Chinese New Year Factory Closures Affect Production Schedules 11/22/2011
The Chinese New Year is quickly approaching, which means planning and preparation should be done now. This winter, Chinese New Year beings on January 23, 2012 and the associated parties and festivities typically last for two weeks. During this time, family members return home to spend time with their loved ones, play games, tell stories and eat traditional treats. The activities end with Lantern Festivals that take place all over the country on the 15th day.
Hence, now is the time to make sure that you have accounted for a two week shut down of most factories throughout the country. Whether it be placing orders early to get your product shipped in time or just clever planning and inventory control according to customer needs… it is important to remember this holiday and plan for it before it is too late! Make sure to communicate with your suppliers to find out their exact schedules so nothing falls through the cracks.
Say “Goodbye” to the Year of the Rabbit and, “Hello” to the Year of the Dragon! Traditionally, the dragon is said to represent power and it has evolved to also be a symbol for success and happiness. Let’s hope it will be a successful year for us all!
Quality Issues? Product Inspections Can Help Save Time and Money 11/21/2011
FactoryAudits.com is a leader in Product Inspections and Factory Audits in China and throughout Asia. With offices throughout China’s major manufacturing cities, we act as your partner in China – helping to check your products for quality problems before they leave the factory!
Inspection types include:
Pre-Shipment Inspection
Production Monitoring
During Production Assessment
Initial Production Check
Container Load Check
Want more info? Email Us!
Successful Exhibition at Hong Kong’s Global Sourcing Fair 11/18/2011
This fall, FactoryAudits.com exhibited at one of the largest trade shows in Asia, the Global Sources – China Sourcing Fair in Hong Kong.
FactoryAudits.com specializes in product inspections and Factory Audits to help customers ensure product quality, secure imports and save time and money.
FactoryAudits.com was proud to be one of nearly 7,500 exhibitors who spent the month of October networking with more than 62,000 buyers, a record amount of attendees for the Hong Kong show.
The fourteen shows were held concurrently at the Asia World-Expo in Hong Kong. We had a great experience chatting and networking with some of the world’s top companies in attendance – such as Best Buy, Samsung, Levi’s, Office Depot, Toys “R” Us and more.
We appreciate those who took the time to chat with us and learn more about our product inspection & factory auditing services. We look forward to seeing you again in April for the Spring Fair! Learn more about our services here.
Food Safety in China is Lacking: Don’t leave your Supply Chain at Risk 4/19/2011
After multiple rashes of serious food safety issues in China, it is clear that certain regions lack the proper resources to conduct legitimate food safety inspections of the food being imported into the U.S. Multiple food safety authorities in China are in charge, which causes confusion over who is in charge of what. Some of the agencies in China are also funded by the fines that they collect from violators; which means that prevention-based inspections may not be top priority.
Food safety experts are urging manufacturers and importers to be proactive in securing the safety of their supply chains, especially in developing countries where inspections are not up to the FDA’s standards.
If food safety is of the utmost importance to your company, and you are planning on complying with the new Food Safety Modernization Act’s regulations, consider hiring an outside team to assess your suppliers for you. You will save time and money in travel expenses, and will not have to deal with the cultural and language barriers that add additional challenges. Interested? View what FactoryAudits.com has to offer.
Huge Boeing Factory Completed in Tianjin 4/19/2011
Boeing’s newest factory just opened for production in the Binhai New Area of Tianjin in Northern China. The brand new 55,000 square meter facility is part of Boeing’s expansion project to increase production capacity by 60 percent. The sparkling new facility cost $21 million USD to complete and will employ 1,000 people when it reaches full capacity in 2013.
The new factory brings more business and money into the already bustling, successful region of Tianjin. The facility is part of a joint venture between Boeing and the Aviation Industry Corporation of China. This new factory will be able to better serve its clients in China as well as all over the world. Other clients include Austria-based FACC, Hatch, Korean Aerospace Industries, Goodrich Corporation and many more.
The components produced in this factory go to supply many of Boeing’s planes including the 747-8, 767 and 787. There is no doubt that the components produced for such massive, intricate planes must be of the highest standard. Factory Audits are a great way to assess a supplier’s ability to produce quality components. Audits also provide the information needed to make critical decisions regarding purchasing. Whether you are considering a new supplier or assessing how to curb costs with current suppliers, factory audits can expose gaps and weaknesses that can help you decide whether to stick with them or cut ties and find a new supplier.
Spring Canton Fair Kicks Off – Increasing Buyer/Supplier Connections 4/18/2011
The largest import and export show in China began last Friday, April 15. Although there are mounting concerns over inflation, the 109th Canton Fair continues to be a popular event. The fair is typically used as a way to gauge the economic environment in China by the amount of deals that take place over the 15 day fair. This year there will be more than 800 more exhibitors (totaling more than 24,000!) than the last session of the fair in the fall of 2010.
The fair typically attracts more than 200,000 overseas buyers from 200 countries. The physical size of the fair is something impressive in itself: the fair spans over covers more than 1 million square meters (more than 200 football fields combined!)
Last year’s Spring Session resulted in $34 billion USD worth of export contracts signed during the fair, up more than 10 percent from the previous year’s Autumn Fair.
Only time will tell how much business will be conducted at this Spring’s fair, but you can be sure that thousands of Chinese suppliers will be connected with buyers all over the world. Which means more and more businesses will be taking chances on new suppliers. If you are one of these overseas buyers, consider doing your diligence and conducting a pre-screening 3rd party factory audit of your potential suppliers to ensure a quality product and a quality business partner for the future.
Chinese New Year affects Factories and Auditing Plans 4/15/2011
The New Year festivities are a huge deal in China. Many factories and businesses will shut down for at least a week. And next year, the Chinese New Year and Spring Fair festivities begin on January 23, 2012. Parties and festivals typically last for two weeks, and family members will return home to visit with food, games and stories. The New Year activities end on the 15th day with Lantern Festivals all over the country.
It is important to keep in mind that for at least a week in January/early February your suppliers may not be working and you will need to adjust your production and auditing schedules accordingly. Make sure that you plan ahead and account for these factory closures by placing orders ahead of time if need be and communicating with your suppliers to find out their exact schedules so nothing slips through the cracks.
2012 is the Year of the Dragon. Traditionally, the dragon is said to represent power and it has evolved to also be a symbol for success and happiness.
How Often Should You Audit Your Suppliers? 4/12/2011
Supplier audits and assessments are great ways to gain insight into the inner workings of your supplier’s facility. Capability and Capacity Audits reveal both the strengths and the weaknesses of your suppliers, helping you obtain critical information regarding quality management, process control, social and environmental accountability and other important factors.
It is suggested by industry professionals to audit your overseas suppliers at least once a year. Depending on the industry, it can be important to visit them more frequently. Industries that should be taken under special consideration are: food, consumables, cosmetics, pet food/treats, precision machining and consumer goods; where your end customer requires an even higher level of quality assurance.
For example, for our clients in the food industry, we have many of them on monthly audit schedules. Each month, on a randomly selected date, our teams in Asia will make unannounced audit visits. Through a regular auditing plan, both the factory and your business benefit. The factory learns that you are serious about your business and serious about their quality management and performance. You, in turn, benefit through deeper understanding of supplier capacity, capability and can identify problems rapidly or even before they occur. Auditing regularly also ensures that the factory isn’t “cleaning up” to impress the auditors and returning to bad habits once they have left.
If you have any questions about setting up customized audit programs for your company, please contact us. Bulk audit orders may qualify for discounted rates. We work with companies around the world to audit, monitor and qualify suppliers in nearly every industry.
Grocery Manufacturers on Board with Food Safety Modernization Act 3/30/2011
Today, the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) commented on the implementation of the newly signed Food Safety Modernization Act. The Chief Science Officer at GMA, Dr. Leon Bruner, said that the FSMA will help increase the safety and reliability of the imported foods and ingredients. Dr. Bruner also believes that through the implementation of this act, the level of consumer confidence in the nation’s food supply will rise as food borne illnesses decrease.
Dr. Bruner did make it clear that throughout the implementation process, the GMA suggests that the FDA uses an approach that is both practical and based on science. The GMA plans to work together with the FDA to help make this law a reality.
With the support of large organizations like the GMA, the FDA will be able to move faster and implement more efficiently. This means more of an urgency for food manufacturers and importers to get on track with their own food safety systems. Consider letting FactoryAudits.com conduct a Food Safety Assessment of your suppliers to find out where your food safety processes fall short.
The GMA is made up of producers, packagers and sellers of food and consumable products. To read the statements issued by GMA go here.
Natural Products Expo West – A Successful Event 3/29/2011
This March, FactoryAudits.com exhibited at the Natural Products Expo West showcasing our Food Safety Assessments and auditing services. The largest natural products exposition in the U.S. was held at the Anaheim Convention Center from March 11-13. Over 56,000 industry professionals attended the show from around the world to see the latest and greatest in the world of natural products.
Our inside knowledge of the Food Safety Modernization Act’s regulations and requirements helped to make the event a great success. Our team was able to convey to hundreds of food manufacturers, importers, producers and buyers the importance of conducting 3rd Party Food Safety Assessments and securing their supply chains. Our food safety assessments give an inside-look at your supplier’s/processor’s pest control processes, chemical control processes, sanitation processes as well as handling/storage safety, infrastructure, machinery, traceability and more.
We also shared our booth space with our parent-company, TriVista, who showcased their global supply chain services. TriVista was also pleased with their experience, gaining key contacts and networking with industry experts.
We would like to thank everyone who took the time to chat with us and look forward to exhibiting next year!
If you or your company would like to speak with someone from our Food Safety Assessments, please contact us today. 1-888-694-1484 or sales@factoryaudits.com.