QualityInspection.org

Quality Assurance, Product Development, and Purchasing Strategies in China

The New Apparel Development & Production Process [Podcast]

In this episode… Renaud is joined by another special guest, Belinda Jacobs founder of Techpacks.co, a company that has been helping soft goods designers and brands improve production & decrease waste, through tech packs since 2016. If you're an apparel designer and have a new garment to bring to market, you're going to love this episode! Belinda and Renaud join forces to talk you through the new product development process for apparel, what tech packs are and why they play a central … [Read more...]

Going from 1 Prototype to Mass Production directly is Dangerous

"Can we go directly from 1 prototype to mass production? After all, if they can make 1 good piece, surely they can make 10,000 good pieces?" Well, not really. When it comes to 3D printed parts or a product that comes entirely out of a mold, that might work. But, when different fabrication processes are involved to create custom parts (e.g. extruding the aluminum enclosure in just the right shape) and make them look nice (e.g. powder-coating it in just the right shade of grey), it gets … [Read more...]

Should North American Importers Leave China For Countries Like Mexico or Vietnam? (Feat. Andrew Hupert) [Podcast]

In this episode… Our CEO Renaud is joined by a special guest in this episode, Andrew Hupert, a cross-cultural management and communication expert, coach, and trainer who spent 10+ years in China, is currently based in Mexico, and also creates a podcast you should check out: Globalism 2.0. They discuss why North American companies are starting to move their supply chains out of China, in particular US businesses, the political forces at play, and why this is giving rise to a new era of … [Read more...]

Inspecting Productions with Very Few Defects: Dump the AQL

The topic of "do we really need to send inspectors to check productions" and "does that whole AQL concept even make sense" are frequently raised. In this article, I want to write about what it takes to get to a very low rate of defective pieces, and what manufacturing & quality people need to do when they get to that situation. … [Read more...]

Answering Your Questions on Fabric Quality, US Tariffs, & Volatile Material Prices.

In this episode... Renaud answers 3 great questions that came in from our listeners, assisted by Adrian from the Sofeast team. He'll cover how to communicate fabric quality to suppliers, tactics for coping with US tariffs on China-made goods, and strategies to cope with volatile material and shipping costs today.   Just hit the play button to start listening..! Listen to the episode right here 👇👇👇 🎧 Clarifying fabric quality requirements + Coping with US Tariffs on … [Read more...]

QMS Implementation Consultant vs. Certifying Body

I realized that many people are confused about the companies that typically get involved when a factory wants to get its quality management system (QMS) certified to ISO 9001 or ISO 13485. Let's break it down into the logical steps to get to a certification.   1. Gap analysis You need to know what the gap is. This is necessary in order to draw a QMS implementation plan (along with a budget). You may call in a certifying body (more on them in section 4, below). But, if there … [Read more...]

What Are Quality Standards? [Podcast]

In this episode… Renaud explores what quality standards are here. There is a combination of physical samples and written resources that outline and clarify your product quality expectations to your manufacturer and quality inspectors. There are different levels, from most basic to advanced...you'll see how, together, they keep everyone aligned and reduce quality risks from early in your cooperation with a supplier.    Just hit the play button to start listening..! Listen to the … [Read more...]

Quality Control Plan: Defining Expectations Before Production

Depending on the context, "quality control plan" means different things. Let's look at the three types of quality control plans: The product quality control plan to include in a contract with a Chinese supplier The QC plan for a new product being brought to market The process control plan that decomposes production in each process step (often called control plan) They come up at different stages in the life cycle of a product: First let's look at the plan that becomes … [Read more...]

Best Practices for Leaving your Chinese Supplier for a New One [Podcast]

In this episode… One listener asked us: What checklist of activities does an importer need to perform when ending business relationships with a Chinese contract manufacturer?  So, in this episode, Renaud explains what the process of leaving your current Chinese supplier looks like, including plenty of best practices to follow to make sure that your transition goes as smoothly as possible.   Just hit the play button to start listening..! Listen to the episode right here … [Read more...]

Nonconforming Products or Materials: What Are the Options?

I wrote extensively about quality inspections, the way the AQL limits lead to a pass/fail result, how to set up corrective actions in order to prevent the same issues from coming back, how to set up a QC plan to prevent issues and detect them as early as possible, and so on and so forth. One thing I haven't covered is the breadth of options available when nonconforming products or materials (in other words, products that are not up to your standard) are found. … [Read more...]