Are you planning to import products or have them manufactured overseas? Then you are probably worried about factors like which supplier or manufacturer is best, how much should you spend for the product or parts, and how fast will you be able to get the goods. You are probably also worried about the quality of the goods you will receive. The last thing you want to deal with is a defective product, which can negatively affect your profits and your reputation. The good news is that you can avoid that problem with quality control inspection services.
Why quality control matters
Quality control and inspection are critical aspects of the manufacturing process. Besides ensuring the highest-quality goods, they help reduce rejection losses and manufacturing costs. These steps enable the identification of defects, so that they may be addressed as soon as possible.
That said, quality control inspection is not a one-time service. It should be an on-going process performed before, during, and after manufacturing to ensure the highest-quality products per the client specifications and standards.
Selecting the right quality control partner
With those things in mind, you will want to work with an established provider of quality control inspection services that understands the importance of what they do. Here are five tips to help you pick the right company:
1. Know their expertise.
Quality control inspections can be conducted by established and experienced providers of manufacturing and supply chain consultancy companies. Find out how long they have been offering such services and where they are based. Some of the leading companies are western owned and managed in China, with offices in the US and the UK.
2. Find out how they can help.
Reputable quality control inspectors understand that the supplier’s capability is critical to your project’s success. Thus, they work only with reputable factories, which they have personally checked and verified. They assess factories according to factors such as management, systems, operating procedures, and equipment.
Should you have picked your own supplier, the quality control inspection services can still work with you by serving as your local eyes and ears to manage and check on every stage of the production process.
3. Get to know the team.
Make sure they have their in-house inspection teams with extensive experience in every manufacturing sector. That way, you can completely trust them to conduct detailed inspections per your specifications. The team must be flexible and capable of adjusting to their timings and your purchasing requirements.
4. Ensure comprehensive inspection services.
Quality control is not just conducted before, during, or after production. So, make sure that the service provider is reliable in conducting pre-production inspections, in-process quality control inspection services, pre-shipment inspections, and container loading inspections.
From there, find out what is covered under each area of inspection. For instance, under pre-production inspection, the team should be able to conduct factory audits and verification, and social audits. During production, they should offer services like first article inspection, in-production QC, and defect sorting.
5. Ensure reliability.
Make sure you can completely trust the quality control inspection services. Wherever possible, you should be able to rely on the inspector to be responsible in authorizing the release of funds to ensure the speedy release of your goods, which have been checked and verified to be good for transit.
