety standards.
  • Collusion Risk Reduction.

Case Study Framework
Background:    US Brands manufacturing overseas seek trusted oversight to monitor assets and production for compliant consumer products.

Requirement:  Execution of new products and additional production capacities while meeting targets on cost, design and critical deadlines .

Action Items:   Implement custom database management system to efficiently capture supply chain downstream resources (time, design, cost) from art to parts. 

  • Locate capable and cooperative workshops. Factory owners agree win-win terms:  low price quality product in exchange for training and steady orders. 
  • De-risk new potential workshops with factory audits for quality control, workshop, labor and supply chain conditions.
  • Scale up for steady orders especially large order qty's from major big box store.
  • Implement corrective actions for workshop operational efficiency to maintain order processing requirement sustainability. 

Hire, train and coach oversea assistants to monitor workshops, production, translate documents and communicate timely industry intelligence.

ResultsDelivered new products and additional production capacities while meeting targets on cost, design and critical deadlines.


Case Study #1
Background:

  • Licensed apparel manufacturer purchased additional licensed agreement for line extension into pet products.

Requirement:

  • New qualified overseas factories to develop and manufacture new pet products before royalty fee time period expires.               

Action Items:

  • Onboard capable factories to execution of new products and additional production capacities to amortize royalty fees on time. 
  • Implement custom database management system to efficiently capture supply chain downstream resources (time, design, cost) from art to parts.
  • Hire, train and coach long-time oversea assistant to monitor assets, production, translate documents and communicate timely industry intelligence.

Results:

  • Delivered new products and additional production capacities while meeting targets on cost, design and critical deadlines with license agreement.
  • Received recognition award for speed to market on new products.  Diligences discovered trademark registered overseas where factories were located which potentially compromised trade compliance.


Case Study #2
Background:

  • Legacy toy manufacturer relied on two vulnerable suppliers located in Guangzhou region.  As a brand 25 year anniversary approaches, two veteran senior managers of operations leave the firm.

Requirement:

  • New qualified factories in Northern China to develop and manufacture products before Guangzhou region factories close.
  • Hire and train China assistant for daily monitoring to help execution assignments left behind from past veteran senior managers (i.e. Production planning, importing documentation, product testing, quality assurance, quality control, factory audit and pre-shipment inspections). 
  • Execution of new products and additional production capacities while meeting targets on cost, design and critical deadlines

Action Items:

  • Implement custom database management system to efficiently capture supply chain downstream resources (time, design, cost) from art to parts.
  • Hire, train and coach long-time oversea assistant to monitor assets, production, translate documents and communicate timely industry intelligence.

Results:

  • Onboard new supplier located in Northern China who developed their highly skilled capabilities from start-up investing mode.
  • Delivered new products and additional production capacities while meeting targets on cost, design and critical deadlines for legacy brand anniversary events and customer orders.
  • The entire company received an organization-wide bonus based on the company's performance.

Thomas Doyle  MSc.


Pre-shipment inspection: Guangzhou, Guangdong, PRC

Global Sourcing        Vendor Relations        Operational Efficiency       Product Development      Safety Standards       Financial Management    

Village in Southwest Guangxi Autonomous Region, PRC

Rigorous supply chain oversight for toy and children's product to enforce 16 CFR 1107 with a robust CPSIA compliance program can help protect all stakeholders .

        Due Diligence Supply Chain Evaluation Involve Multiple Locations; Raw Materials through Pre-Shipment.

Transport semi-finished goods 8 hour to Guangdong for final assembly and pack-out.

    Due Diligence Factory Evaluation Protected Client's from a Major CPSC Recall.

Diligence factory evaluations ensured that millions of crayons and sidewalk chalk shipped to clients were lead-free
. 

Sourcing  a reliable "Conforms to ASTM D4236" manufacturer in Malaysia saved brand reputations and prevented expensive recalls for the company and several clients from U.S. Customs Services and CPSC 1993  "Operations Dead Lead" .

Work-in-process (WIP) by village handcrafters.

Pre-shipment Inspection at final assembly factory in Guangzhou, Guangdong, PRC

Knowing your supply chain is critical to control quality and safety compliance (i.e. prevent quality fade). Face-to-face meetings with factory owners at their workshops add value to establish trust, accountability and partnership. Negotiations based on win-win results occurs when importers provide effective compliance training to the manufacturer’s staff with intentions of providing steady business in return for competitive prices and compliant product.

  • Enforce Consumer Product Safety Standards and Regulations by training factories on QA/QC.


  • Negotiate price and delivery based on fair, legal, ethical trade to meet target metrics.


  • Developing trusted partner relationships with sustained long-term employment for both sides.      

Positive, Proactive Due Diligence builds trust with transparency for quality control and product safety compliance.

Success included extensive travel to factories and subcontractors throughout the following industrial cluster regions:

Raw Material Storage in Guanxi province
  • Responsible for planning, development, and launch of new lines of business and manufacturing operations.
  • Proven track record of reducing costs through alignment of business needs and global sourcing of materials & labor.
  • Ability to fast track New Product Development (NPD) and sourcing to reduce cost and increase revenues efficiently.
  • 30 years' experience with consumer product standards, regulations and product safety testing.
  • Extensive due diligence factory and supply chain evaluation experience at industrial clusters throughout Asia.

                                                                             Sourcing and Quality Assurance Planning

 Key Success Factors for Sourcing

  1. Quality Assurance planning with detailed Milestone Schedules.
  2. Precise communications with frequent daily monitoring and follow-up on-site inspections.
  3. Leveraging the manufacturer and transparency.


Onboarding New Factories starts with:

  1. Factory self-audit questionnaire with profile and workshop photos.
  2. Factory visit to survey workshops and verify information given in self-audit questionnaire and profile.
  3. Trial orders cancellable without penalties or reputational damage to provide the following benefits*:                                                         a.  Factory learns importer's  order process requirements to implement corrective actions.                                                                                          b.  Importer's BATNA to negotiate corrective actions (i.e. design, cost and time) for product and factory upgrades to international standards. c.  Successful trial orders with lower prices give importer BATNA for existing legacy maker to match new lower pricing.


*Avoid Trialing orders that must be shipped to avoid penalties and reputational damage since it can sacrifice Importer's BATNA and/or trigger CPSC recall if trial fails.

BATNA stands for "Best Alternative to Negotiated Agreement"  a.k.a. "Walk Away  Option".