QualityInspection.org

Quality Assurance, Product Development, and Purchasing Strategies in China

  • Home
  • Articles
    • An Importer’s Guide to New Product Manufacturing in China in 2020
  • Best Of
  • About Us
  • Contact us
X

Don't miss a post

It's easy to subscribe to our newsletter where you'll receive weekly updates for professional importers and manufacturers on better understanding, controlling, and improving manufacturing & supply chain in China.

You are here: Home / Sourcing New Suppliers / Factory Audits and Product Inspections: Similarities and Differences

Factory Audits and Product Inspections: Similarities and Differences

April 18, 2018

I wrote 2 articles about the similarities and differences between product inspections and factory audits on the SynControl blog.

I thought it would be interesting to mention this here, too. Here are the main points I mentioned.

Main similarities: factory audit vs. product inspection

  • They are done on-site, at the production facility. There are exceptions to this (e-audits, review of a few samples…), but they are exceptions.
  • There are bribery risks. Following a code of conduct is a must.
  • A checklist is usually the basis of the dispatched employee’s work. They tend to be more details for inspections.
  • Facts and data need to be pulled from real-world evidence, as a basis for judgement and decisions.
  • They often work in a team when there is too much work for 1 person.
  • Reports highlight negative findings. This is a little less true for auditors who can also highlight good practices.
  • Business decisions are made on the basis of audit and inspection reports.

Main differences: supplier audit vs. QC inspection

  • Inspectors need to follow their checklist strictly. Some experienced auditors follow a more ‘free style’ approach, based on principles alone.
  • Auditors need better social skills, in order to extract information tactfully from the auditees.
  • Inspectors often work in stressful circumstances. There are often disputes with the factory staff.
  • A single failed audit might be enough to stop, or prevent, a business relationship. It usually takes a succession of failed inspection reports to have that impact.
  • Audits usually drive long-term improvement through corrective action plans. Inspections drive short-term fixes through correction plans.
  • Inspectors need to take many photos. This is not always the case for auditors.
  • Inspectors need to be familiar with the product being checked. Many auditors have no clue about the processes at play in the organizations they visit (and in some cases that’s a problem).
  • Many auditors are certified.

—

Granted, these are broad generalizations. There are more commonalities between some second-party ‘tick-the-box’ audits and some inspections, than between those same audits some types of third-party audits. Different companies have different views of how a ‘factory audit’ is to be conducted.

As I wrote last week, some companies like their auditors to suggest improvement actions, while others don’t like that idea. Similarly, some companies want the inspector to follow up on corrections while he is in the factory and guide the factory staff on what to do, while others believe this can lead to undesired side effects.

Filed Under: Sourcing New Suppliers


Weekly updates for professional importers on better understanding, controlling, and improving manufacturing & supply chain in China.

This is the official blog of Sofeast.com.

This blog is written by Renaud Anjoran, an ASQ Certified Quality Engineer who has been involved in Chinese manufacturing since 2005.

Tweet Renaud here or hit the button below to get in touch.

Contact Us!

Subscribe to our email newsletter

Connect with us

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
sofeast
sofeast
sofeast

Latest Articles

  • 7 Reasons To Switch To A New Chinese Manufacturer
  • Why Do Importers Need Product Reliability Testing? [Podcast]
  • New Physical Products: Patents Should Come After Market Success
  • Does Checking 100% of a Production Batch Make Sense? Yes, It Often Does.
  • How To Validate Your Supplier’s Factory’s Production Capacity (From Abroad) [Podcast]

Categories

  • Quality Control Tips
  • Sourcing New Suppliers
  • Supplier Management
  • New Product Development
  • Process Improvement
  • Ethical Sourcing

Archives

© 2021 QualityInspection.org