We just completed introducing our newest product. This was actually pretty exciting for us because the local team did all of the Engineering work, the Quality work, the Supply Chain work, etc. All we have had to do is review, double check, challenge their assumptions and in general just oversee them to ensure everything was done correctly. Which, for the most part, was true.
As a result, we completed ten assemblies, performed all the reviews, verified all the technical data and have approved these parts to ship to the customer. They are loaded in crates, labeled, and ready to go. All that has to happen is to send the certificates of conformance to the customer so he can say “Ship It!” and we will be in full production mode for this part.
Simple, right?
Well, not so much.
It turns out that our Chinese Customer who placed his order with our Chinese Sales Team and engaged our Chinese Field Engineers to make sure the product worked in HIS Chinese Wind Mill just figured out that the product was made in China and said, “Wait, I didn’t know you were making this in China, I don’t want Chinese Product!!!” You’d have thought that with all of the Chinese folk involved in this order, somebody woulda figured out that since everybody was talking to each other in Chinese that that shoulda been a pretty good hint about the country of origin? Communication is indeed, the key! So the last few days have involved much jumping through hoops to supply this customer with all of the information about who we are, what we do, what our systems involve to ensure correct manufacturing and all the data to show them that our product is identical to that made in USA.
Geez, even the Chinese manufacturers don’t trust Chinese manufacturers.
2 comments:
Hilarious! Maybe this will start a black market for labels that say "Made in the USA"!
I'm thinking that if you arrive WITH the product, just schmooze them with your personality [arrange a banquet, give them cigarettes, and other bribery material], then they'll say, ok, we'll take the China product. Else, do as the Detroit auto firms now do... send them to Mexico, then to Rutherfordton, RE-assemble them there (add a sticker)... then ship the now "Assembled in USA" on to the China customer.
Travel safely; see you in 8-weeks.
S.
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