Poorly made in China
Poorly made in China is a book written by Paul Midler, an automotive executive that has spent 15 years working with Chinese automotive suppliers and American suppliers. In a recent interview with bnet.com, Mr. Midler revealed more thoughts about working with Chinese suppliers and the issues they face.
CCT has yet to review Poorly made in China, but it does look like a fascinating read.
Talk about a wake-up call! As Chinese automakers such as BYD (“Build Your Dreams”) prepare to sell cars in the U.S. as early as this year, I was intrigued to come across Paul Midler’s Poorly Made in China (Wiley), named one of the best business books of 2009 by The Economist. Midler’s account has credibility not only because he lives in China and speaks Chinese, but because he also has more than 15 years experience working on the intersection of American importers and Chinese manufacturers.The book recounts numerous incidents in which factory owners appear more interested in covering up product safety challenges than addressing them. Midler watches as a worker with a serious skin condition fills hand lotion bottles, then asks the plant manager about it. “How is anyone going to find out?” she replied.
“In my time as a manufacturing specialist, I’ve worked with hundreds of factories,” Midler said from Hong Kong. “As far as why I wrote the book, I suppose that certain things I’d seen made a strong impression. While there were thousands of others working in manufacturing, no one seemed to be able to describe what was happening. After a while, I began to recognize patterns. It would have been more prudent to stay in manufacturing, but after a certain point, I felt it would be better to tell the story than to go on living it.”
You can read the rest of the interview over on Bnet, but here is a small snippet of it:
BNET Autos: Your book posits a less-than-scrupulous attention to quality control and consumer safety issues on the part of Chinese manufacturers. Given Toyota’s current problems, what does this augur as Chinese carmakers prepare to enter the U.S. market?
Paul Midler: China most certainly does have a quality challenge. Some of the problems there are due to error, and some are due to a lack of education. The factories would like to do a better job, but they are prevented from doing so due to external factors. Unfortunately in China’s case, there are also instances of willful misconduct. The melamine cases involved unscrupulous actors who found a way to circumvent third-party testing controls. This was not a mere accident, but an artful effort. I’m not sure whether China’s automotive ambitions might be hampered more by accidental failures or willful manipulation, but there has already been talk in China of quality issues in the automotive sector.
Do you have an opinion on the build quality of Chinese cars? Any that stand out as particularly well built or particularly shoddy?
I think that it’s a little early to pick horses, but as with all Chinese manufacturing, those companies with a vested interest in protecting their brands will tend to do better than others. China’s automotive industry, like so many other sectors, is characterized by intense competition. Already intense competition has been blamed for pricing pressure, which in turn led to a number of quality problems. One thing to keep an eye on will be the general competitiveness of the auto sector in China.
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Sounds like the same type of things anyone doing business in China will experience when they deal with suppliers.
Exactly why I appear to be a ‘wee bit’ negative re the Chinese auto industry – and I have been involved with it for more than 15yrs – sadly it just doesnt get any better – as volumes increase so do the blunders and quality issues, and yes as normal in PRC its easier to cover up, turn a blind eye and carry on.
However for the better JV’s this is not the case as most of these have better quality results than their home bases-they can train better and add more staff to QA here than is possible in home production.
True. Ina fact, what I’ve seen is quite the opposite.
So you have been on site and observed the production processes in detail in several Chinese car plants Ed?
Sorry, I was wrong, I shouldn’t have been so stupid.
I’m a dirty liar
Japan’s Car Guys Cross the China Sea
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/10_07/b4166062314229.htm
A dirty rotten liar-u need yr bum spanked!
yes I do. I love getting spanked. Will you spank me Ed?
Have a guess, its Ed and his multiple user names.
Then you should be able to control him.
Yes – registration before commenting is coming soon.
I’m sure the Chinese car companies will be watching Toyota’s problems with interest and working out how to avoid them! If they’re not, they should prepare for big trouble.
@ Androo
> I’m sure the Chinese car companies will be watching Toyota’s problems with interest
Hyundai already revealed the problems of Toyota designs that Toyota would not; the removal of redundancy in the design to cheapen the cost. Toyota actually uses only one sensor in place of triple sensors that Hyundai uses to save cost. Toyota replaced some of wiring with wireless connection to save on wiring cost.
So what’s the lesson of Toyota’s fall? Don’t cut cost too much, don’t use cheap parts at the expense of safety margin. Unfortunately, this lesson will not make much difference in the minds of Chinese automaker executives.
two can play that game, lametucker.
how come we have another dogtucker??? Where did the number 2 come from CCT?
Where did the other Ed come from, lametucker?
Toyota usually sell Junk at premire price.. their machines are usually old fashion, low tech, poor performance lack of innovation. It is always a 80% job done. Toyota enphasizes very much on its interior & sound proof ..that’s it. The engine performance & chasis are all rubish .. this company is so greedy that even much money still thinking of reducing cost..finally get hit badly.
Especially Vios , I wander people buy that car ?
I feel the same way. Toyota is so 1980s.
So why stand behind BYD who does a piss poor job of copying the toyota junk and saying it is good?
Because BYD does not copy Toyota’s technology. Because BYD is innovative; because BYD is different. Don’t ask stupid questions.
I think we need to call bullshit on all of those statements you just made Ed.
Many Thai people are not hesitate to buy that cars. “Toyota is god” here.
Toyota is GOD in Thailand?
Holly car crap.
I’ll never look at my dad’s 1960 Caddie 4 door the same way. ALL that chrome and those HUGE POINTY fins. I personally saw 3 young trainer bra virgins (almost virgins) impailed on them while playing kick ball while the head priest (Mikey my ten year budster) chanted GM’MER…Body by Fischer, Rochester Quadra-Jet, Air Ride control and AM_FM search. I’m off to pray the my BJ2023s1 for rain….
I have read the book a year or so ago, its a fantastic read, not only for people in the manufacturing and buying world, but also for consumers to consider the issues that can occur with their made in china goods, and what corners have been cut to get there.
I agree, that with the car industry, those who want to succeed will endeavour to ensure quality.
However, as with Toyota, a shady supplier can bring massive image problems.
Why has the press not publically named the supplier, instead focusing on negative Toyota stories all the time.
The made in Japan cars are fine, it could be a jealous American firm that wants to slow sales of (made in america by american people) Toyotas, and instead push (made in china by chinese people) GM or Ford cars.