For wholesale products, quality inspection is an essential part. Quality inspection of goods produced in factories in China usually occurs during the production process and before the goods are shipped to the port. The purpose is to ensure that the customer receives the goods without defects.
It is easier to correct defects early in the production cycle when the factory starts mass production based on your approved samples. Known as in-process inspections, these procedures help prevent the shipment of defective or low-quality products that reduce your customer satisfaction and damage your business.
The necessity of quality inspection during manufacturing
In the competitive international market, if you want to develop well, you must maintain a good reputation. The quality of your products is directly related to customer satisfaction and will also affect the development of potential customers.
So, how to ensure the quality of your products? Choosing a reliable factory specializing in the production of your products helps to prevent quality problems to a great extent, but it does not solve all problems. So quality inspection is very important, passing quality inspection further reduces the risk of receiving defective items. Factories can be urged to focus on quality and adhere to product specifications at all stages of the production cycle to ensure consistent product quality.
Advantages that good product quality can bring you
Research shows that proper quality checks result in products that meet their intended use. Delivering quality products to customers over time brings the following benefits:
- Increase loyalty
- Repeat business
- Referred new clients
- Fewer liability risks
- Good seller reputation
Who is responsible for process quality inspection?
Typically, the buyer hires an outside agency to perform process quality inspection. Or suppliers have their own quality inspectionstaff to monitor product quality.
So which is the better choice? All factories have internal quality control, but sometimes the target may be missed. A factory with limited quality control staff may miss out on finding defects or focusing more on customers placing large orders. If you choose a supplier with strict quality control, you should have no problem. Whereas QC by purchasing agent gives you more control, inspectors check all the right things throughout the production cycle.
The content of quality inspection?
The quality control used depends on the product or industry. In-process quality inspection includes review of raw materials and components prior to production. Inspectors then evaluate partially produced parts or inspect a few randomly from the initial batch.
You will provide a list of specifications that need to be compared to finished products to determine compliance. Usually, the list includes aspects such as material, appearance, workmanship, labeling, inner and outer packaging. Inspection criteria should be objective and include criteria and requirements discussed with the supplier and/or outlined in the manufacturing agreement.
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QC
How do I report QC results?
A QC report is a document containing the inspector’s findings and results, either “pass” or “fail”. Quality inspection agencies will have their own templates and you can request to see a sample report. They can also use templates provided by customers. In most cases, though, clients use the agency’s templates to view the results of in-process quality checks. The template is shared in PDF format.
Elements of a QC Checklist
The first formal assessment when it comes to manufacturing quality is a factory audit. This is usually done by an external specialist, such as a factory audit service. But some importers may visit the factory in person for inspection. The audit clearly shows that the factory has the ability to place an order according to your requirements.
Preliminary Audit: This is a general audit that looks at:
- Production Process
- Equipment and machinery
- Number of workers
- Quality control procedures
- Workshop/Warehouse/Control Room
- Official documents (business licenses, export licenses, certificates)
Technical Audit: This is a more detailed investigation of the manufacturing process and quality control system, including:
- Quality Management System
- production capacity
- Internal quality control procedures
- Sub-supplier selection process
- Equipment Repair
- Employee training
Social Audit: Knowing how suppliers treat employees, the environment and meet legal obligations can help reduce your brand reputation risk. The audit evaluates the following:
- Labor policies (eg child labor)
- Security policy (eg evacuation plan)
- Environmental Policy
- Employee health and safety
- Compensation (eg minimum wage)
Quality monitoring should continue after the factory has met your expectations and an order has been placed.
Process quality inspection includes the following basic elements:
Verify raw material quality
The quality of the raw materials your manufacturer uses will affect the appearance, strength, durability and safety of your product. Raw material quality can be determined in a number of ways, the most common being on-site raw material inspection, where the quality inspection agency sends inspectors to the factory to verify that the raw materials received meet your specifications. This inspection takes place before production begins. This is usually done when working with a new supplier, or when there is a concern that the supplier may save money (cheaper quality) or material (managing less material than needed).
Size and Weight
These properties are especially important for products such as machine parts and clothing. Depending on the product, you may have specified an acceptable’ level of quality. For example, defects in a batch of components may not exceed 1%.
color
QC inspectors are knowledgeable in visual assessment of color. Color requirements are usually verified by comparing the finished product to Pantone swatches or gold samples.
Marking and Labeling
To be eligible for sale in the US or EU, your product labelling and marking must comply with established regulatory requirements for those markets. The process quality control checklist shall include this section and the corresponding specification. For example, if you’re importing clothing, you’ll need to state the fiber content, country of origin, identification number (eg: RN in the US), size, care instructions, and supplier’s trademark/code on the label.
For new importers, a clear understanding of labelling requirements is important to avoid breaking the law. If you import footwear into the UK for sale, the label must describe in English or pictograms the materials that make up 80% of the surface area of ​​the upper, the surface area of ​​the lining and socks, and the outsole. It is a crime to sell footwear without information about its ingredients.
Verify Packaging Requirements
Evaluating packaging quality is important for a variety of reasons. The packaging and sorting methods used are related to the conditions in which you expect to receive the goods. For example, fragile items need to be packed with extra cushioning, while cartons for heavier items should have enough stacking strength to resist crushing.
Package weight and dimensions will affect your shipping costs. If the carton is slightly wider than your specifications, then one container may not be enough and you will need to pay for the rental of a second container.
Classification defect
Manufacturing uses a method called Acceptable Quality Limit (AQL) sampling to define a sample of production orders when determining whether an entire product order meets a customer’s specifications. AQL sampling includes factors such as how often defects are found, their severity (minor, major, or major), and the manufacturer’s tolerance for a particular problem. The final “pass” or “fail” result is based on this evaluation.
Experienced quality inspection agencies understand common defects in specific products. In addition to the features under AQL, you may also need to specify issues that you have seen but don’t encounter often during QA. For example, if some of your customers report disliking a particular aspect of the household items you sell, but it is not a regular defect in that particular product, it should be communicated to the supplier and included in the QC checklist. This is a method of finding manufacturing quality issues during process inspection.
