Poorly Made in China: An Insider’s Account of the China Production Game by Paul Midler (PDF)

Description

An insider reveals what can—and does—go wrong when companies shift production to China In this entertaining behind-the-scenes account, Paul Midler tells us all that is wrong with our effort to shift manufacturing to China. Now updated and expanded, Poorly Made in China reveals industry secrets, including the dangerous practice of quality fade—the deliberate and secret habit of Chinese manufacturers to widen profit margins through the reduction of quality inputs. U.S. importers don’t stand a chance, Midler explains, against savvy Chinese suppliers who feel they have little to lose by placing consumer safety at risk for the sake of greater profit. This is a lively and impassioned personal account, a collection of true stories, told by an American who has worked in the country for close to two decades. Poorly Made in China touches on a number of issues that affect us all.

User’s Reviews

Editorial Reviews: From the Inside Flap “Poorly Made in China is not merely about faltering product quality out of China. One of its broader themes is of people who promise one thing and then deliver another. This is a book about Chinese obfuscation and subterfuge. It is about gaming, strategy, and tactics.” —From the Foreword by ARTHUR WALDRON, Lauder Professor of International Relations, University of Pennsylvania”Paul Midler’s is the ultimate insider’s look at China and its dubious manufacturing, by a man who knows the language and, more importantly, knows the subtext of every deal, every gesture, every nuance. I have great admiration for the breadth and depth of this account of being an American middleman in China today, and for the way it humanizes the whole awful business.” —PAUL THEROUX, author of Riding the Iron Rooster: By Train Through China”This is the story of the world’s crappy stuff and the surreally entertaining culture clash that lies behind it. It’s funny and illuminating, and I want you to read it!” —MARY ROACH, author of Stiff and Packing for Mars”Poorly Made in China is an insightful, often hilarious account of how Chinese manufacturers transformed their country into the world’s export powerhouse by hook and by crook. Midler suggests that understanding Chinese business strategies and tactics could benefit not only U.S. business, but also our political leaders. For all of us, his book is a perfect guide.” —ELIZABETH ECONOMY, Director of Asia Studies, Council on Foreign Relations”Few books on China and its economy are as enlightening as this. This is a fantastic book for anyone who wants to understand how China’s export industry really works and indeed how China works.” —JASPER BECKER, author of Hungry Ghosts: Mao’s Secret Famine”Every Wal-Mart needs a warning label, and Midler, nailing the deceit and dishonesty of Chinese manufacturers, provides it. You will never see another ‘Made in China’ label without thinking of this masterpiece.” —GORDON CHANG, author of The Coming Collapse of China From the Back Cover “Poorly Made in China is not merely about faltering product quality out of China. One of its broader themes is of people who promise one thing and then deliver another. This is a book about Chinese obfuscation and subterfuge. It is about gaming, strategy, and tactics.” —From the Foreword by ARTHUR WALDRON, Lauder Professor of International Relations, University of Pennsylvania”Paul Midler’s is the ultimate insider’s look at China and its dubious manufacturing, by a man who knows the language and, more importantly, knows the subtext of every deal, every gesture, every nuance. I have great admiration for the breadth and depth of this account of being an American middleman in China today, and for the way it humanizes the whole awful business.” —PAUL THEROUX, author of Riding the Iron Rooster: By Train Through China”This is the story of the world’s crappy stuff and the surreally entertaining culture clash that lies behind it. It’s funny and illuminating, and I want you to read it!” —MARY ROACH, author of Stiff and Packing for Mars”Poorly Made in China is an insightful, often hilarious account of how Chinese manufacturers transformed their country into the world’s export powerhouse by hook and by crook. Midler suggests that understanding Chinese business strategies and tactics could benefit not only U.S. business, but also our political leaders. For all of us, his book is a perfect guide.” —ELIZABETH ECONOMY, Director of Asia Studies, Council on Foreign Relations”Few books on China and its economy are as enlightening as this. This is a fantastic book for anyone who wants to understand how China’s export industry really works and indeed how China works.” —JASPER BECKER, author of Hungry Ghosts: Mao’s Secret Famine”Every Wal-Mart needs a warning label, and Midler, nailing the deceit and dishonesty of Chinese manufacturers, provides it. You will never see another ‘Made in China’ label without thinking of this masterpiece.” —GORDON CHANG, author of The Coming Collapse of China About the Author PAUL MIDLER has over twenty years of experience related to Asia, and in his manufacturing career, he has worked directly with hundreds of Chinese suppliers in a broad range of industries. He holds an MBA from the Wharton School of Business and a master’s in international studies from the University of Pennsylvania’s Lauder Institute. Poorly Made in China is his first book. Read more

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐This book not only verified my suspicions about China, but open my eyes as to how BAD it REALLY IS! I used to think that many of those guys might play games like that, but apparently all of them seem to…it IS part of their ACTUAL CULTURE and in many ways PHILOSOPHY, and that is why I believe that MOST will follow that pattern.They just cant understand what BUILD TO SPEC or BUILD TO ORDER means, and don’t seem to value long-term relationships, even if you voluntarily overpay them thinking that might mitigate some of these shananigans…it WONT! You can figure out THAT just by reading some of the other reviews on this book.They really think that they are in their RIGHTs to just change your specifications any way they feel they can get away with as long as it LOOKS the same….beauty is only skin deep. They really need to learn not just how Westerners think, but the rest of the world. I don’t think ANYBODY anywhere but China would like to be treated the way they treat their customers, but they not only have no reservation on behaving that way, but actually seem to be quite proud of it!The only way to do business in China is if either:1: You have enough money to not just set your product up with ONE manufacturer, but 3 or more. I don’t just mean after the first mfgr screws you over, I mean RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING WHEN YOU FIRST START OUTSOURCING THERE. Then you give only ONE of those 3 or more the lions share of your business (ie 70% or more), with the remaining getting equal small shares of the remainder….and TELL THEM THIS. Say “when the other guy screws up, YOU will get the lions share next depending on your competitive bids”. That is the only way….make sure you have leverage (there will be CONSEQUENCES) for when they misbehave. It will certainly cost you more money, but that is WAY CHEAPER than it costing you an irreplaceable reputation for quality (if that is your business goal) or damaged or destroyed customer confidence or customer relationships. or…2: You are too small for that, in which case the only way to do business there is VERY BRIEFLY. You might get 2 or 3 good shipments out of them (to get you started or on your feet), but BY THEN, make sure you have a second source set up in a country with at least SOME common sense (pretty much anywhere other than China apparently). But you HAVE to think as SHORT TERM on your relationship with them as THEY DO ABOUT YOURS. As clearly stated in the book, the relationships WILL DETERIORIATE with time, NOT GET BETTER!!!!!!!!!!!!ALL other oriental countries pretty much understand these customer relations issues….hell even CRIMINALS have a better code of conduct with their customers than that …be it drug dealers or thieves!They really need to drop their third-world thought process and join the rest of the world. Again, this is NOT just the WEST that thinks this way, but it is common human sense and most of the EAST (ie Japan, Korea, Taiwan, etc) would agree with the MIMIMAL standard of customer ethics that they seem to be completely stumped by….its just BAD BUSINESS. The sooner they wake up to this, the more of a TRUE world leadership role they could take….but eventually, people like that loose business, and DONT EVEN THINK that WONT HAPPEN TO CHINA! Price is king, and as they develop their own economy and raise prices, well, with all the BS they pull off, going elsewhere starts making more and more since all the time.And if you are wondering if China has changed or not in the short time since this book was written, think again! I just observed (before reading this book) in the last 12 months that a certain LED produced in China has suffered quality fade in just the last year or so. This is an electronic component that can be programmed through digital means to change to any color in the rainbow pretty much and is not only produced in China, but the Chinese company that makes it OWNS IT…..it is THEIR FRIGGIN PRODUCT. It shows the first signs of Chinese innovation, but what is bad is that it seemed like a good product in its first generation. But recently, they reduced the lead count from 6 to 4 to save a few pennies. Now the problem with that is that it creates a thermal bottleneck in the device making it less than reliable or robust. So they will even fade THEIR OWN QUALITY….they SCREW THEMSELVES over at the same time they SCREW THEIR CUSTOMERS OVER on this product that THEY (again) OWN and control!And with Chinese having more and more DIRECT ACCESS to our market (thru Amazon as an example), oh BOY, have we not seen nothin’ yet!Having said all that, I really DONT hate Chinese people, but that attitude has GOT to go!

⭐Awesome read. I highly recommend this book for anyone venturing into China for trade. It is a ‘boots on the ground’ view of how things work. Likely this is a great read for anyone who needs a product manufactured.

⭐I had download a digit copy of Paul Midler’s “Poorly Made in China” on an old laptop that I could no longer access. I actually cited this book on a thesis statement I wrote while in college. Mr. Midler’s book has stuck with me for years, and so I ordered a hard copy so I would not lose it again.By the way, I received an A on the rough draft of my thesis statement, and my degree.Thank you Mr. Midler.

⭐The one-star reviews have a good point. No doubt others have different experiences working in China. And it should be said that with a hugely increased product presence in the U.S., there will be more experiences with sub-par product. Nonetheless, I’m old enough to remember when all sorts of products, from light bulbs to deck screws, were far more reliable and of consistent quality than they are now.That said, this is another book among others I would see literally every time I transited HK over the last 25 years. It seemed that on each trip there was another book on the “difficulties” of doing business in China. Of course, negativity sells, but what is the more general reality on the ground? Having worked in and around China and SE Asia for decades, and speaking the various languages, the attitudes and business practices he describes via first-hand anecdotes fit exactly with both my own experiences and stories I heard consistently across that time. And I’ve operated in entirely different industries than the ones the author describes. There has always been the penchant among Asian manufacturers to second-guess your product design and to “improve” on it, without asking or telling you they’ve done so. This is leaving aside the eventual cost-cutting and corner-cutting Midler describes, along with a rather different understanding of what constitutes “quality.” I could go on. Minimally, my own experience has shown that when you don’t understand the local language and culture you’re always in potential trouble.In short, Midler has written a very readable and eminently cautionary tale. It’s also not like he doesn’t acknowledge that some other “importers” feel they’ve had positive experiences. IMHO, the most damning review is that when one looks at how much (LITTLE, actually) locals trust their own products, apps, etc., there is not a lot more to be said, and in the main Midler gets it right.

⭐I have written some five star reviews for excellent products from china and twelve months later found most of the other reviews seem to be much lower to the point of some reviewers wishing they could leave zero stars. This book explains the phenomenon called “product fade”. The samples and initial batch are as good as the prototype but after an extended production run cheaper materials or processes are employed without any notification of change. This is considered standard practise by many manufacturers in china, a penny saved is a penny earned etc. Do that a couple of million times on a long production run and the results are obvious, at least financially. Lead paint dries faster than the non-toxic varieties so why not use it on childrens toys as supplied to Mattel? Just because it is outlawed all over the world is not enough reason apparently when weighed against savings in costs. And as for fakes; well what do you want for the money? If a phone charger catches fire……….well, they don’t all catch fire. And fire blankets that catch fire? And smoke alarms that fail to detect smoke or fire? Who cares? They are export only. Perhaps extreme examples, but the book will show a total lack of conscience or even concern about making inferior products and the maxim “never mind the quality; look at the price” is the only consideration.

⭐….into the pitfalls and frustrations of doing business in China. Amusing for the disconnected reader but for anyone doing or thinking of doing business this currently evolving and largely unregulated manufacturing cauldron it must be a worrying and extremely ‘off-putting ‘ tale.However, the current edge this country has namely a mainly uneducated, unorganised, low expectation labour force enabling manufacturers to have very low labour costs, will surely not last for very long before costs begin to rise, above those of newly emerging Asian and African countries, thus negating China’s price competitive effectiveness.This coupled with increasing State regulation, and bureaucracy , particularly involving health and safety issues which are currently almost non-existent, will further dent China’s world manufacturing supremacy. At some point the penny will drop, whether in time or not to retain it’s current position, and manufacturing standards and reliability will improve. In the meantime the various almost farcical events so interestingly related by Paul Midler in this book will continue to befall those that choose to have their products made in China.This book is not a definitive guide to doing business in this region but for those giving it consideration, it at least will put them on their guard as to where the pitfalls might lie, and for those like myself with not the slightest inclination to trade in the homelands of Confucius, it provides an interesting and light anecdotal tale.

⭐Fascinating look from an insider’s point of view at the state of the manufacturing industry in China today. Also very revealing about western companies’ attitudes, quirks and foibles, and it is this two-sided make-up of the stories that makes the book so interesting. What is most shocking about the author’s experiences is, I think, quite how common and across the board the tricks, cons and outright illegal practises he witnesses seem to be. I found myself silently seething with rage each time he entered negotiations with the lying owner of the main factory at her disregard for the most basic, decent, human principles. At the same time, there are several instances where the importers seemingly allow themselves to be fooled in the search for quick profits, and, while the Chinese factory owners do frequently come across as ‘the bad guys’, there’s no suggestion that the importers are anything other than (at best) ‘the ever so slightly less bad guys’. I also enjoyed the connections and comparisons made between challenges found in the manufacturing industry and those in everyday life and international relations to be very well done. The author himself has a flowing, very readable style and the book is well structured from start to finish. A great (although occasionally paranoia inducing) read.

⭐Wow. This book brought back many memories.Paul Midler’s experiences working with Chinese manufacturers is a highly amusing, yet factual account of the infuriating job that is outsourcing manufacturing to China. If anything, i would say that Paul has understated his subject for fear of being unbelievable.I couldn’t read this book quick enough, being in this business myself.If anyone is presently manufacturing in China, or considering moving their manufacturing to China, this is a must-read.There are huge HUGE opportunities for people who decide to outsource manufacturing in China, and to export to China. And these opportunities will only improve in the next decade. But beware. With great opportunity there comes great risk, unless you have excellent people on the ground looking out for you.Read this book. Forewarned is forearmed.Get yourself an excellent outsourcing manager. (This is where I give you my sales pitch, but i can’t)Great book, Paul. Thanks.

⭐Even if you do not work in China, or even if you have no business interest at all with China, you will probably still find this an interesting and amusing read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I have had some experience in working with Chinese colleagues and importing goods from China and could definitely relate to many of the things being described!The author takes you through his experiences of living and working with China during the boom of outsourcing production and reveals some of the shocking and ridiculous antics that many manufacturers resort to. Insight into the Chinese mindset when it comes to business.Everyone should read this, and consider their future purchases!

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