Improving China Furniture Sourcing with a Local Team

How a multinational telecommunications firm used The China Desk, Kinyu's supply chain–focused Employer of Record service, to hire a technical project manager on the ground in China – resulting in improved firmware delivery, stronger supplier relationships and business continuity.

$10B+

Annual Turnover

1

Key Hire

24/7

Supplier Oversight

20,000+

Employees Worldwide

The Challenge

Before partnering with The China Desk, the client’s UK team struggled to cooperate effectively with the firmware team at their Chinese supplier. The consequences were costly.

Communication Breakdown

Time zone and language barriers meant important information was not being shared or communicated correctly between the UK office and the Chinese supplier.

Costly Development Processes

Without on-the-ground oversight, product development processes were inefficient and expensive.

Delayed Issue Escalation

The Chinese supplier failed to raise issues in a timely manner, resulting in expensive reworking and missed deadlines.

Positions Hired

Technical Project Manager

Tianjin

A technically capable professional with experience in firmware development and manufacturing for major Western companies operating in China. Oversees the supplier’s firmware team, communicates with all relevant UK stakeholders and acts as a vital bridge for key product development projects.

Bespoke Support from Kinyu

Beyond recruitment, Kinyu’s General Management function provided strategic and operational support to ensure long-term success:

Strategic Hiring Solution

Kinyu proposed hiring a local manager as part of a strategic plan to improve cooperation with the Chinese supplier.

Supply Chain Support

In addition to the full-time employee in Tianjin, Kinyu assisted the UK team in managing QC inspections and communicating with the supplier’s supply chain team.

Team Building & Engagement

Quarterly events for team collaboration and annual trips for the employee to the UK for team building.

Supplier Relationship Management

The Kinyu senior team visits the supplier quarterly on behalf of UK senior management to maintain high-level relations.

Results & Impact

Improved Project Delivery

The technical project manager coordinated supplier activities, ensured proper task prioritisation and delivered key project components in the correct order and on time.

Strengthened Supplier Relationships

Clearer communication improved the working relationship, even during challenging periods.

Enhanced Functional Testing

On-site presence at the factory allowed functional testing with the client’s app before shipment.

Business Continuity

Having key personnel on-site ensured projects could move forward. Without this support, the client would have struggled to deliver products according to business needs.


Without Kinyu’s support our project simply would not have progressed this far. There is a significant gap between our expectations of a supplier and the level of service received by the hardware supplier for this project that Kinyu successfully bridged for us.

Client Testimonial


Ready to Improve Your Supply Chain Operation in China?

Whether you want to boost product quality, streamline supplier management or reduce operational costs, building the right team on the ground can make all the difference.