Voices of Importing

In this eighth episode of the Voices of Importing podcast, InTouch Client Manager Matthew Milasius and Rick Kovack, experienced supply chain executive, talk about the difference between purchasing from short-term and long-term suppliers in this detailed podcast. Here are the questions Rick and I discussed during the podcast: What do you think is the biggest risk of focusing only on short term wins with your supplier? Do you feel that all suppliers deserve a long term strategy? Are there any occasions where thinking short term actually makes sense? What are some assumptions/errors purchasers make about suppliers that can hurt their relationships and results with suppliers? What do you think are the pillars of a good purchasing strategy? What advice can you offer to small and medium sized enterprises, in particular? What about to large organizations? If you enjoyed Rick's insights into manufacturing and would like to contact him, you can find him on Linkedin at the link below: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-kovac/ If you'd like to hear more quality control horror stories and how not to become one, check out the video at the link below: https://hardwaremassive.com/resources/videos/qc-horror-stories-and-how-not-to-become-one-shenzhen

In this seventh episode of the Voices of Importing podcast, InTouch Client Manager Matthew Milasius and Berkeley Sourcing Group CEO Greg Fisher discuss black box manufacturing and how it can be useful for importers. Here are the questions Greg and I discussed during the podcast: What is black box manufacturing and how is it helpful for importers/startups/anyone interested in getting started with manufacturing? How easy/hard is it to use black box manufacturing? What are the limitations of black box manufacturing? Are there any issues specific to black box manufacturing? Is black box manufacturing right for everyone? Why or why not? Do you have 1-2 examples of well-known companies and of startups that’ve used black box manufacturing for their needs? If you enjoyed Greg's insights into manufacturing and would like to contact him, you can visit the website of Berkeley Sourcing Group. Link below: http://www.berkeleysg.com/ If you'd like to learn more about Hardware Massive, the hardware startup platform Greg and I mentioned during the podcast, you can follow the link below: http://hardwaremassive.com/

In this sixth episode of the Voices of Importing podcast, InTouch Client Manager Matthew Milasius and Berkeley Sourcing Group CEO Greg Fisher share tips on how to make innovative products that consumers will want. Here are the questions Greg and I discussed during the podcast: What are some top tips for people that want to design innovative products? How do factories react to innovative products? Are they willing to take risks or not? What makes a product innovative vs. not innovative? Examples of innovative products. What is quality control like for a product that hasn't been made yet? If you enjoyed Greg's insights into manufacturing and would like to contact him, you can visit the website of Berkeley Sourcing Group. Link below: http://www.berkeleysg.com/ If you'd like to learn more about Hardware Massive, the hardware startup platform Greg and I mentioned during the podcast, you can follow the link below: http://hardwaremassive.com/

In this fifth episode of the Voices of Importing podcast, InTouch Client Manager Matthew Milasius and Baysource Global CEO David Alexander discuss the wide variety of pros and cons of sourcing from China. Here are the questions David and I discussed during the podcast: What is the greatest risk of sourcing from China? How do most importers err when they source from China? How is this prevented? Aside from cost savings, are there any other major advantages to sourcing from China? What differences are there in sourcing from Chinese factories versus those of other nations? In the global manufacturing arena, where do you think China currently stands? What do you see as the future of sourcing from China? If you enjoyed David's insights into manufacturing and would like to contact him, you can visit the website of Baysource Global. Link below: http://baysourceglobal.com/

In this fourth episode of the Voices of Importing podcast, InTouch Client Manager Matthew Milasius and product sourcing wizard Nathan Resnick discuss ways to foster positive relationships with suppliers, factors that contribute to sourcing costs and more! Here are the questions Nathan and I discussed during the podcast: What’s the biggest misunderstanding importers have when it comes to starting their relationship with a new supplier? What about misconceptions about maintaining the relationship? What do you think are the pillars of a good supplier relationship? What are some absolute “no-nos” when it comes to your relationship with your supplier? Is there anything that you highly advise against that can “sink the ship”? Can you generalize and describe three tiers of suppliers – the good, the medium, and the bad, and how relationships will differ with each of these types of suppliers? Aside from the revenue your orders bring in, what do you think suppliers value most in a relationship? Unrelated to supplier relationships, but important questions nonetheless Why does finding the right suppliers take a lot of time for some importers? What factors contribute to sourcing costs for importers?   If you enjoyed Nathan's insights into manufacturing and would like to contact him, you can visit the website of Sourcify. Link below: https://www.trysourcify.com/

In this third episode of the Voices of Importing podcast, Client Manager Matthew Milasius and Berkeley Sourcing Group CEO Greg Fisher discuss several essential considerations before mass manufacturing your product. Here are some of (but not all!) of the questions Greg and I discussed during the podcast:   What are common issues you see from the manufacturer’s side that prevent a product from being manufactured? What about from the startup/importer’s side? Do you have any recommendations for making sure the ideal version of your product, that you’ve agreed upon with your manufacturer, is the one that will be mass produced? Is there anything specific to prepare? What factors influence lead time when an importer is working with a supplier to develop their product? Are there any ways to expedite a product’s journey to the mass production stage? Are there any intellectual property rights issues that people need to be aware of when getting a product ready for manufacturing?   If you enjoyed Greg's insights into manufacturing and would like to contact him, you can reach him on the platform he mentioned, Hardware Massive. Details below:https://hardwaremassive.com/greg-fisher

In this episode of the Voices of Importing podcast, InTouch Client Manager Matthew Milasius and Robert Marton, Vice President at Hyperice, talk about the ways importers address product warranties. Here are some of the questions Robert and I discussed during the podcast:   How do you handle unexpected warranty issues? What’s one common pitfall importers make when it comes to warranties and how do you recommend avoiding it? What’s critical when establishing warranty standards with your supplier? How do you specify acceptance criteria for a warranty? How do you address quality fade/quality drift in warranties?   If you enjoyed Robert's insights and would like to contact him, you can reach him at his LinkedIn or via e-mail: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-marton-773407a/ E-mail: rmarton@hyperice.com

In this first episode of the Voices of Importing podcast, Client Manager Matthew Milasius is joined by manufacturing veteran John Nelson to discuss tips for smoother product development. Here are some of the questions that we went over during the podcast:   What are some general tips for smoother product development? What are some of the greatest errors people make when developing new products? What have you noticed is a common factory attitude toward developing new products? What are some common obstacles that you encounter with supplier’s developing new products and how do you overcome them? What are some essential tools/resources to aid with smoother product development?   If you enjoyed John's insights into manufacturing and would like to contact him, you can reach him at his LinkedIn or via e-mail: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-nelson-0bb9a657/ E-mail: jtnelson2017@gmail.com