Managing local supply chains can be challenging, and managing global teams can be twice harder. Therefore, it is critical to join organizations by coordinating teams of five to fifty people in different parts of the world to work synchronously. However, managing these teams is not a walk in the park since anything can go wrong at any time. And in most cases, it is the buyer's/client's fault that leads teams to failure. Therefore, to avoid the pitfalls in team management, here are some tips that will guide you.

Having Team Members Trained in Project Management

You can have a member of your supply chain team, whether at home or in China, join the project management institute. This program allows them to access courses and learning materials for professional project management. Besides helping them better coordinate supply chain management, they also get dividends.

Clearly Defining and Enforcing Specifications

Any client or buyer sourcing goods from China must be very careful about the suppliers they pick from China. In addition, you should also be professional about writing your standards for the expected product quality. The only way to achieve high-quality products is by clearly defining your standards to the China supply chain management and how to inspect them. The writing must also include the tools and techniques you want your products to use.

Completing Designs Database

The biggest culprit for causing delays is lacking a complete design database. Before requesting production, it is imperative to include all design elements before production commences. However, this should be done carefully without leaving out any minor details. Once you miss out on crucial design details, the supplier will get a wrong interpretation, giving your products opposite to what you wanted.

Making Timely Payments

China production and manufacturing companies operate on a cash basis unless you are a big corporation. Everything concerning Purchase Orders (POs) will need a deposit since the manufacturer must use the money to pay for raw materials. For tooling, the deposit is around 30% at the time of order (ATO, 40% at the first article, and 30% on final approval. For production, the deposit is often 50% ATO and 50% during shipment, which is 100%. All project managers will communicate these early in the project, and to manage your duties, you have to pay on time to avoid delays and holdups.

Effective Communication

Communication with your China supply chain management should be constant. Culture and distance may also lead to misunderstanding, especially if you are still fresh in dealing with Chinese suppliers. Technology makes it easier to communicate information daily to communicate your product needs. Unfortunately, some projects are never complete because the client goes without communicating for days, weeks, or months.

Being Procedural

China supply chain management means following procedures and being patient. Sometimes buyers are in a hurry because they believe things should be moving fast. In most cases, clients always consider speed, with accuracy being an afterthought. For a successful project, you should not cut corners, instead, ask for prototypes, get a product quality manual (PQM) and read it through.
To better manage your supply chain coordination team, you must start within your office as you expand across borders. Doing this cuts down all the unnecessary back and forth between you and the supplier because you have a team on the ground getting things done.