This week, we are flying again from Taipei to Guangzhou to meet Sam Sheehan.

I met Sam during university in Brisbane, Australia 10 years ago. He was an aspiring entrepreneur connecting tech and wine.

Little did I know that he would somehow end up in China for the next few years thanks to the Advance Queensland startup grant, eventually heading up the APAC operations of a Canadian tech company.

After COVID, he co-founded OneLink Holdings, a Guangzhou and Da Nang-based manufacturing outsourcing business with 4 offices in Asia (Vietnam, Australia, China and Hong Kong). They manage their client’s entire supply chain and licensing/distribution process without worry.

What I really like about Sam’s journey is his ground-up approach. He threw himself into the manufacturing battlefield in China, learned painful lessons, survived, and then went on to build something bigger and better.

It was great to catch up with Sam and trace back his journey over the last decade.

I was fortunate enough in 2015 to receive an Advance QLD/QLD Government grant to travel and live in China to further explore opportunities for my previous company in wine technology. Through this experience, I fell in love with Asia and the way of doing business here. This led to more than 10 visits to China in a short span of time, during which I met my now co-founder of our business OneLink Holdings, Tom Daniels.

We identified a massive need in the market for quality partnerships in manufacturing that had an ‘on the ground’ approach. We were too often seeing businesses being ripped off or left in the dark on a lot of their manufacturing and cross-border dealings. I now spend significant amounts of time working out of our Guangzhou office ensuring our clients are getting the best possible experience in what is usually an exciting growth-filled time in their businesses.

China has well and truly picked up where it left off from pre-covid times. The bustling streets are something I will never get sick of. There is a constant stream of commuters at all hours of the day whether it is pedestrians, scooters or cars (notably GZ banned the use of Motorcycles in the city which makes things marginally less chaotic compared to some cities in SE Asia).

If you are a foodie, you will love it here, there is an abundance of delicious foods from dim sum to roast goose (must try) and of course the ever-popular plethora of bubble tea ‘institutions’. You will see people lining up for hours just to get their favourite drink.

I spend most of my time living/working and commuting in GZ which is where I draw most of my experiences but my time spent in other areas of China whether it be on Government dealings in Beijing or with my new friends in the villages of Puyang I have found the Chinese to especially hospitable especially when it comes to food and drinks (of the alcoholic variety).

I do notice that there are fewer and fewer international business people and tourists. Getting reliable and trustworthy insights from the ground has become more difficult.

The Chinese manufacturing sector has indeed been experiencing a mix of challenges and opportunities recently both internally and externally. It has faced economic headwinds due to global economic slowdowns and trade tensions. This has impacted production levels and export volumes.

Experiences from COVID supply chain disruption have prompted many businesses to have a ‘Plan B’ and further supply chain options to mitigate risks.

Other noticeable changes are technological advancements to improve efficiency and reduce manual labour dependency, and stricter environmental regulations to curb pollution and promote sustainable manufacturing practices.

Overall, the situation on the ground reflects a country in transition, motivated to maintain its competitiveness and sustainability in the face of ever-changing global perceptions of the country.

Transparency & Communication

Poor communication and lack of transparency between the manufacturer and the customer can lead to misunderstandings, delays, and unmet expectations. We help our customers through dedicated account managers, regular updates and meetings and we are currently piloting real-time updates using an internal software tool to keep our clients as up-to-date has possible.

Quality Control

Businesses looking to manufacture overseas often face challenges with maintaining consistent product quality when manufacturing is outsourced. This can result in defective products, returns, and irreversible damage to their brand reputation. We have implemented robust quality control procedures at each step, we introduce third-party audits in products that are highly technical in nature and we ensure all of this is reported in a clear and concise way for our clients.

Reliability & Consistency

Consistent performance and reliability are crucial for maintaining customer trust and meeting the high standards of overseas customers. It is easy for suppliers to switch to cruise control and let quality slip, which we see all too often. Without having a partner on the ground completing randomised drop-ins to the factory or QC at regular stages this is an issue that can easily arise. It is crucial to partner with trusted suppliers with a proven track record for producing quality and equally as importantly hitting deadlines!

“Getting the cheapest product is the most important objective. “

While cost is an important factor when finding a supplier, it should not be the sole criterion for your decision. By considering factors such as quality, reliability, sustainability, and after-sales support, businesses can ensure they are getting the best value for their investment whilst building a strong relationship with the manufacturer.