New QSS Website!

After several weeks of work, Quality Sourcing Solutions has lauched our new website.   The most important upgrade is the ease of navigation.  Please visit us and let me know what you think.  More upgrades are on the way, as these things are always works in progress. 

Vote for Me

This morning, I took an our out of my day to watch “Vote for Me.”  Wow, what a fun story.  Please check it out, and look for it on your local PBS station at http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/pleasevoteforme/

 This short movie documents a Chinese experiment in democracy, the election of Class Monitor by a 3rd-grade class in Wuhan.  Influence peddling and vote purchasing quickly develop, but that is the natural state of a pure democracy.  Whatever your political slant, it’s a fun movie to see.

I’ve been in the US working sales for several months now.  Seeing the movie, I could feel China — the familiar apartment buildings, the electric scooters, the morning exercises by students.  I miss it!

Please, if you get a chance, watch this moving.  It’s only an hour, and a fantastic story!

Vietnam?

A customer recently asked me if he should be looking to Vietnam for the next project, not China.  I told him that based on my estimates of population (specifically skilled labor) comparisons, and the relatively poor infrastructure in Vietnam, that it would be a very long time before he should consider that choice.  The guys at China Law Blog recently posted about the same subject, with the same basic conclusion.

 I visited Ho Chi Minh City and Natrong last year.  While I was amazed at the natural beauty, and relatively more western-oriented people, an industrial powerhouse it is not.  When people ask me how long I’ll focus on China, I assure them that I lose absolutely no sleep over this issue.  Certainly for the duration of my career, China is the place to manufacture.

Certified Quality Auditor

CQA Press Release

I just received word that I’m now an American Society for Quality Certified Quality Auditor (CQA).  I’ve performed many audits, but decided it was time to get recognized for my knowledge.  In my business, trust is so important.  I feel that this certification at least shows that my team and I are committed to providing real value for our customers, and we’re committed to ongoing education in an effort to improve our service.

 Please don’t hesitate to contact us if we can perform an audit for you.  Audits are an important part of supplier management, and are cheap relative to the damage that a single bad shipment can cause.

New Rules for China Sourcing

A couple of weeks ago, I was talking to a friend about China.  Discussing the recent toy recalls, lead paint, and other quality issues, he asked how my job had changed.  What new rules are companies following?  How can you buy from China now?

I’m sorry to tell you that while consumer awareness is now heightened, there are no new rules.  Nothing has changed.

When did companies stop managing suppliers?  Did managers really think that sourcing from China was easy?  That enjoying cost reductions came without risk?  For more information, visit Quality Sourcing Solutions, and review some articles and guidelines for China sourcing.

I’ll summarize some steps here.  This is the process that I’ve used successfully time and time again:

1. Know what you want.  Develop a good specification before you start.
2. Qualify your supplier with a thorough audit.
3. Develop a qualification plan.  How will you know your getting what you want?
4. Manage your supplier with inspections and periodic audits.

Engineering Input and Output

We’ve followed the specification process from the marketing spec to the engineering spec.  What is the output of the engineering department?  The engineering department produces a product data package that is sent to manufacturing (remember, manufacturing could be down the hall, or on the other side of the planet).  The product data package includes (and there may be many more things depending on the industry):

1. Assembly drawings of completed product and subassemblies.
2. Detail drawings of components used in item 1.
3. Purchase specifications for purchased parts used in item 1.
4. Complete engineering bill of material (BOM).
5. Approved manufacturer’s list, if any parts are manufacturer specific.
6. Packaging details (specifications and maybe drawings).
7. Required agency approvals.
8. Test output specifications (used to generate manufacturing tests).
9. Completed design verification and useage validation test results (to prove compliance with engineering/marketing specification and actual usage requirements).
10. Possibly operating and service manuals (may be done in another department).

The engineering data package then goes to manufacturing (or concurrently in many organizations) and a manufacturing data package is produced.  For our purposes, we’ll stop there.  The manufacturers in China are likely to use different methods, and will develop their own manufacturing data based on your engineering product data package.

Next time, we’ll develop the list of information you’ll want to gather before you start your China-sourcing project.  This is the information that the engineers at QSS will ask you for when you call to initiate the process.

American Society for Quality Audit Conference

I’m heading to Atlanta this evening for the ASQ Audit Division Conference.  Send me a note if you’ll be in town!

QSS performs audits for customers.  As usual, I’m wondering how provide more value.  I want to make our audits more complete, more relevant, and more consistent.  I hope to learn some new things and meet new people as well.  Hope to see you there!