By: Kristie Thong, China

Published: Today in Procurement Online

China - Sourcing from China may benefit profit margins, but there have been cases where vendors used fake licenses, increased prices and overlooked the quality of goods.

A recent Gartner research found some companies received products inferior in quality when purchased in high volumes. Many Chinese suppliers will reduce product quality over time to increase their margins and profits, and it typically happens after the first few orders.

Some Chinese suppliers may also buy fake certificates attesting to ISO quality standards, Six Sigma and social compliance, Supply Management reported, which is difficult to detect.

The report recommended procurement to be vigilant at supplier sites so as to prevent fading quality. In the event where company officials are not present, third party inspectors should take their place.

Mark Berlin, senior adviser at procurement consultancy Greybeard Advisors comments, "It's critical that with China sourcing and all other offshore sourcing strategies, plans and execution of those are well understood and supported by the company's leadership team and the various supporting functions in the supplier relationships across the organisation. Without this baseline support, China sourcing and offshore activities may be doomed to fail."

Robin's 73 Best Business and Success Lessons - Part 5 (Final Part)

1.     The business (and person) who tries to be everything to everyone ends up being nothing to anyone.

2.     One of the primary tactics for enduring winning is daily learning.

3.     To have everything you want, help as many people as you can possibly find get everything they want.

4.     Understand that a problem is only a problem if you choose to view it as a problem (vs. an opportunity).

5.     Clarity precedes mastery. Craft clear and precise plans/goals/deliverables. And then block out all else.

6.     The best in business spend far more time on learning than in leisure.

7.     Lucky is where skill meets persistence.

8.     The best Leaders Without a Title use their heads and listen to their hearts.

9.     The things that are hardest to do are often the things that are the best to do.

10.   Every single person in the world could be a genius at something, if they practiced it daily for at least ten years (as confirmed by the research of Anders Ericsson and others).

11.   Daily exercise is an insurance policy against future illness. The best Leaders Without Titles are the fittest.

12.   Education is the beginning of transformation. Dedicate yourself to daily learning via books/audios/seminars and coaching.

13.   The quickest way to grow the sales of your business is to grow your people.

Robin Sharma is the bestselling author of "The Leader Who Had No Title:  A Modern Fable on Real Success in Business and Life." Success lies in a masterful consistency around a few fundamentals. It really is simple. Not easy. But simple. 

Robin's 73 Best Business and Success Lessons - Part 4

1.     The value of getting to your goals lives not in reaching the goal but what the talents/strengths/capabilities the journey reveals to you.

2.     Stand for something. Or else you'll fall for anything.

3.     Say "thank you" when you're grateful and "sorry" when you're wrong.

4.     Make the work you are doing today better than the work you did yesterday.

5.     Small daily - seemingly insignificant - improvements and innovations lead to staggering achievements over time.

6.     Peak performers replace depletion with inspiration on a daily basis.

7.     Take care of your relationships and the sales/money will take care of itself.

8.     You can't be great if you don't feel great. Make exceptional health your #1 priority.

9.     Doing the difficult things that you've never done awakens the talents you never knew you had.

10.   As we each express our natural genius, we all elevate our world.

11.   Your daily schedule reflects your deepest values.

12.   People do business with people who make them feel special.

13.   All things being equal, the primary competitive advantage of your business will be your ability to grow Leaders Without Titles faster than your industry peers.

14.   Treat people well on your way up and they'll treat you well on your way down.

15.   Success lies in a masterful consistency around a few fundamentals. It really is simple. Not easy. But simple. 

Source: Robin Sharma