China's Indifference to Quality

This piece from the online San Fransisco Chronicle just caught my eye, "Cars, bad air, slipshod quality trouble China." In general, the tone of the article is negative, but unfortunately, I have to agree with most of it, in particular:

"Last, and perhaps most dispiriting, China remains a nation with an
astonishing indifference to quality - a problem that's hardly improved since I first went there in 1994."

I wish it weren't so, but for many industries, it's true. There have been only the smallest changes in general attitude about quality. One of my oldest clients was just complaining to me about the difficulties with finding vendors that seem to care, especially in his industry.

Should you consider China for sourcing opportunities? Of course, but do it in a systematic way. I've written numerous posts about developing a process, and managing your supply chain. I won't repeat them here, but if you plan to source product in China, the rules have NOT changed. You must be vigilant, and you must have a systematic way to run your sourcing projects which includes proper vendor and quality oversight.