“Simon’s Way”

One of the standard horror stories of the toy industry involves a new company (and sometimes a not so new company) that entrusts the manufacturing of its product to an o.e.m. (original equipment manufacturer) in China only to find out after they open the container that their product was either incorrectly and / or poorly made.  They had just assumed that the factory knew how to do it correctly.

I was therefore very intrigued by an email I received from a company owner who is making sure that his products are being made correctly.  Simon Booth, is the owner of Kiddimoto, a UK based manufacturer of wooden balance bikes.  Kiddimoto’s bikes are made of wood and are made in China and the UK. 

Simon had told me in an earlier email that he had just gotten back from China where he had been training factory workers there on how to make his bikes.  Intrigued by someone taking the initiative to make sure that the Chinese workers knew how to meet his standards, I wrote Simon back and asked him why he took on the extra expense to go all the way to China and do training.  Here is how he responded:

It’s absolutely essential. I need to train my own staff here in the UK and they are well educated and skilled to start with. I know from experience that letting an untrained employee loose without guidance is disaster.

It’s very interesting though, in the UK I have to train staff how to use tools, for example, how to hold a hammer correctly. In China, they know these skills but I have to train them in quality control and aesthetics.

It’s an education for me; the Chinese have skills that are gradually being lost in the West due to power tools, automation, health and safety laws etc. It’s refreshing to see hand craftsmanship being implemented. It’s also very frustrating that the Chinese are decades behind on quality management and environmental issues.

Simon is one smart guy.  He not only recognizes the importance of training workers in any country, but nuanced enough in his understanding to see the precise cultural and experiential differences and therefore target his training to meet the special needs of each group.

Going to China involves a money and time cost.  Failure to go, however, can mean even greater money and time costs.  I think more people should do it “Simon’s way.”