Exclusive | "We will eliminate suppliers that can't keep up with the pace," Xiaomi Home Appliances General Manager's internal speech aims to reverse perception of product "poor quality"

Sina Tech News, March 15th — Exclusive from Sina Tech: Xiaomi Group’s major appliances division General Manager Dan Lianyu recently stated during an internal meeting that by 2026, Xiaomi’s major appliances business will proactively address and reverse the existing perception that their products are of poor quality. Additionally, suppliers who cannot keep up with the development pace will be eliminated.

According to reports, the theme of this internal meeting was quality. Dan Lianyu emphasized that innovation determines how high Xiaomi’s major appliances business can fly, while quality determines how far it can go. “Quality management is non-negotiable,” this principle must serve as the decision-making baseline for leaders of the major appliances product line. Any quality defect in a product line will directly damage Xiaomi Group’s reputation, especially since major appliances have a lifecycle of 5-10 years. Perception of quality influences brand loyalty. He urged the team to treat each step with craftsmanship spirit to ensure that the quality red line is never crossed.

He reviewed the significant progress of Xiaomi’s major appliances division over the past two years: first, the ability to develop full-stack self-research across all categories, gradually penetrating core components; second, the initial formation of a quality triad collaboration, with over 100 laboratories; third, the expansion of the quality organization team to over 200 people, achieving parallel management with R&D; fourth, systematic sorting of the supply chain system, establishing a solid foundation to support business development. He revealed that by 2026, Xiaomi’s major appliances will continue to introduce high-quality suppliers, fostering a healthy competitive environment of “learning, surpassing, and catching up,” while firmly eliminating suppliers who cannot keep pace with development.

For 2026, Dan Lianyu outlined three key tasks: strengthen evaluation capabilities for new technologies, focusing on improving the introduction and management systems for new technologies, processes, and materials; leverage factory upgrades and intelligent methods to elevate quality management; proactively respond to and reverse the perception of poor product quality, rebuilding brand trust.

Currently, Xiaomi’s major appliances business covers multiple categories including refrigerators, air conditioners, and washing machines. Previously, Xiaomi’s major appliances were known for cost-effectiveness and smart features, which posed a challenge to traditional home appliance manufacturers. The frequent public disputes between Gree executives and Xiaomi executives are a reflection of this. However, Xiaomi still has room for improvement in quality and service, and is actively strengthening core capabilities in the major appliances sector, such as offering 10-year warranty upgrades for air conditioners and launching its first major appliance factory.