Re: Quality products from China
My biggest problems with Chinese suppliers have been getting an adequate response/corrective action for defects they have shipped, and changing materials without notifying me. They actually changed the grade of steel of some brackets they manufactured for us (cost-save of course) without notifying us. Honestly, as a career-quality professional I would rather deal with almost any other country. I know there are great Chinese suppliers, I just haven't had experience with any yet!
I’m glad you wrote what you did as it gives me the chance to clarify a few things
As most now realise I do business with China but I’ve met my Chinese “contact” several times and we hit it off right from the start. He has a (small) factory that supplements my products and I sell his – so it is definitely a mutually beneficial cooperation.
There are a couple of companies in China selling the same products as he does but at dumping prices. He says that it’s ruining the market and reputation of the honest companies. I’ve seen and handled the “dumping price” products and they virtually look identical – until you start to use them! Then there’s a world of difference.
While I was in China he named a few companies I should be careful of and while we were together in Europe I got even more information on how to order to get what I wanted. He seems to know something about an incredibly large number of Chinese companies. I’d better state now for the record that I’m not interested in being any kind of mediator (and refuse to be a go between) but maybe if anyone wants to know some information I could ask him. I’m not promising he will know the company or will even volunteer the information.
This has nothing to do with what his company makes, so I can use it as an example. I’ll bet almost every DIY guy (and handyman) in here (myself included) has bought those cheap bits for their rechargeable power drill. They didn’t last very long did they? Still lesson learned, so now I pay a bit more – actually quite a bit more, but at least I don’t need to shop as often now.
I think I’ve mentioned this previously but I asked him (my Chinese contact) to order some gages for me and was asked if I wanted to be certain that I really got what I wanted. I replied that I did and he told me how to do it. Purchasing managers won’t like this but the price for getting the quality necessary was about twice that of “off the shelf pot luck”. Needless to say, I bought the “expensive” gages. They also came with a measurement certificate. They were also still much cheaper than what I could have bought in Europe- less than half.
I think the point I’m trying to make is that when cost saving purchases are left to the “bean counters”, (I’ve always loved that expression) then most only go after the price. When production runs into problems it's NEVER their fault.
The costs of inferior quality with purchased (and delivered) good should be added to the purchasing price and the person who made the purchase be held accountable.
I do know that if I was buying something from a supplier in Denmark (if I thought there was a chance I’d get rubbish) I’d either get information on him or pay a visit. One thing I’d NEVER do is start off by placing a large order. Usually with large orders to foreign countries (and here the USA is perhaps large enough to be considered 50 countries) the initial purchase should include a visit to the supplier. I’m willing to bet the cost saved by using the low price supplier would more than compensate for the plane fare and hotel to do a check
Visits as necessary should also be calculated into the purchasing price.
When I was working with a delivery to the US airforce there were frequent cutomer visitors but I had a feeling that the most interesting aspect of those visits were to check out all the tall blue-eyed blondes
It's certainly what was most discussed.
The bottom line is (in China as in all other countries) “if you’re lucky you get what you pay for – rarely do you get more”. Another is the age old truth “If it sounds to good to be true then it probably isn’t true”
Me a cynic? Nope, more a realist. Quality realisation should be a mandatory part of all purchasing educations – if in fact they do actually get an education 
It also gives them an idea of what to be on the look-out for in the future.
