| To remain competitive, many UK based manufacturing | | | | business partners in China to manage the transition of |
| companies who are facing increasing competition due | | | | new products from concept to volume manufacture in |
| to cheap imports from China, have outsourced the | | | | a greatly reduced lead time. |
| manufacture of many of their products over the past | | | | The costs of establishing a legal presence in China, a |
| several years to achieve cost savings. | | | | prerequisite of recruiting a Chinese National in China, |
| Among the strengths and core competencies of many | | | | can be prohibitive, but a number of specialist |
| well established British manufacturing businesses are | | | | consultancies can help with the recruitment of Chinese |
| the ability to design and develop new products to | | | | staff and provide a base of operations for a lower |
| market leading standards, and to provide a responsive | | | | cost. |
| and high standard of face to face customer service i.e. | | | | The managing director of a leading British curtain pole |
| two key strengths that Chinese competitors can't | | | | and blind manufacturer commented on his experience |
| easily match. | | | | of outsourcing, "This initiative has proved very |
| To maintain the momentum of business development, | | | | effective in bolstering our NPD program, our time to |
| several manufacturers recruit design engineers in | | | | market lead times have improved beyond |
| China. The perceived benefits of the initiative are | | | | expectations. We are considering plans to extend the |
| substantial. Not only can the new recruit support the | | | | service to support the operational side of the business, |
| existing in-house product design and development | | | | starting with Quality Assurance and supply chain |
| function in the UK, but he could also work directly with | | | | management. |