Andrew “Bunnie” Huang has written a book describing the realities of launching new products in China. It has a broad scope, covering engineering, business practices, and cultural norms for China.
The Hardware Hacke (Adventures in Making & Breaking Hardware)
by Andrew “bunnie” Huang
No Starch Press
If you are involved in management, engineering, accounting, support, or most any other area of high-tech electronics, you should read this book, especially sections 1 and 2. The author offers great insight and advice on bringing designs into production, particularly when production is moved to China. The first five chapters cover development and mass production of an open source design internet data “appliance” called “Chumby.” Here are some of the topics covered:
- test plans and test equipment design
- component selection
- fake goods (identifying gray market or counterfeit parts)
- required documentation
- basics of creating a Bill of Materials (BOM)
- packaging and shipping considerations
- automation v. human labor in some processes
- factory tours and “culture”