the big picture

It’s Not of the China Price. It’s the End of Cheap Crap

Richard Brubaker
April 24, 2011 11:43

Back in 2008, before the global economy blew up, there was a lot of talk about the end of the “China price”. That, as the costs of China rose, firms would move themselves away from China …. to Vietnam, India, Bangladesh, Mexico, etc… and at that time I found the arguments...

Managing a Good Team Takes Process. Requires Strategy. Not Luck.

Richard Brubaker
March 16, 2011 00:09

There are few things more difficult sometimes than managing people, and across cultures it can at times become an exercise in patience, futility, and/ or comedy as managers look for ways to attract, train, and retain staff. For one of my good friends, his theory was that a firm’s most...

In Defense of the China Consultant

Richard Brubaker
March 05, 2011 15:15

Over the last few weeks, I have seen a few posts that caught my eye.  Posts that were directed a particular “China consultant”, were meant to question the need for a “China Consultant”, or were meant to provide advice on how to pick a “China Consultant”…...

Identifying, Measuring, and Taking Action on the Risks of China

Richard Brubaker
September 02, 2010 13:09

Risk.  Everyone in China is exposed to it.  Some recognize it, and act on it, better than others This was the topic of several conversations between myself and Neal Beatty (Regional Director, Global Client Services for Control Risks).  In some ways it was a followup to the interview I did of Dane...

When Systems Start to Fail

Richard Brubaker
August 30, 2010 08:30

Over time, there are few things more important (and perhaps less appreciated) than a good old fashioned system that operates well.  Systems are something that anyone in supply chain, economics, or general management can appreciate (when running well), and in China where everything is about large...