If you have ever imported from China before, you know how important it is to have a presence on the ground, with your own staff or with external help. Not having one can create many headaches, frustration and can cost you thousands of dollars. Not having representatives in China can be the difference between managing a successful importing project from China or an unsuccessful one.

Setting up your own presence in China can be difficult, expensive and time consuming. Therefore, many importers, new and existing, choose to utilize the resources of a professional sourcing company who usually have their own teams on the ground throughout China that can act on their behalf.

l         “You need representatives that understand Chinese business customs, culture and who speak the language…”

This the most important reason because it relates to all of the other reasons. If you are experienced in dealing with China, have excellent knowledge of how business works in China , can speak the language and have an excellent understanding of the Chinese culture then you may not need your own presence in China. If not, then you definitely do. China is very complex and understanding it and being able to use that knowledge in your dealings is one of the main keys to success. If you don’t understand it you should be setting up your own presence or engaging a company that can provide this resource to you.

l         “To be able to conduct “Due Diligence” on your potential China Suppliers…”

Sourcing China suppliers is not hard, but finding the right ones can be. There are plenty of resources out there that will help you find potential suppliers of your product, but who is to say they actually exist and won’t take your money and run..?

Conducting Due Diligence on potential suppliers when sourcing from China is a must and is difficult if you don’t have a presence in China. If you attempt to conduct it yourself from your home country who is to say whether you are getting the correct information back? Having a presence in China allows you to have experienced Chinese account managers contact your potential suppliers in order to get the information you require. They even have the ability to visit your chosen suppliers to make sure they pass relevant Due Diligence tests.

Depending on the complexity of your product you may choose to go to China yourself and visit your potential China suppliers. In this situation, having a presence in China can still help you in many ways. They can help plan your trip including domestic travel, where to stay, where to eat etc. Given that they most likely already understand your products and business they can also successfully act as your guide and interpreter when visiting China suppliers to ensure the information you are being given is totally accurate.

l         “To thoroughly conduct quality control on your China suppliers without having to visit China…”

Quality control is one the most important aspects when sourcing or importing from China. It is vital that you get what you have paid for which is not always the case evQuality Controle found a great supplier. Conducting Quality Control yourself without visiting China is very difficult and almost impossible. Without physically being there, the China supplier could be telling you anything in regard to the quality they are producing. Having experienced representatives on the ground in China Quality Controlend them into the factory to conduct Quality Control based on the specifications set out by you in the beginning of the process. They can then report back to you with any issues in the form of reports and photos which allows you to quickly solve any issues before the product arrives at your door.

As with conducting Due Diligence you may choose to go to China yourself and vQuality Controltial China suppliers and conduct the Quality Control yourself. In this situation, having a presence in China can still help you in the same ways mentioned above regarding Due Diligence.

From Corporate News, Anders Backstrom

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