Purchase office in China

30 August 2023

To enhance collaboration between our buyers and our purchasing office in China, our Chinese colleagues Iris and Karen visited the Netherlands for a week at the end of August. It was Karen's first visit to the Netherlands, providing a great opportunity to share more about our purchasing office in Ningbo.

How does such a purchasing office in China work?

To ensure consistent quality and efficient distribution, we have had our own purchasing office in China since 1995. Iris, Karen, and John work from the major port city of Ningbo, collaborating closely with our Chinese suppliers. They conduct quality checks and manage the shipping of products to the Netherlands.

Karen shares:
"Our day starts at 9:00 AM (3:00 NL time) with checking emails. After that, my work mainly involves creating and processing the purchase orders sent from the Netherlands to us. Together with Iris, I maintain contact with the factories with which we have often been working for more than 20 years. Once an order is manufactured, John conducts the quality control. If everything is good, I ensure that the shipment to the Netherlands is initiated. Iris is, in a way, our supervisor, but because the three of us are in one space and collaborate a lot, the bonds are strong. Iris works closely with Jan and Jeffrey in the Netherlands."

Quality control

"We have partnerships with 32 factories across China, many of which have been our collaborators for over two decades, fostering a stable relationship. In the event of quality control identifying any defects, we initially dispatch a sample to Jan or Jeffrey. They assess whether it's a minor but acceptable flaw, such as a slightly shifted logo, or if the entire production batch should be rejected. Depending on their evaluation, we enter discussions with the factory to arrive at a suitable solution. The enduring collaboration and mutual trust often lead to successful issue resolution."

What do you think....

• Of working for a Dutch company

"Very interesting! The rules are different, but it's very enjoyable to work with foreigners. It opens up the world and makes it a bit smaller, as if we are one big family. Dutch people are more direct, whereas in China, we tend to be more circumspect. However, in China, everything moves much faster. We often go directly from 1 to 10, while the Dutch tend to think through the intermediate steps much more."

• Is the most challenging?

"The communication. On the one hand, it's because our workday is ending when yours is beginning, so we can't always discuss everything. Additionally, the language barrier sometimes leads to confusion. Everything has to be in English, and that can result in misunderstandings."

• of the Netherlands?

"The office is located in a green area. We do have some greenery, but our office is right in the middle of the city. Also, we expected to encounter more Chinese people."

"Why don't you harvest the blackberries?"

"Can't we eat the blackberries along the road? There are so many, and no one is picking them. We checked in the store, but they are quite expensive there. That's also a bit of food waste, isn't it?"

On to the next visit!

We look back on a pleasant yet intensive week filled with enjoyable moments and productive work meetings. We have strengthened our ties with Iris and Karen and are looking forward to November. Jan, Jeffrey, and Taco will be traveling to China to visit the factories together with Iris and Karen."