Para muchos, China aparece ser enormemente lejana. Con una cultura totalmente diversa y muchos problemas prácticos y desconocido, a veces imposible, regulaciones. No para Marco de Bruin sin embargo. Mucho antes cualquier otro productor del moldeado incluso lo consideraba, su compañía utilizaba las oportunidades que China está ofreciendo. Hoy, mientras que la competición está experimentando un rato difícil, los sistemas del molde de Quodo están intentando controlar su crecimiento notable.

La compañía primero fijó el pie en China en 2002. “Entusiástico por lo que sierra, nosotros inmediatamente pedimos los primeros moldes. Eso resultó no ser tan simple. Para hacer una asignación ejecutar correctamente, es esencial comunicarse extensivamente. No por medio de una computadora portátil, funcionada convenientemente desde otro país, pero directamente en trabajar-piso.”

Burocracia
Poner una orden en China es una cosa, para comenzar para arriba una fábrica es otra historia. “Toma mucho tiempo y esfuerzo de trabajar con las instituciones gubernamentales. La burocracia es mucho peor que en Europa. Pero si usted se ocupa de regulaciones interpretando gobierna más bien que tomándolas literalmente, usted manejará la multa justa. También, dependiendo del oficial que atiende, hay en la práctica mucho más posibilidades. Y sí, un regalo del negocio siempre ahora y después es parte del negocio. Puede ser una manera conseguir en contacto con un oficial alineado más alto, con energías más discrecionales.”

Empleados chinos
“Una vez que se ha instalado la fábrica, necesidad de los trabajadores de ser encontrado. Tiende para ser útil emplear a chinos de habla inglesa, porque no es ninguna opción para emplear a un intérprete veinticuatro horas por día. Therefore as we were hiring people, we often chose locals who were able to talk English at a reasonable level. Twenty-five percent of our employees speak English, that is to say… they understand. When you look at all the Chinese Quodo has hired, three-quarter literally has to be told what to do. Unfortunately most of them are strangers to initiative. As far as I can tell that’s a consequence of their past. They have always been told what to do, top down. To change that is very hard, it requires a lot of deliberation, many meetings as well as intensive coaching.”

Double standards
Leveled participation, in order to encourage initiative, is that still desirable when your IP is at stake? “Problems with copyright in China are exaggerated. We once made molds for a certain product and consequently the samples appeared at a trade show. Also they were given away as a present. Four months later we found that another company was marketing the same product. It had been reproduced in China, but through an American initiative. The Chinese only did what was asked. So the European and the American companies initiate to copy something and afterwards they blame the Chinese.”

One country, various cultures
China is gigantic, in dimension as well as population. This is why there isn’t such a thing as the ‘stereotype’ Chinese. Quodo Mould Systems, with two bases in the country, experienced this themselves. “The Chinese in South China have different traits than the people in North China. The working attitude for instance, is more reliable in the North. They are less undertaking, but work hard. In South China on the other hand, personnel changes jobs more easily. They aren’t easily satisfied, do not follow up orders very well and they need more social attention than the Northerners. So if you value loyal employees, go to the North.”

Golden combination
Quodo discovered that there were more differences between Chinese and European ethics. “In the West organizations appreciate presentation. Chinese predominantly consider functional aspects. China in that sense is excellent. Employees work hard, do not complain and listen in general. These characteristics, linked to the European product standards, make for a golden combination.”

Get help
“The bottom line is that there are opportunities for almost any company in China. But to conquer the market, takes time and patience. Quodo was disappointed in the enormous amount of energy it costs to achieve the goals that had been set. Physical attendance proved to be a necessity. But do not let that discourage you. By now there is enough help, information and knowledge to more easily shift between regulations and obstacles. On top of that we are willing to share our experiences. And, judging by the many trade missions, seminars, and web sites like this one, we are not the only ones. So go ahead; mould your business model according to our learning experiences anytime, I’m sure it will fit you like a glove.”

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