THEPROBLEM/問題

  Recently China's manufacturing industry suffered a new setback on top of tales of toxic toys, tainted pet food and chemical-drenched pyjamas when Mattel announced a third recall of toys.
  最近，中國製造業遭遇了新的挫折——在銷售有毒玩具、受汙染寵物食品和化學物質超標的睡衣等事件後，美泰(Mattel)宣布第三次召回玩具。

  Some of the blame must lie with sloppy management by companies in the west, which cut corners and are at the top of a long supply chain in which each supplier squeezes and is squeezed by its neighbours. As the Christmas season approaches, what practical steps can companies in the west and China really take to police suppliers? If prices have to rise to pay for assured standards, how will fierce competitors manage this?
  西xi方fang公gong司si鬆song垮kua的de管guan理li層ceng必bi須xu為wei此ci承cheng擔dan部bu分fen責ze任ren，它ta們men力li求qiu降jiang低di成cheng本ben
，位wei於yu長chang長chang的de供gong應ying鏈lian的de頂ding端duan，而er供gong應ying鏈lian中zhong的de每mei個ge供gong應ying商shang都dou在zai與yu相xiang鄰lin的de供gong應ying商shang相xiang互hu擠ji壓ya。隨sui著zhe聖sheng誕dan旺wang季ji的de臨lin近jin，西xi方fang公gong司si和he中zhong國guo究jiu竟jing能neng采cai取qu哪na些xie切qie實shi措cuo施shi，真zhen正zheng管guan理li好hao供gong應ying商shang呢ne？如ru果guo要yao確que保bao標biao準zhun就jiu必bi須xu提ti高gao價jia格ge，那na麼me激ji烈lie的de競jing爭zheng者zhe將jiang如ru何he應ying對dui呢ne？

  THE ADVICE/建議

  THE CONSULTANT/谘詢顧問
  詹姆斯•艾倫(James Allen)

  The lesson for multinational corporations is "beware - you tend to get the supplier arrangement you bargained for", whether suppliers are based in Dongguan City, Delhi or Düsseldorf. Multinationals need to seek out arrangements where suppliers are rewarded not only for driving down costs but also for driving up product quality and innovation.
  對跨國公司來說，教訓是“當心——你得到的供應商安排往往是自己討價還價的結果”
，無論供應商是設在中國東莞、印度德裏還是德國杜塞爾多夫。跨國公司需要尋求的安排是：供應商獲得報償不僅是因為它們拉低了成本，還因為它們促進了產品質量和創新。

  Recent research by Bain has shown that companies that best addressed the issue of accountability in the value chain had two things in common: the CEO took responsibility personally because he or she saw it as a matter of corporate values and made sure that all employees felt empowered to resolve problems as they arose.
  貝恩谘詢(Bain & Company)最近的研究顯示

，在價值鏈中能很好地解決責任問題的公司有兩個共同點：一是首席執行官親自承擔責任
，因為他或她將此視為公司價值觀問題；二是確保在出現問題時
，所有的員工都感到自己有權去解決問題。

  The questions every CEO should ask are: a) do I have balanced measures for employees on the front lines or are they biased towards cost management (and what have I done lately to reward the whistleblower who speaks up for quality?); and b) am I getting the one-dimensional suppliers I deserve because I pound them down on costs rather than create a true partnership? In the long term, the best relationships will be built upon mutually beneficial expectations, not inspections.
  每位首席執行官都應該問自己：1）我是否為一線員工製定了均衡的衡量標準，還是他們偏愛成本管理？（我最近做了哪些事來獎賞舉報質量問題的人？）；2）我是否得到了自己“應得的”danxianggongyingshang，yinweiwozaichengbenshangpinmingyazhatamen

，erbushiyutamenjianliyizhongzhenzhengdehuobanguanxi？changqieryan
，jianlizuijiaguanxidejichushihuliyuqi，erbushijianzha。

  The writer is a partner at Bain & Company
  作者是貝恩谘詢合夥人

  THE PR/公關
  羅伯特•戴倫施耐德(Robert Dilenschneider)

  Manufacturers in China may be creating an issue that will scar that nation for decades. Their customers around the world need to act forcibly to address it. First, western companies need to be completely candid about the magnitude of the problem, hiding nothing, then spelling out the uncompromising steps they are taking with Chinese suppliers to eliminate it completely. It should be made clear that continued unsafe manufacturing will have severe consequences for Chinese companies.
  zhongguozhizaoshangzhizaodewenti，yexuhuigeizhegeguojialiuxiajishiniandounanyixiaochudechuangba。tamenzaishijiegedidexiaofeizhexuyaocaiquqiangyoulidexingdongcainengjiejuezhegewenti。shouxian
，xifanggongsixuyaoduiwentideyanzhongchengduchiwanquantanlvdetaidu

，juebuyinman，ranhouqingchushuomingtamenduizhongguogongyingshangcaiqudehaobutuoxiedecuoshi
，yichedixiaochuwenti。yinggaigaoqingchu：持續的不安全製造將對中國公司造成嚴重後果。

  US companies need to send in inspectors to gauge manufacturing performance. If necessary, the cost of this process will have to be built into the price. Chinese manufacturers must also aggressively police their workplaces. However difficult it may be for the authorities or western manufacturers to monitor products and processes, there is no alternative. Any further recalls will sully their reputations, perhaps irreparably.
  meiguogongsixuyaopaijianzhayuanqupingguzhizaoyewudebiaoxian。ruyoubiyao，zhegeguochengdechengbenjiangnarujiagezhizhong。zhongguozhizaoshanghaibixujijiguanhaozijidegongzuochangsuo。duiyujianguandangjuhuoxifangzhizaoshangeryan，wulunjiankongchanpinheguochengyouduomekunnan，tamendoubiewuxuanze。zaiyourenhezhaohuishijiandouhuidianwutamendeshengyu，erqiekenengwufawanhui。

  The writer is chairman and founder of The Dilenschneider Group
  作者是戴倫施耐德集團(Dilenschneider Group)董事長和創始人

  THE ACADEMIC/學者
  馬丁•克裏斯托弗(Martin Christopher)#p#分頁標題#e#

  Sourcing from low-cost locations can bring obvious benefits but also exposes a business to hidden risks.
  從低成本地區采購能夠帶來明顯的好處，但也會讓業務麵臨隱藏的風險。

  Managers should carry out a full audit of the supply chain (however long) to identify vulnerable links - then address those weaknesses. The supply chain, though outsourced, is still your responsibility and should be treated as part of your organisation and production process.管理人員應全麵審核  供應鏈（無論它有多長）

，以(yi)找(zhao)出(chu)其(qi)中(zhong)的(de)薄(bo)弱(ruo)環(huan)節(jie)
，然(ran)後(hou)解(jie)決(jue)這(zhe)些(xie)弱(ruo)點(dian)。盡(jin)管(guan)已(yi)經(jing)外(wai)包(bao)出(chu)去(qu)
，但(dan)供(gong)應(ying)鏈(lian)仍(reng)然(ran)是(shi)你(ni)的(de)責(ze)任(ren)，應(ying)當(dang)作(zuo)為(wei)自(zi)己(ji)組(zu)織(zhi)和(he)生(sheng)產(chan)過(guo)程(cheng)的(de)一(yi)部(bu)分(fen)來(lai)對(dui)待(dai)。

  When Nissan arrived in the UK it installed permanent supplier development teams at its suppliers to ensure all aspects of the supply chain met its own high standards. In the context of global sourcing, direct involvement with the supplier may well be preferable to dealing at arms length through an agent. Working with suppliers on quality assurance programmes - which is costly in terms of management time - can also help reduce the risk of disrupted supplies.
  當日產(Nissan)進jin入ru英ying國guo時shi，它ta在zai供gong應ying商shang處chu建jian立li了le永yong久jiu的de供gong應ying商shang發fa展zhan團tuan隊dui

，以yi確que保bao供gong應ying鏈lian的de方fang方fang麵mian麵mian都dou能neng符fu合he自zi己ji的de高gao標biao準zhun。就jiu全quan球qiu采cai購gou來lai看kan，通tong過guo中zhong介jie打da交jiao道dao，也ye許xu還hai不bu如ru直zhi接jie與yu供gong應ying商shang合he作zuo。在zai質zhi量liang保bao證zheng計ji劃hua方fang麵mian與yu供gong應ying商shang合he作zuo會hui耗hao費fei大da量liang管guan理li時shi間jian
，但dan可ke能neng有you助zhu於yu降jiang低di供gong應ying中zhong斷duan的de風feng險xian。

  To minimise risks, managers need to bring a much more detailed eye to bear on the supply chain. When the process is left to chance, companies may pay a high price. 
  要想將風險最小化，管理人員需要更為仔細地審視供應鏈。如果存在僥幸心理，企業可能要付出高昂的代價。

  The writer is a professor of marketing and logistics at Cranfield School of Management
  作者是克蘭菲爾德管理學院(Cranfield School of Management)營銷及物流教授

  THE EXECUTIVE/高管
  帕梅拉•勒普克(Pamela Lopker)

  The tough reality of global business is that manufacturers must continually improve quality throughout the supply chain to meet global standards or risk going out of business.
  全球商業麵臨的嚴峻現實是，製造商必須持續提高供應鏈各個環節的質量，以達到全球標準，否則就麵臨被淘汰的可能。

  The good news is that quality can be improved. Lean technologies give managers, workers and suppliers much greater visibility and control over the supply chain. They also help deal with risks ranging from the political to the financial, as well as natural disasters and cyber attacks.
  好消息是，質量是可以提高的。精益技術讓管理人員、工人和供應商能夠更好地審視和控製供應鏈。它們還有助於應對從政治到金融等各種風險，以及自然災害和網絡攻擊。

  Small or medium-sized producers lack the resources to deploy the same processes as their larger rivals, yet in order to sell to global retailers they must meet the same mandates and rules. The solution is the next generation of lean manufacturing, which is built on open standards, collaboration and automation.
  中zhong小xiao型xing生sheng產chan商shang缺que乏fa資zi源yuan
，無wu力li部bu署shu與yu規gui模mo更geng大da的de對dui手shou相xiang同tong的de過guo程cheng，但dan為wei了le在zai全quan球qiu銷xiao售shou產chan品pin，它ta們men必bi須xu符fu合he同tong樣yang的de要yao求qiu和he規gui定ding。解jie決jue方fang案an是shi建jian立li在zai開kai放fang標biao準zhun
、協同和自動化基礎上的下一代精益製造業。

  Added value and efficient production is becoming a core objective for China's small and medium-sized producers. The supply chain processes that yield such results need to be crisp and fluid.
  附加值和高效率生產正成為中國中小型生產商的核心目標。要想產生這些績效，供應鏈過程必須保持活力和流動性。

  The writer is president and chairman of QAD, a California-based enterprise software company
  作者是加州企業軟件公司QAD總裁兼董事長