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Importer or team leader

Posted: November 04, 2016

By Jacob Yount

When
you source, manufacture and buy from an offshore supplier, are you simply an
importer doing a task or will it be more advantageous to view yourself as a team
leader?

So
basically, I send in my payment and then they’ll manufacture the order and then
once it’s complete, I’ll send my balance and that’s all it takes,
right?

Consider
in your China sourcing endeavors, the amount of tasks and requirements that are
intertwined with a successful project.

•
Administration

• Sign-offs

• Communication and
Accessibility

• Logistics

• Project management.
Establishing directives and goals and then assuring BOTH sides, supplier and
importer are hitting their goals.

How
many of these tasks are solely the responsibility of the importer? Is there
anything on that list that’s only the supplier’s responsibility?

In
China manufacturing, the entire relationship between buyer and supplier is
frequently disconnected.

The
importer wants to order with the ease of buying locally and assumes the supplier
“should know what to do” and that everything is handled.

The
supplier, due to capability and deep cultural characteristics, operates from a
to-do list
mentality and wants see how much they can proceed on bare minimum investment
(whether thought, energy or resources).

All
this leads to nasty scenarios of delays, poor interaction and ultimately
substandard manufactured goods.

To
some extent, the buck stops with the importer

A
safer and more comprehensive view is to see the supplier working FOR you in the
sense of a leader (importer) and production team (supplier). This is instead of
the traditional buyer / supplier view.

When
importers start seeing their supplier first and foremost as the production
department, then it becomes clearer to the importer what tasks should be
delegated to the supplier, what tasks should be spearheaded by the buying side
and what tasks are ongoing between both sides.

Establish
realistic parameters and delegate the appropriate tasks.

At
the risk of stating the obvious, the supplier is primarily responsible for safe
and quality manufacturing. Therefore you want avoid bogging them down with
secondary tasks that’s going to remove their focus from the main
thing.

The
supplier is an extension of your production department, not your administration
dept or your “reminder squad.”

If
the supplier is responsible for safe and quality product, then it’s your
responsibility to assure the standard is set and both sides are crystal clear on
the required specifications.

From
the beginning of a project, establish expectations

So
often when dealing with China, even the best suppliers suffer from the bare
minimum mentality (laid out above), so what you want to do is realize this and
inspire the supplier to see your vision.

List
your expectations to your supplier from the beginning. Even after you’ve gone
over these from the beginning, the supplier probably will not get it and adapt
the first time, or the second time, or the….

Working
with China requires a lot of what I call “shampoo instructions”. Rinse and Repeat. If you think you can tell
your supplier or employee or teammate something 1 time and they got it or they
will self research, then you’re going to be disappointed.

A
team is only as good as its leader. You have to consider, when contracting a
vendor to manufacture your orders, the supplier becomes an extension of your
company. So many importers and distributors discuss on their website how they
have this intricate network of global suppliers. But when they contact this
supposedly pre-establish “network”, they treat it solely as an us and them
mentality. But wait, wait, I thought this was your global network?

What
healthy organization has leaders that do not communicate and update the team? If
you want your supplier to communicate with you, you have to communicate with
them. Show
them via example and via direct firm request how you expect to be
updated.

You
won’t find a thriving organization that thinks every other department is
supposed to handle something (without proof that they have agreed or are capable
of handling).

An
importer motivates their supplier. Keep in mind that the sales contact you frequently speak with; they
ain’t making a lot of money. The factory workers make less.What incentive have
you given for them to serve you any better?

You
establish a loyalty with your contact by clarity in instruction, non-combative
communication, guidance and repeat business.

If
you’re an importer that’s having trouble with suppliers, then you’re a team
leader that’s having trouble leading.

Want
to learn more sourcing best practices?

Join the Global Sources Summit that combines conferences and
networking, co-located with our Hong Kong trade shows. The event will be held
April 17-19, 2017, and is geared toward online and Amazon
sellers.

Jacob
Yount lived in China from 2001 to 2012, during which time he started JLmade. He
is now based out of North Carolina in the US and his home office is still in
Suzhou, China; manufacturing and exporting branded merchandise, promotional
products and retail gifts for distributors worldwide. Contact Jacob at This
email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to
view it.

, or find him on his blog.

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