In recent years, many companies have adopted a 'China Plus One' strategy for managing their global supply chains. In other words, rather than relying solely on a Chinese manufacturer to make their products, they establish additional supplier relationships in another...
Supply Chain Management
What is Supplier Quality Management? Plus 3 Important Tips
Today’s supply chains are complex, and manufacturers rely on them to get the raw materials and parts they need to make their products. A car might have over 30,000 individual parts, and while an automaker will manufacture some of those parts in-house, they’ll likely...
Understand Supply Chain Risks and How to Manage Them
When importing consumer products, it is vital to understand the different supply chain risks that might affect your business and take appropriate steps to mitigate them. These risks can manifest themselves in many forms, from political unrest to container shortages to...
Manufacturing in India: Is it a Viable Alternative to China?
There is nothing like a global pandemic to make you rethink your supply chain strategy. Long before COVID-19 wreaked havoc on global markets, companies worldwide sought to mitigate supply chain risks. There was already a trend of limiting dependence on China through a...
Manufacturing in Malaysia: An Overview for Consumer Product Importers
Many importers have adopted a “China +1” approach in recent years. Over the last decade, labor costs in China have steadily risen, and the country’s government — as evidenced by their Made in China 2025 plan — is moving away from low-cost, labor-intensive goods and...
Thailand Manufacturing: An Alternative Worth Exploring?
The trade war and pandemic have made importers think long and hard about where they should produce their products. Many consumer product brands that previously relied exclusively on China have come to adopt a China +1 approach. To mitigate supply chain risks, they...
Will There Really Be a “New Normal” for Supply Chains?
“You must be shapeless, formless, like water. When you pour water in a cup, it becomes the cup. When you pour water in a bottle, it becomes the bottle. When you pour water in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Water can drip and it can crash. Become like water my...
Reshoring is a Move You Need to Think Through Very Carefully
An abandoned warehouse located in Loveland, Colorado. (Photo: Tara Evans) “This pandemic has underscored the vital importance of reshoring our supply chains and bringing them back into the United States, where they belong, where they should have never left.” –...
Manufacturing in Indonesia: 3 Things You Need to Consider
Have you been looking at potential manufacturers in Indonesia to either replace or supplement your China manufacturing? Is it something that you’ve thought about? Since the U.S.-China trade war began in 2018 many importers have been transitioning production from China...
Manufacturing in Cambodia: a Good Alternative to China?
Since 2018, an increasing number of importers have been looking for alternatives to China, with a desire to either replace or supplement their Chinese manufacturers. The U.S.-China trade war has put billions of dollars worth of tariffs on imports from the country and...