Join Renaud Anjoran, Founder & CEO of Sofeast, in this podcast aimed at importers who develop their own products as he discusses the hottest topics and shares actionable tips for manufacturing in China & Asia today! WHO IS RENAUD? Renaud is a French ISO 9001 & 14001 certified lead auditor, ASQ certified Quality Engineer and Quality Manager who has been working in the Chinese manufacturing industry since 2005. He is the founder of the Sofeast group that has over 200 staff globally and offers ...
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1
Component, Production, and Inventory FAQs
35:38
35:38
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In Episode 231 of the podcast, Adrian and Renaud tackle listener questions on supply chain management. Renaud offers expert advice on ensuring a stable supply of components, managing lead times, and handling inventory and warehousing. From strategic procurement to vendor-managed inventory, get practical tips to optimize your supply chain operations…
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Silicone Compression Molding: What's The Big Deal?
45:19
45:19
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Welcome to episode 230 of China Manufacturing Decoded, brought to you by Sofeast! This week, your host Adrian and Sofeast senior engineer and new product development head Paul Adams take a journey into the fascinating world of silicone compression molding. In this episode, you'll learn why this production process is so popular for silicone parts an…
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1
Quality Disputes: Legal Protections for Buyers in China's Legal System
36:13
36:13
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In this episode, we go into the intricacies of the Chinese legal system and explore the legal protections available for buyers who receive bad or fake products from Chinese suppliers so you can protect your business effectively. Sofeast CEO Renaud Anjoran is joined by Jessica Xu, a senior trial litigator and legal counsel for various government bod…
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3 "Must-Follow" Product Design Optimizations & Best Practices
46:43
46:43
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Paul Adams, senior engineer and head of new product development at Sofeast, spills the beans on 3 key product design optimizations and best practices that it pays to follow to have a successful product launch, namely: How to optimize the design for cost, size, and weight? What are the best practices for PCB design and layout? How to ensure the prod…
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Prototyping and Testing FAQs: How many Iterations and what Tests to be Safe & Compliant?
43:30
43:30
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Join Renaud and Adrian as they talk about the intricacies of prototyping and testing during new product development. They discuss 2 common FAQs from customers: How many prototype iterations will be needed? What are the essential tests for ensuring product safety and compliance? Renaud explains how different product complexities affect the prototypi…
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1
The Growing Importance of Software in Electronic Product Manufacturing
28:40
28:40
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In this episode of China Manufacturing Decoded, Adrian and Renaud discuss the evolving role of software in the development and manufacturing of electronic products. They explore how software has become a significant source of competitive advantage, often surpassing hardware in importance. Using examples from smartphones to cars, they illustrate how…
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1
Prototyping Essentials: The 5 Key Uses of Prototyping Equipment
52:48
52:48
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Join us as we delve into the five main uses of prototyping equipment, including 3D printers, CNC milling, and more. Our host, Renaud, is joined by Paul Adams, head of the new product development team, to explore why prototyping is crucial for design houses, manufacturing companies, and product developers alike. In this episode, we break down the di…
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1
Selecting the Right Factory Audit for Your Needs
38:13
38:13
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Join hosts Renaud and Adrian as they discuss the ins and outs of factory audits and how to select the right one based on your specific requirements. In this episode, Renaud shares insights from his recent experiences and highlights the latest developments at Sofeast Group, including the expansion of their plastic injection molding facility. The mai…
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From "Poorly made in China" to "Made with Quality in China"
1:01:17
1:01:17
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Renaud hosts and is joined again by regular guest, Andrew Amirnovin. They talk about where China has come from quality-wise and the forces that aligned to transform Chinese products from poor to great quality in the past two decades or so. Show Sections 00:00 - Greetings and introduction. 03:46 - What happened to transform China-made products from …
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Logistics Special! Rising Shipping Costs + FOB vs FCA Incoterms
31:18
31:18
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Adrian is on hosting duty and is joined by Sofeast's Head of Supply Chain Management, Kate. Rising shipping costs (sea, air, and otherwise) are an issue facing importers from Asia now in 2024, but what's causing it and are there any tips to help you cope? Also, in a second topic, Kate dispels the confusion about FOB vs FCA, explaining why the more …
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1
Elon Musk's New Product Introduction Philosophy: What Can We Learn?
40:15
40:15
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Adrian and Renaud get together to talk about Elon Musk's insights and philosophy into developing and bringing new products to market (from an interview by 'Everyday Astronaut' on YouTube at his launch facility a few years back). He shares his philosophies on new product introductions which cover some common sense topics that manufacturers of almost…
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1
Exploring Apple's iPhone Reliability & Durability Testing
37:59
37:59
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Renaud hosts and is joined by Andrew Amirnovin, Sofeast's product reliability head, and they're looking at how Apple tests iPhone reliability and durability. Recently Marques Brownlee shared some videos from within Apple's testing lab and interviews with their head of hardware engineering and the insights were interesting. It turns out that Andrew …
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1
When to do Design Reviews on Innovative Hardware Products?
38:41
38:41
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Adrian hosts and Renaud goes deep into design reviews which can really save your skin by identifying and fixing problems that can lead to defects and failures. What kinds of product design reviews can be done to reduce problems, and when during the product design and development process should they be done? Show Sections 00:00 - Greetings and intro…
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Near-Sourcing in Europe (+ Turkey) VS Buying from China (Feat. Fredrik Gronkvist, Productmkr.com)
35:08
35:08
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Renaud hosts and is joined by Fredrik Gronkvist, founder of Productmkr.com, to discuss near-sourcing from Europe + Turkey (and Mexico for North American buyers) VS buying from China. Fredrik has done a lot of research on how to source from China alternatives and he now offers a supplier database for subscribers to help make finding the right option…
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What do the USA's May '24 China tariffs mean for importers?
42:12
42:12
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Adrian and Renaud are back to examine the recent May 14th news of new China tariffs being implemented by the Biden administration with the overall aim of reducing trade with China whom many in America see as flooding the market with cheap exports that damage American businesses who can't compete. EVs, solar panels, medical devices, steel and alumin…
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IP Protection when buying from China (Feat. Dan Harris, China Law Blog)
40:26
40:26
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Renaud welcomes Dan Harris, Partner of the Seattle-headquartered and globally officed Harris Sliwoski LLP and long-time writer of the China Law Blog, to the podcast! Over the years he has shared so much valuable information for importers who buy from and manufacture in China; a key topic being keeping IP safe when purchasing from Chinese suppliers.…
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1
Exploring Plastic Injection Molding Pilot Runs
40:52
40:52
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Renaud hosts and is joined by Sofeast Group senior engineer, Paul Adams, to discuss how to go from a design to mass-producing your plastic injection molded parts, first following the proven pre-production pilot run approach to ensure risks are kept to a minimum. You'll learn what should be optimized and what should not be skipped, even if sometimes…
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1
The Rise Of The Dragon: Exploring China’s Technology Dominance
41:14
41:14
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Today Adrian and Andrew Amirnovin, our reliability and testing head, look at some of China's recent technology successes, what fuels China's tech dominance, and how technology is caught up in the middle of the US-China trade war. Show Sections 00:00 - Greetings and introduction. 06:18 - What is fuelling China's tech dominance? 12:40 - The success s…
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10 Common Problems From Chinese Suppliers (& How You Can Deal With Them)
49:16
49:16
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Adrian and Renaud get together to talk about 10 common problems that companies with Chinese manufacturing suppliers often face, AND how you can deal with them. Hopefully, you are not one of the unlucky ones, but being prepared with the knowledge to avoid issues is always helpful! Show Sections 00:00 - Greetings and introduction 03:22 - 1. If your s…
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Adrian and Renaud discuss Quality Fade. This bad practice from suppliers sees them put their profits before your product quality, but the big problem is that you may not even know it is happening as it's a gradual process where quality declines over time, bit by bit. Are you at risk, how do you identify it, and what can you do to combat it? We reve…
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1
PCBA Protection: How to Care for the Heart of your Electronic Product
27:03
27:03
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On this episode of the China Manufacturing Decoded Podcast, Adrian hosts and is joined by Andrew, our reliability and testing head who is going to explain why the PCBA in your electronic product is critical, and how to protect it both physically and through product design. Show Sections 00:00 - Greetings and introduction. 01:45 - What is the PCB an…
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1
Traceability In Manufacturing: Far More Than Just A Safety Net
41:44
41:44
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Adrian and Renaud are talking about traceability for manufacturers which provides a detailed record of how the products are manufactured and the supply chain, from raw materials to finished products. Having this mindset and system can help you to reduce risks and deal with problems quickly by pinpointing where they arise. It can also help you be a …
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1
Boeing's Serious Issue: Bad Manufacturing Habits
39:18
39:18
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39:18
Air travel requires an extremely high level of safety, so it's very embarrassing for Boeing that they have been dogged by quality and reliability issues lately, resulting in a near-disaster on a brand new Alaska Airlines 737 Max. Renaud and Paul look at Boeing's recent troubles, based on information from news reports, that seem to have been caused …
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1
Manufacturer's & Buyer's Risks in China: Mitigation and Insurance Tips
34:36
34:36
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Our CEO Renaud is joined by Marc Burban and Amanda Han, insurance brokers from Asian Risks Management Services. We get advice from these two China insurance experts, explore the typical risks that manufacturers and buyers in China face, and learn how you can use insurance and risk management to mitigate them. For anyone manufacturing in China, this…
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Chinese e-Bike/Scooter Battery Fire Risks Are No Joke! (Feat.Clive Greenwood)
35:16
35:16
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Renaud is joined by regular guest, Clive Greenwood, an international product compliance expert based in China. They talk about the growing risks of Li-ion batteries used in Chinese e-bikes and scooters amid many high-profile fires in China, deaths in the West, and grave warnings from the FDNY. Clive also makes suggestions about how legislation can …
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1
Apple Vision Pro Cracking Up! Reliability Problems, So Soon? (BONUS)
15:03
15:03
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In this bonus episode, our host and CEO Renaud is joined by our product reliability and durability expert, Andrew Amirnovin, to talk about the bad news for Apple that their much-hyped Vision Pro headset is cracking just weeks after being released to the public. They explore the durability problems rearing their heads only a month or so into the pro…
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1
Plastic & Metal Development Prototypes: Uses & Limitations
34:45
34:45
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Adrian hosts and is joined by Sofeast Group senior engineer, Paul Adams, and they talk about the uses and limitations of the metal and plastic 'development prototypes,' that is to say, product prototypes made during the development process and before mass production. Remember, these are not production-standard prototypes, but that doesn't mean that…
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1
Handing Over To Manufacturing: Best Practices
39:41
39:41
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Adrian and Renaud discuss how to plan for the handover of your innovative new product to manufacturing (with a focus on hard goods with mechanical elements and some electronic/electrical parts). Product handover should be a structured process of actions taken mainly before the manufacturer gets involved to ensure a smooth transition from you to the…
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1
Technology & Innovation in Freight Forwarding (Feat. Amit Rosenthal, CEO of Proboxx)
33:32
33:32
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33:32
Renaud hosts today and welcomes guest speaker Amit Rosenthal, CEO of Proboxx, to the show and this episode's focus is on moving your products from Asia to where they need to be via freight forwarding. They discuss how the latest technological advancements in freight forwarding are streamlining operations, improving tracking and transparency, and of…
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1
What's A Good QA Auditing & Inspection Program For New Products?
42:24
42:24
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Adrian and Renaud go through what makes a good QA auditing and inspection program for innovative new electro-mechanical products that will reduce risks of poor quality, reliability, and compliance, and detect the issues in time for them to be worked on before anything is shipped. Unless you are producing simple products or working with a supplier w…
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Why NOT doing ESD testing on new electronic products is scary!
43:13
43:13
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43:13
On this episode of the China Manufacturing Decoded Podcast, Adrian hosts and is joined by Andrew, our reliability and compliance expert, from the Sofeast Group for a deep dive into electrostatic discharge (ESD) – a critical factor in electronics production with the potential for significant impact on product success and customer satisfaction. They …
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1
Impact of Yemen's Houthis On Global Shipping in Jan '24 (BONUS)
19:00
19:00
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Welcome to our special 200th episode of China Manufacturing Decoded, a podcast by Sofeast Group, where we discuss global manufacturing topics to help you decode and navigate the supply chain world. In this episode, we discuss the impact of the Houthi Yemeni rebels' attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, and how it may affect your shipping costs and ot…
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1
The Experience Effect: The Key to Mass Production Cost Reduction & Efficiency
37:40
37:40
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37:40
In this insightful episode, host Renaud Anjoran and senior engineer Paul Adams delve into the intriguing world of the 'experience effect' - a phenomenon that offers a wealth of benefits in mass production through persistent refinement and accumulated knowledge. Immersing you in several industrial examples, Renaud and Paul throw light on how Boeing …
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1
Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 Near Disaster! Quality & Reliability Issues?
39:06
39:06
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39:06
Renaud and Andrew Amirnovin, Sofeast's Head of Compliance and Reliability, are talking about the Boeing 737 Max 9 airplane that has been in the news again following a very frightening incident where part of the body blew out leading to a sudden depressurization and emergency landing. But why did this occur? Are there more quality and reliability is…
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1
Cost Vs Quality - How Manufacturers Can Find A Balance
40:48
40:48
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Adrian and Renaud tackle the big question of cost versus quality and how they both affect each other in manufacturing. You'll learn common Chinese attitudes towards them, the long-term power of lean, and some achievable levers that can bring you cost and quality benefits that most businesses can implement quickly. Show Sections 00:00 - Greetings an…
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1
7 Key NPI Tasks To Do Before You Take Your Product Into Production
26:50
26:50
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26:50
In this episode... Adrian and Andrew Amirnovin kick off 2024 by going through 7 key New Product Introduction tasks you need to be aware of to get a positive outcome before mass producing your product. If this is the year you bring a product to market, get ahead of the curve by bearing these 7 things in mind from one of our most experienced team mem…
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1
13 Strategies To Ensure Consistent Product Quality
53:45
53:45
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53:45
Adrian and Renaud return for the last podcast of 2023, a bumper episode where they go through 13 quality strategies you can adopt to achieve consistent product quality. They're roughly split into pre-production and post-production strategies, so settle down and dive in here! Show Sections 00:00 - Greetings and introduction. Pre-production 02:18 - 1…
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1
How to add Surface Textures to Molded Plastic Parts (Feat. Paul Adams)
49:03
49:03
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49:03
Adrian hosts and Paul Adams, one of Sofeast's senior engineers joins him to talk about how to add surface textures to plastic injection mold tooling and get the finish that we want on our plastic molded parts. Show Sections 00:00 - Greetings and introduction to textures for plastic injection molded parts. 02:55 - General points about getting starte…
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1
Do you need a sourcing agent to buy from China?
45:28
45:28
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Adrian and Renaud chat about whether hiring a sourcing agent is necessary for businesses that want to purchase products from China. They also discuss the different options, such as doing the sourcing work yourself, and their pros and cons. Show Sections 00:00 - Greetings and news: CNY '24 prep and visa-free China entry for 6 countries. 08:06 - Who …
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1
Should you be wary of the cheapest Chinese suppliers?
40:17
40:17
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Adrian hosts and Renaud is onboard to offer some cautionary advice about working with 'the cheapest Chinese supplier' with a focus on relatively ordinary consumer and electronic products. What might sound like a good deal could actually land you in hot water. Here's why... Show Sections 00:00 - Greetings and introduction: Should we be wary of choos…
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Getting Ahead Of The Upcoming EU Product Liability Directive (Feat. Clive Greenwood & Prof. Simon Choi)
41:17
41:17
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In this episode... Renaud hosts this episode on the EU's forthcoming directive on product liability which should get you nervous if you sell into Europe. Clive Greenwood and Prof. Simon Choi are two highly experienced compliance experts and Professor Choi brings a fresh outlook on how this affects manufacturers in China and EU importers in legal te…
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1
How A Supplier’s Quality Can Be Evaluated & Validated
42:39
42:39
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42:39
In this episode... Renaud and Andrew, Sofeast's head of New Product Development, are in the booth discussing how a supplier's quality can be evaluated and validated. In order to avoid purchasing parts or materials that will let you down, you need to be able to assess if a supplier is capable of reaching your requirements, and they're going to tell …
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Sourcing Chinese Suppliers? 7 expert tips to get you better results!
46:14
46:14
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46:14
In this episode... Adrian hosts and welcomes Kate Oliynykova, Sofeast's head of supply chain management, onto the podcast once again. This time she sheds light on how we do supplier identification for customers, sharing 7 tips for key areas to focus on and lots of advice that can help you get better results when you're sourcing from China (or other…
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China’s REAL business environment for foreign investors today + How to set up a manufacturing company there
38:00
38:00
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38:00
Sofeast's CEO Renaud welcomes China business expert Angel Ho, CEO of Hongda Business Services in Shenzhen, onto the show to talk about what the business environment for foreigners seeking to do business there today is really like, and about the process of setting up a manufacturing facility in China for foreigners and all of the legal and administr…
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1
18 steps for selecting electronic components the right way
47:24
47:24
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47:24
In this episode... Adrian and Andrew Amirnovin, Sofeast's reliability expert and our head of New Product Development, return and explore component selection (especially for electronics). This is just one piece of the manufacturing puzzle, but if you get it wrong it will come back to bite you! Luckily, Andrew is here to walk you through 18 steps tha…
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Technology Readiness Levels: How can they help today’s manufacturers?
38:36
38:36
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In this episode... Renaud hosts and is joined by Sofeast's senior engineer Paul Adams to go through Technology Readiness Levels which is a product development framework that is often used to gauge the progress of a new product launch project, especially during prototyping. But is it useful for today's manufacturers who are mass producing, say, cons…
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Sofeast's CEO Renaud flies solo in this episode and discusses what he thought of the recent Elon Musk biography by Walter Isaacson. What can we, the manufacturing community, learn from this enigmatic character? As you'll hear, one of his specialities is making positive DFM (Design for Manufacturing) changes, so there will be plenty of focus on thos…
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1
Testing To Failure For Your Product - Why?
42:16
42:16
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In this episode... Adrian and Andrew Amirnovin, Sofeast's reliability expert and our head of New Product Development, are back on the pod and taking you on a journey into what testing to failure is, its benefits, and why you will find it a useful tool in your product reliability testing arsenal. Show Sections 00:00 - Greetings and introducing today…
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7 Key Learnings From Manufacturing Organizational Charts
32:20
32:20
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Sofeast's CEO Renaud explains what a manufacturing organizational chart is and, critically, 7 key things that we can learn about our suppliers from theirs. During your sourcing journey, Renaud's advice will help you spot potential issues with some red flags to be aware of. (Adrian from the team hosts). Show Sections 00:00 - Greetings and introducti…
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How to use reliability data to make better products & save money
39:43
39:43
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In this episode... Renaud hosts today and is joined by Andrew Amirnovin, Sofeast's reliability expert and our head of New Product Development, to cover the topic of reliability data and how it can be used to help you make better products and reduce your costs. Show Sections 00:00 - Greetings and introducing today's topic. 00:43 - What kind of relia…
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