Offshore Communication Challenges Case Study

A Canadian manufacturer of residential and commercial ventilation systems had been steadily scaling its business. To stay competitive, the company sourced electronic control assemblies directly from China, aiming to balance product quality with cost efficiency.

As their offerings evolved to include more advanced features, product complexity increased. Communication with their offshore supplier, once manageable, became a major obstacle. Without a local liaison, the client faced mounting challenges coordinating production from afar.

The company discovered Avnan through a marketing outreach campaign. What caught their attention was Avnan’s ability to offer both global manufacturing expertise and North American-based project support. They reached out to explore a potential partnership.

Overview

• Service: Streamlined Offshore Communication
• Project timeline: 6 months
• Project Scope: Over $100k

Challenges

• Language and cultural barriers in manufacturing in China
• Frequent production errors and unclear timelines
• No local oversight to manage communication or quality

Results

• Improved project transparency and supplier accountability
• Fewer delays and production issues
• Freed up internal teams to focus on product innovation

The client was purchasing directly from a factory in China, they had no representation on the ground. Miscommunication around technical requirements and production status became frequent. Language barriers made it difficult to clarify details, resolve issues, or receive accurate timelines.

Design changes often resulted in errors due to misunderstanding, and lead time updates were vague or delayed. The lack of reliable communication led to increased rework, missed internal deadlines, and frustration across engineering and purchasing teams.

The client needed a supplier that could act as a direct extension of their engineering project team; someone who could manage production locally, speak the language fluently, and bridge the gap between engineering in Canada and manufacturing in China.

The client chose Avnan for their ability to have both local representation in Canada and in China making the manufacturing process in China more efficient. Avnan began by evaluating the client’s manufacturing process, technical documentation, and previous supplier communications. With a bilingual team on the ground in China and project managers in Canada, Avnan stepped in quickly to manage the production in China and ensured that communication was clear and concise on status of production, deliverables and product logistics in a timely manner. The partnership streamlined processes, communication and reduced errors and costs for the client.

The partnership with Avnan brought immediate relief to manufacturing in China which had previously been hampered by uncertainty and miscommunication. Avnan’s presence with offices in China and Canada transformed the client’s supply chain into a reliable and profitable operation.