How do I manage a project on the other side of the world?

If you have issued a purchase order to a bad supplier because you failed to verify it up front, then no amount of even the world's best project management or intense QC is going to make a bad supplier great. So if you find the right supplier early on, you have put yourself on the right path and both project management and QC will be much easier.

In the US and most of the Western countries, when the PO is placed with a domestic supplier we sit back knowing the hard work is done and we just wait for the order to show up on time without a lot of drama.

While China has some amazing pricing, it is not known for excellent quality or short lead times. This means that the placement of the PO is the start of the supplier management process in China, not the end. It is rather rare for suppliers, even ones with as many as 1,000 employees, to have proper project management software that clearly defines and tracks who is doing what and by when, within their organization. Usually there is an account manager or sales person who takes point on walking your project through all the steps from production to delivery.

Salespeople are good at sales or can speak English, but most are not engineers, certified project managers, or even know their way around a production line. So here are some tips to help ensure your product ships out at the agreed time with the agreed quality.

1. Pick a factory that is the right size for your order. If you are a small buyer at a large factory, you will find it hard to keep their attention.
2. Make sure you communicate with the suppliers on a regular basis. If you do not ask for updates, you are unlikely to receive them. Be in contact when there is good news to share so that you do not become the "headache client" who contacts the factory only when things are bad.
3. This may sound obvious, but if you and your supplier do not have a system for project management then you need to be proactive and create one. For example, a simple Excel sheet listing action items, project gates, deadlines and responsible parties is a huge improvement over trying to manage via e-mail. Have this open project list serve as the agenda for periodic conference calls with your supplier. Once the tasks are mutually agreed, save this document for future reference. Keep a record of each week's agreed steps.
4. Build into your budget the costs of a few international trips to the China factory to keep an eye on things and build a good working relationship with your supplier. If you cannot afford to travel on your own or do not want to make the trip, then get an agent to represent you.