Case Studies

Client Background: A mid-sized German manufacturer of fuel-injection components wanted to secure Chinese OEM contracts but lacked market intelligence on tier-one bidders and local technical standards.

Challenge: Rapidly evolving environmental regulations in China (e.g., China 6 emission standards) meant the client’s existing product line risked non-compliance. They also needed to identify which local OEMs would be receptive to foreign suppliers amid a push for domestic self-sufficiency.

Approach:

• Conducted a regulatory deep-dive to pinpoint the latest “China 6” requirements, cross-referencing provincial variations.
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• Mapped all tier-one automotive OEMs by production volume, R&D centers, and sourcing policies—highlighting 12 potential partners.
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• Ran a competitive-cost analysis comparing local Chinese vendors’ price points against the client’s production costs after factoring in import duties, logistics, and tariffs.

Result:

• The client prioritized two in-province OEMs whose plants were upgrading to China 6-certified engines; Velisetrade’s compliance blueprint reduced design re-work by 30%.

• A targeted partnership pitch deck, informed by our persona profiling of Chinese procurement leads, resulted in a pilot contract worth €1.2 million.

• We recommended a localized assembly partnership to reduce customs duties—projected to save 18% on landed cost in the first year.

Client Background: A French distributor of smart-home devices aimed to expand its product line by sourcing IoT modules from Chinese manufacturers. They needed to validate supplier capabilities and negotiate favorable terms without overpaying for low-quality components.

Challenge: The Chinese IoT space is fragmented, with hundreds of suppliers claiming CE certifications. The client lacked benchmarks to distinguish between genuine high-volume, high-quality factories and opportunistic smaller producers.

Approach:

• Leveraged desk research and on-the-ground contacts to shortlist 15 Chinese module suppliers with proven track records (e.g., audited by UL, IEC-certified).

• Executed a comparative supply-chain audit: factory visits (virtual and in-person), sample testing for reliability (MTBF tests), and validation of component traceability (bill-of-materials reviews).

• Analyzed price elasticity curves for various production volumes to pinpoint optimal order quantities—balancing unit cost against warehousing and shipping constraints.

Result:

• Identified three tier-one suppliers in Shenzhen that met European safety benchmarks; negotiated a 12% discount on initial trial order (5,000 units) by consolidating orders across two product lines.

• Delivered a supplier scorecard highlighting production lead times and defect rates—reduced expected RMA rate from 5% to 1.5% by choosing higher-grade factories.

• Within six months, client’s revenue from Chinese-sourced modules increased by 28%, and time-to-market for new smart-home kits dropped by four weeks.

Client Background: A Swedish cloud-services firm specializing in secure data storage wanted to partner with Chinese data centers to offer hybrid-cloud solutions to European SMEs selling into China.

Challenge: China’s data-sovereignty regulations (e.g., Cybersecurity Law mandating local data hosting for Chinese consumers) complicated cross-border data flows. The client needed to assess potential data-centre partners and understand technical/compliance gaps.

Approach:

• Conducted policy research on Chinese cybersecurity and data-localization laws at both national (CAC, MIIT) and provincial levels.
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• Evaluated five major data-centre operators (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou) for certifications (MLPS, ISO 27001) and service-level agreements.
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• Interviewed local IT law firms to clarify cross-border data integration steps, potential bottlenecks with CAC filings, and licensing procedures for foreign cloud service providers.

Result:

• Developed a roadmap outlining how to establish a joint venture with a Tier-2 data-centre in Shanghai, aligning with MLPS Grade 2 requirements for European-China hybrid environments.
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• Provided a gap analysis showing that by integrating an encryption layer and localized user-consent management, the client could meet Chinese compliance standards within three months—half the industry average.
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• Facilitated confidential introductions to two data-centre CEOs; client signed an MoU projected to deliver €500 K annual revenue by year two.

Client Background: A high-end Italian olive-oil producer sought entry into premium supermarkets in Tier-1 Chinese cities (Shanghai, Beijing). They needed clarity on consumer preferences, price sensitivity, and distribution channels for gourmet goods.

Challenge: Unlike fast-moving consumer goods, premium olive oil relies on localized branding narratives. The client was unsure how to position “organic, cold-pressed Tuscan extra virgin” in a market crowded with both local and imported oils.

Approach:

• Commissioned a mixed-methods consumer study (n=500) across Shanghai and Beijing to gauge awareness of European olive-oil brands, willingness to pay, and preferred retail formats (e-commerce vs. specialty stores).

• Conducted mystery-shopping exercises at 10 high-end supermarkets, documenting shelf layouts, price points, and in-store marketing tactics for competing brands (Spanish, Greek, local Chinese artisanal oils).

• Crafted a localized storytelling framework, translating Italian provenance into a Chinese cultural context—emphasizing artisanal farming methods, organic certification, and taste-pairing suggestions with local cuisine.

Result:

• Recommended a dual channel approach: launch on a premium cross-border e-commerce platform at ¥298 (500 ml bottle) for early adopters, while negotiating shelf space with two Shanghai specialty import stores at a retail price of ¥350.

• Within three months, the client achieved total sales of €200 K and secured a distribution agreement with a leading import-only supermarket chain in Beijing.

• Our guidance on localized packaging (Chinese labels explaining “cold-press” and “first harvest”) contributed to a 22% higher basket-size compared to baseline forecasts.

Client Background: A Czech electronics SME assembling custom circuit boards wanted to source key components (microcontrollers, sensors) from Chinese Tier-1 suppliers but needed to validate lead times and quality controls.

Challenge: International lead time estimates varied between 4–12 weeks, and the client risked production delays if they picked the wrong vendor. They also needed to ensure RoHS and REACH compliance for European resale.

Approach:

• Compiled a database of 25 potential suppliers in Guangdong and Shanghai, filtering for ISO 9001, RoHS, and REACH certification records.

• Automated lead-time tracking using a rolling analysis of five months’ worth of shipment data, cross-referencing Chinese New Year and other peak-season variables.

• Facilitated a small-batch trial order (2,000 units) for each shortlisted supplier, coordinating third-party lab tests for lead content, electrical performance, and packaging robustness.

Result:

• Discovered that Supplier A could consistently deliver in 5–6 weeks (versus the industry standard of 8–10 weeks) with a defect rate under 0.8%.

• Provided a cost-savings analysis demonstrating that, even with expedited air freight during peak season, using Supplier A reduced per-unit component cost by 14%.

• As a result, the client adjusted their production schedule and contractual terms to lock in a six-week lead time—reducing overall time-to-shipment by 18%.

Client Background: A mid-sized German manufacturer of wind-turbine components sought to enhance its Europe-wide after-sales service network to reduce downtime and warranty costs.

Challenge: High costs from reactive repairs and long lead times for spare parts in remote wind farms resulted in client dissatisfaction and margin erosion.

Approach:

• Performed a network analysis of existing service hubs, mapping current spare-parts stock levels, technician deployment, and average response times per region.

• Applied predictive-maintenance analytics by analyzing historical failure data and environmental conditions to forecast component wear and optimal service intervals.

• Designed a tiered service strategy: centralized rapid-response teams for high-criticality sites and local partner vetting for routine maintenance, supported by digital dashboards.

Result:

• Reduced average repair time by 35%, cutting warranty-related costs by 20%.

• Optimized spare-parts inventory, decreasing overstock by 25% and freeing up €500K in working capital.

• Improved customer satisfaction scores by 18% within the first year, supporting contract renewals and upsell of premium service packages.