42 Rules for Sourcing and Manufacturing in China

What’s it about?

Doing business in China is tougher than you think. Not only is the culture vastly different, but China’s experience in manufacturing is still developing. It will be a few years before the majority of manufacturers are up to world standards. In the meantime, quality, contract laws, schedules and logistics must be closely monitored. As a result, the things Westerners must do to be successful are far different from dealing with American or European manufacturers. The best way to quickly come up to speed on these differences and how to handle them is to learn from the experience of others. Through over 20 extraordinary executive interviews, Rosemary Coates captured the essence of sourcing and manufacturing in China. 42 Rules for Sourcing and Manufacturing in China is a management book with a pragmatic approach that every businessperson headed to China must read.

For business people who are experienced in doing business in China, or for first-time visitors, this book will provide valuable insights from real executives and experts. These executives offer their personal experiences and recommendations about sourcing and manufacturing in China. Going beyond simple cultural do’s and don’ts, you will discover:

• How business is really done
• How you can make things happen in China
• The mistakes westerners often make, and how to avoid them
• What made these executives successful

Based on her 25 years of supply chain experience, much of it spent living and working across Asia, author Rosemary Coates has become an expert on doing business in China. Her own personal experiences in China are interwoven into this book.

What they’re saying

“Today I read “42 Rules for Sourcing and Manufacturing in China” by Rosemary Coates, a businesswoman with over 20 years experience in international trade in Asia. Why would I be interested in reading such a book? Two reasons:

1) Economic growth in China is exploding. It represents an abundant resource of cheap labor / materials and there is tremendous opportunity there.

2) I am currently working on manufacturing glow-in-the-dark key caps (marketed to women, so they can find their keys in their purse). After presenting RFQs to factories both in the US and abroad, it became clear that Chinese factories offer way cheaper prices, at least for injection molding-related stuff. But I also realized that there was a lot of stuff I didn’t know: and like I say, it’s worst to get screwed by not knowing what you don’t know. This book helped me realize a lot of what I don’t know.

Coates highlights the importance of understanding cultural differences between the Chinese and Americans. The Chinese culture is somewhat paradoxical, its heritage a mix of Communist and Confucianism.” Read the entire review at Zachary Burt’s Blog

What’s in the book.

Rule 7 Expect the Unexpected—Betty’s Story
Rule 14 Find Multiple Suppliers
Rule 41 Do’s and Don’ts Are Helpful to Know

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