Il forum sulla Qualità di QualitiAmo

[QualitiAmo - Stefania]

Su China law blog potete leggere un articolo dal titolo: "The Six (Not Five) Keys To China Quality".

Questa è la versione in italiano eseguita con il traduttore automatico di Google.

A client sent me an article the other day to ask me if it was accurate. I replied that it was, but that it left out one important element. The article is entitled, "5 Keys to Quality when Working with Chinese Suppliers." and it sets forth the following as the five keys:

1. Detailed Documents

"The number one key to quality when working with factories in China is documentation. Having bi-lingual, detailed, factory agreed upon checklists in place that document an item’s specifications and the criteria for inspecting the product before shipment, is essential to controlling product quality. One can not say for sure, but I would be willing to bet that the factories responsible for products recently recalled for lead paint did not have bi-lingual documentation on hand from their customer stating the type of paints that could and could not be used. Sure, this type of documentation takes time and hard work to create, but putting such processes in place is the first and most important step in avoiding quality issues. QC Checklists should describe in detail:

a) Item Packaging
b) Item Defect Classification (what is considered an defect and at what
severity)
c) Item Size and Other Specifications
d) Item Functionality and How it is Checked"

2. Factory Presence

Having a presence at the factory ensures that both factory staff and management really know who you are. Either through a 3rd party QC company or your own staff, ensure that you are being represented at the factory in person on a regular basis, and that the factory clearly connects your presence there with your production.

3. Inspection

Perform regular product inspections (either with your staff or a via 3rd party), not only on the final product shipment, but also during production (otherwise knows as DUPRO). Ensure these inspections are consistent and based on clear inspection criteria. Always review the inspection results with factory management and their own QC team.

4. Keep Approved Samples

Some say that a picture is worth a thousand words. I say that a sample is worth a thousand headaches! Items often get revised and modified several times in the sourcing process, and then again after production begins. Keeping an approved sample in your office, and also one in the factory that can be used to verify the production product by the QC team, is essential in seeing eye to eye with your Chinese suppliers.

5. Take Responsibility

Nothing will alienate your Chinese suppliers more than a mistake on your side for which you take no responsibility, and blame their misunderstanding. I’ve seen hard-headed buyers make this mistake more than once, to the demise of their hard earned factory relationships. So, make sure you have all the facts before you start to blame. Recognize when it’s possible that a mistake or production issue may have been caused by your own fault, or your own team’s mis-communication. Take responsibility when this happens, even if it means a financial loss. If you are working with the factory on a long term basis, the credibility you will gain will outweigh what you have given up.

I agree with all of this, but I also vehemently believe that a well crafted contract is also key. My own experience and that of manufacturers with whom I speak tell me that a good contract can itself help to maintain quality. How? Simple. Chinese companies, like companies everywhere, do not relish being sued. A good contract means incorporates the key quality requirements and also sets up the Chinese company for liability for failing to meet those requirements.

One example. We often put a provision in our OEM agreements (which we nearly always do in Chinese for better enforcement in China against the manufacturer) mandating that the Chinese manufacturer cannot subcontract out the manufacturing. We have been doing this for years and, as far as we know, no manufacturer has ever violated this provision. I know many of you are dubious of this record, but hear me out. Let's say the Chinese manufacturer has 30 customers for whom it manufacturers product. Let's say only four of those customers have a no subcontracting provision (my guess is this number is more like to be two, but for the sake of argument, let's go with four here). The China OEM manufacturer gets really busy and has to subcontract out some of its manufacturing. It can subcontract out the product manufacturing of any of its 30 customers, so why wouldn't it choose to subcontract out the product for the 26 customers who have no contract provision prohibiting subcontracting? I call this the bike lock theory of Chinese law because the no-subcontract provision operates like a good bike lock. The thief can still steal your bike, but why would he when there are so many easier targets out there?

What do you think?
_________________
Stefania - Staff di QualitiAmo

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