Location via proxy:   [ UP ]  
[Report a bug]   [Manage cookies]                
Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 24 views

    Analysis Paralysis

    Uploaded by

    Michael Diliberto
    They say in China that anything is possible but nothing is easy. In this article in Retail Environments Magazine, author Michael Diliberto explores the at-times frustrating array of possibilities that lie ahead of those exploring overseas product development and manufacturing.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Analysis Paralysis

    Uploaded by

    Michael Diliberto
    24 views2 pages
    They say in China that anything is possible but nothing is easy. In this article in Retail Environments Magazine, author Michael Diliberto explores the at-times frustrating array of possibilities that lie ahead of those exploring overseas product development and manufacturing.

    Copyright

    © Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)

    Available Formats

    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    They say in China that anything is possible but nothing is easy. In this article in Retail Environments Magazine, author Michael Diliberto explores the at-times frustrating array of possibilities that lie ahead of those exploring overseas product development and manufacturing.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    24 views2 pages

    Analysis Paralysis

    Uploaded by

    Michael Diliberto
    They say in China that anything is possible but nothing is easy. In this article in Retail Environments Magazine, author Michael Diliberto explores the at-times frustrating array of possibilities that lie ahead of those exploring overseas product development and manufacturing.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 2

    A.R.E.

    I N S I D E R

    international perspectives By Michael Diliberto

    Analysis Paralysis

    ne of the most common frustrations among product and project managers in China is how different product development is, compared to most other areas of the world. In China you can do anything. Whether this is a fantastic advantage or a source of endless frustration depends on how well your team prepares for the unique local product development environment. In most Western markets, our choices are vast but finite. You choose from a set of things, the list of which becomes more limited as you further define your specifications. Back when I was in college, I worked in a ski shop during winter breaks. The owner of the shop, a veteran skier, gave me some great advice on how to help our customers find the right ski boots. He told me that customers given too many choices become overwhelmed and fail to find the right boots, resulting in frustrated customers and lost sales. It was the first time that I had heard the term analysis paralysis, but it resonated immediately. Rather than simply telling each customer to try on every boot in the store, we salespeople were there to help narrow down the customers selection to the two or three boots we felt were most likely the best choices. The end result was more sales and happier customers everybody won. The same sensibilities that the ski-shop owner taught me back then are reflected in the sales characteristics of many of my Western vendors. For example, in most Western countries, if I approach a manufacturer of laminate looking for a particular pattern, the first thing the manufacturer will likely do is ask for some more details about what I am looking for. Supposing that I want light-colored woodgrain laminate, the manufacturer will be able to narrow my potential choices down to a small set of samples. Now imagine instead a different situation. Imagine that once I said light-colored woodgrain laminate, the factory simply answered, Sure, we can make
    E N V I R O N M E N T S s e p t e m b e r. 2 0 1 3

    anything you want, and then proceeded to ask for details about the exact characteristics that I was looking for in my laminate. Instead of choosing something from a catalogfrom a limited set of choices I instead must draw my grain pattern, choose my tint from a Pantone book, and perhaps even choose the stipple of the surface finish. This is enough to send many Western managers running for the hills truly the definition of analysis paralysis. The situation that I just described is how most Chinese suppliers will approach the sales process with you, the customer. WHO IS THE EXPERT? A project we embarked on some time ago required plywood as one of its components. Being relatively new in China at that time, I thought that the most challenging part of getting this fixture built in China would be finding metric plywood that was approximately the same thickness as the U.S. plywood we had used to make our prototypes. I could not have been more wrong. The first indication that things in China were unlike the U.S. were the strange looks I received when I told the team that we needed to go to a lumber yard. After some awkward

    conversation, I realized that the only place where we would be able to get plywood was directly from a plywood manufacturer. I expected to see stack after stack of ready-made plywood at the plywood factory. But as was common during my first few years in China, things were not quite as I expected. I asked the salesperson about plywood, providing loose specifications that the salesperson dutifully jotted down20 millimeters thick, softwood, length, width, etc. I expected at this point to be shown some samples, or at least color chips. Instead, the salesperson asked for even more information, ranging from how many veneers we would like all the way down to the type of glue and how many coats of sealant we wanted them to use. At a certain point I wanted to ask the factory, Arent you the experts? Shouldnt you be telling me which of these options I should be choosing? I returned to my hotel, knowing that before the following morning I needed to get the answers to the factorys questions. Between calling some friends and searching Google, I learned more about the manu facturing of plywood than I ever wanted to know.
    w w w. retailenvironments .org

    IN6 | R E T A I L

    Photo: 101cats

    PREPARE YOUR TEAM TO DIVE DEEP Over time, I have come to realize that the only way to be successful here in China is to dive in deep into every component of the products that we build. It is truly amazing that almost every factory, whether the com pany specializes in wood, steel, plastics, or even screws, is willing and able to make any product to our exact specifications. This willingness to customize can be your greatest asset or the cause of extremely frustrating analysis paralysis. The best weapon to ensure the former outcome is to prepare your team as best as possible for Chinas unique product development envi ronment. If your designers show up expect ing to be able to run over to Home Depot to get some screws or maybe a sheet of plywood, there will be endless frustration. I cannot even begin to tell you how many people I have met or worked with who have lamented that product development is just easier back home. Whether back home was Wisconsin or Germany, their choices

    O ver time, I have 

    come to realize that the only way to be successful here in China is to dive in deep into every com ponent of the prod ucts that we build.

    standard. You need to know whether you need imperial sized screws or whether the metric equivalent will be acceptable. The list goes on, but in the end you need to knowor know that you need to find outthe answers to all of the manu fac turers questions. For those armed with the right informa tion, China is a land of endless possibility. It may be hard to dive deep into every com ponent of your product, but by doing so you realize a level of control and have access to customizations that would normally be unobtainable in most other markets. Take your time, do your research, and get ready to go deep.

    were more limited and thus development happened faster and more smoothly. Success in China is entirely dependent on the level of preparation by you and your team. It is not enough to know that you need screws. You need to know what metric grade. You need to know how to test the screws to ensure they meet the

    Mike Diliberto is general manager, China, for Bloomington, Minn.-based Lynx Innovation Inc. Contact him at miked@ lynxinnovation.com.

    w w w. retailenvironments .org

    | IN7

    You might also like