When I talk to someone who is contemplating whether they should work with a particular supplier, I advise them to visit the factory and/or have it audited. And this can lead to confusion, as the next question is usually "what type of audit?" Let's look at your factory audit options... … [Read more...]
All You Should Know About Management System Standards & Auditing Them [Podcast]
![All You Should Know About Management System Standards & Auditing Them [Podcast]](https://qualityinspection.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/AllYouShouldKnowAboutManagementSystemStandardsAuditingThemPodcast-1140x445.jpg)
What are management system standards? Management system standards aren't 'just another tool.' When an organization is certified to one of these standards it's an important way to demonstrate that they're able to perform the tasks required to fulfill the objectives or needs of their clients and/or drive meaningful improvements in a specific area. Let's use ISO 9001 as an example. It's a QMS (quality management system) that, when put in place, shows that the certified company can reach … [Read more...]
Coping With Coronavirus: How Importers Can Check If A China Factory Is Ready & Has Capacity
Importers are being hit severely by the Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia epidemic in China: Many factory workers (operators, inspectors, engineers...) are locked down in Hubei province Perhaps a higher number of factory workers are remaining in their home towns, hesitant to come back to work Local governments have extended the holiday, and then have imposed strict conditions for re-opening, which means many factories are not yet authorized to re-open One can expect a much … [Read more...]
Continuous Auditing to Keep Pressure on a China Factory: How it Works
One of the questions our clients ask most often is "how to keep the pressure on our supplier's factory so they improve and they don't make the same mistakes again". Continuous auditing is an answer to this, but how does it work? … [Read more...]