What is a simple tool that has led to a dramatic reduction is mistakes in several industries? The checklist.

• Checklists have been mandatory for pilots (among others) for a long time.
• More recently, they have become more common in healthcare, with studies showing that they saved up to 40% of lives!

What is another activity where it is very easy to forget some simple checks? A quality inspection at a supplier’s facility.

I thought of the most common (and more severe) issues that can lead to big mistakes, and came up with this list:

• Have I selected the right SKU?
• Can I work in good enough conditions (light, noise, table…)?
• Factory people let me work at my pace without too many interruptions?
• Were products really picked randomly?
• Any risk of having the cartons/products I picked swapped behind my back?
• Factory-provided tools are in good state, and seem to function correctly?
• Am I sure I know how to use the tools?
• Am I sure I understand each specification / checkpoint?
• Do I take the end user/consumer perspective when checking the product?
• Have I filled out all the sections in the checklist?
• Are my comments clear? 

Is there anything you’d add to this list?

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Related article: How your inspectors can fail to notice quality problems