Stay Active! Keep Your Business Thriving Through The CNY Shutdown
Considered one of the grandest celebrations in Southeast Asia, the Chinese New Year is also the lengthiest holiday of their lunar year. Traditionally, the Chinese New Year lasts 15 days; however, as many workers travel with their families, the celebration dates vary. For businesses relying on our international supply chain, this often leads to an incredibly stressful time and an abundance of uncertainty. Not to mention, as suppliers slowly cease production for the CNY shutdown, there is often the anticipation of when a supplier will reopen, start production, and at what capacity?
January 18, 2022
Although business will be fairly quiet on the other side of the world, luckily, there are many ways that you and your business can take advantage of the CNY shutdown. As a Global Sourcing Agency, it is our job to ensure you and your team are well-equipped for the upcoming year, and the best way to do this is by staying active. With twenty years of global sourcing experience, our team prepares for each unique CNY shutdown in hopes of providing our customers with the confidence and necessary preparation to “pick right up where they left off.”
Our suggestion? Don’t slow down! Use your New Year’s momentum and the CNY shutdown to your competitive advantage. Whereas some businesses may use the excuse of the CNY holiday to sit back and patiently wait for things to happen, this is your opportunity to get ahead and thrive!
Before Suppliers Begin to Shutdown…
Take time to talk with your supplier and discuss when they anticipate closing and reopening. Often, suppliers may give you a range of possible reopen dates, as even they may not be able to predict precisely when their employees will travel back for work. At the very least, this will provide you with an estimated timeline to plan and give you an idea of when you can begin communicating with them post-CNY.
Before the CNY shutdown, it’s also imperative that you communicate with your customers. Share with them the anticipated supplier “shutdown” and “reopen” dates, review product demands and begin planning for post-CNY purchase orders.
Quick Tip: In this situation, we recommend placing your raw material Purchase Orders [POs] before the CNY holiday, allowing your business and project to be one step ahead in the production schedule. Subsequently, if you wait to place your raw material POs until after the CNY holiday, you’ll not only be competing for raw materials with other businesses but also production capacity.
While your suppliers are on holiday…
It’s all about your customers. Perhaps there is a little more flexibility in your schedule? Now is an excellent opportunity to reconnect with your customers and continue to build solid relationships for the upcoming year. Discuss future projects, quality assurance inspections, and audits, as well as any new and innovative ideas you may have for the upcoming year. This “quiet” time may be highly beneficial for revamping any projects that need a little boost of inspiration!
As a matter of fact, the CNY shutdown is also an opportune time to meet and bond with your business team. For one thing, not all businesses are experiencing the CNY shutdown. What a great opportunity your team has to use this extra flexibility in your schedule to your advantage! Remember those tiny, in-house tasks that often get overlooked? Or, perhaps you’re trying to find a time for your team to prepare for the remainder of your year? Maybe it’s taking time to update your current inventory and plan new projects? Whatever your team chooses to do, stay engaged and be productive.
Quick Tip: The CNY shutdown brings a very “quiet period” to many businesses and, with many companies still working from home, tends to reduce employee interaction. With production at a halt and our international supply chain at a standstill, communication and employee engagement needs to remain a priority. Stay motivated together – Don’t lose sight of your New Year business goals!
As your suppliers return back to work…
Finally – let’s pick up right where you left off! It’s time to reap the benefits of all of your pre-CNY planning. While we know you’re excited for production to start, our team recommends scheduling product inspections and supplier audits. Product quality is critical. Of course, your supplier is highly qualified, but holding your supplier accountable is just as important. We want to ensure that your supplier’s product quality and operating performance is as good post-CNY as it was before the shutdown. An in-person visit in the New Year is an excellent chance for your business to meet with your supplier face-to-face, discuss expectations, future projects, and anticipated production schedules while simultaneously observing operations and their flow of production firsthand.
How Can HB International Assist in Your CNY Preparations?
