Inspections often take place in sub-optimal conditions. Sometimes the goods are not ready. Sometimes the cartons are piled up in a way that makes it impossible to count them or to select them. Sometimes the inspector’s time is wasted in unexpected transport, as described in a previous post. Sometimes the lighting is insufficient (the worst is usually in forwarder warehouses at night).

Our clients pay us to check their goods, so it is our duty to make sure the conditions are favorable to effective inspections. I have seen inspectors working in conditions that literally made them sick. On the other hand, we are not supposed to disrupt the factory’s operations (in some cases it cannot be avoided, especially for inspections during production, but we try to be reasonable).

After many bad experiences, we have compiled a list of conditions that suppliers have to accept. They are translated in Chinese, so that they can pass the document on to the factory people. There is nothing unique to that list (other QC firms have very similar conditions). I have pasted some excerpts from my firm’s conditions below.

Confirmation of inspection date: the suppliers sometimes change the date at the last moment for a frivolous reason (e.g. he remembers there is a visit from an important customer).

We will need your confirmation of the inspection day by email. If you change this date, please immediately send us an email. If you change the planning at the last moment (less than 24h before inspection day), or if our time is wasted on unexpected transport (example: you ask us to go to one factory, but some goods are in another factory), or goods are not ready for inspection according to client’s requirement upon inspector(s) arrival, or if any other condition listed above is not respected, we reserve the right to abort (and refuse) the inspection. In that case, we might charge your client for inspection fee, and they might ask you to pay for it.

Timing after the inspection: this is pretty important… and we try to make the customer aware of this issue, too.

Please allow 24h between the end of inspection and the ex-factory date. Your customer will need to receive and review the report, and might ask some questions before taking a decision.

Presentation of cartons (for final inspections): sometimes the cartons are in different places and cannot be selected at random… I already wasted more than an hour just to get the cartons I wanted.

All the references to be inspected have to be packed latest at 8am on inspection day. We tolerate that some cartons might not be ready yet—but 20% of unpacked pieces for a given reference is a maximum. And the inspector should be able to take samples from these unpacked pieces.

The cartons have to be sorted by reference, by color and by size when presented to inspector(s). All the cartons of the same reference should be in the same place. In particular, if some cartons are not full, you need to point them to us as soon as we arrive. All cartons have to be easily accessible, and the shipping marks easily visible.

Communicating some important issues: this is mostly to protect the client and avoid unnecessary discussions after the fact.

The defects found by the inspector should be repaired, taken out of bulk production, or replaced (please ask your customer which solution he prefers). The inspector will not check what you do with defects.

A passed report is not permission to ship. You should wait for your customer’s decision.

And… the inevitable paragraph about bribery:

Inspectors are not allowed to receive any personal favor of any kind. If they request something from you, please refuse and then send an email to [email address read by a manager]. Factories are not allowed to corrupt inspectors. In this case, the inspector has the duty to denounce the factory immediately to his manager.

Any other ideas, anyone?