When one studies the literature around the Cost of Quality, the traditional breakdown of the costs is presented as follows: Source: ASQ TR2:2018. ISO 10014 and ASQ TR 2, two standards that provide guidelines (in other words, advice, rather than a set of requirements like ISO 9001), follow this logic. The problem is, it leaves a lot of extra costs unaccounted for. What makes up the cost of poor quality, in the traditional view? If something cannot be … [Read more...]
Harsh Realities of Managing a Quality Control Team in China
A few years ago, I suggested 6 tips to avoid bribery in a QC team. And two of them are particularly important when managing a quality control team in China: Rotate inspectors among factories, as professional relationships very quickly become personal, too. And there is a strong, very strong expectation of reciprocity -- "I gave you a nice lunch, you should overlook this tiny imperfection". Have a manager, or a regional supervisor, who does a good job of being a leader -- technically … [Read more...]
How To Push Key Suppliers To Reduce Defects? [Podcast]
![How To Push Key Suppliers To Reduce Defects? [Podcast]](https://qualityinspection.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/HowToPushKeySuppliersToReduceDefectsPodcast-1140x445.jpeg)
In this episode… Renaud is joined by manufacturing industry experts Clive Greenwood and Max Phythian to discuss what it takes to drive your key suppliers to cut out defects. You'll hear their opinions on the Cost Of Quality, the value of building a solid partnership with a supplier rather than having a purely transactional relationship, what buyers need to do in order to support this initiative with their suppliers, a number of really interesting real-world examples from their decades of … [Read more...]
A Few Tips To Avoid Quality Fade in China
When Paul Midler wrote ‘Quality Fade’: China’s Great Business Challenge in 2007, I remember it struck a nerve and that article was widely quoted. And, nearly 14 years later, the term 'quality fade' is rather well known among importers. As Midler described it: One of the problems facing China is that manufacturers continue to engage in a practice I call “quality fade.” This is the deliberate and secret habit of widening profit margins through a reduction in the quality of materials. Importers … [Read more...]
How To Add Process Validation To Your QA Plan
If you (or your suppliers) suffer from inconsistent quality, in many cases there is at least one missing ingredient in the quality assurance plan. And, more often than not, process validation was skipped. … [Read more...]
Chinese Factories and Product Returns: Not Impossible
"If I discover that some goods I purchased from China are defective, and I am in the USA or in the UK (as examples), what can I do?" Many people tend to think "let me tell the supplier, and I can return it to them for rework or replacements". However, that's seldom realistic or practical. Let's examine why. … [Read more...]
What Is Good Quality Assurance For Importers Buying In China?
A client was interested in product inspections, and they asked: Do you also offer a post-inspection service, for cases where the results are not ideal? That got me thinking. The answer is simple, yes, we can keep following up, but managing the way rework is done and planning a re-inspection is never a pleasing experience for the buyer. It looks straightforward (see below), but in reality, it is often a tense negotiation between the buyer and the seller: How to avoid … [Read more...]
How The AQL Inspection Levels In ISO 2859-1 Affect Sampling Size
This article introduces the different AQL inspection levels available to buyers. Those levels are mentioned in the ISO 2859-1 standard (or its American equivalent, ANSI/ASQC Z1.4). Let’s explore the different levels of random inspections, and how they affect the size of the samples your inspector will pull out of each batch during an inspection. … [Read more...]
Inspecting Product Quality: What Are Your Options?
If you purchase products from an overseas supplier that you don't know well, and you can't be there, you might want to contact an inspection agency to handle inspecting product quality on your behalf. But you need to give them direction on WHEN to go to the factory and WHAT to check. I tried to summarize it in this flow chart: Here are some suggestions for your inspection options for the scenarios that apply to many importers' situations when inspecting product quality that you can … [Read more...]
3 Examples of Quality Inspection Checklists
Over the years, we have provided feedback to many clients on their product specification sheets and their inspection checklists. Rather than a step-by-step guideline, the most useful is usually to provide them with a few real examples for different types of products. 3 examples of inspection checklists Last year, when personal protective equipment was severely lacking in many countries, we released some of our templates on our commercial website. I believe they … [Read more...]
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