Time to pay attention to good manufacturing practices! Importers with suppliers over in Asia may benefit from adopting GMPs (Good Manufacturing Practices). What are they? How are they useful for managing and improving the performance of … [Read more...]
Exploring Process Audits | Vetting Chinese Suppliers (Part 7) [Podcast]
Why perform process audits? So far in this mini-series of podcasts about vetting Chinese suppliers we've discussed what quality audits and social compliance audits are and their respective benefits. Since auditing prospective suppliers is … [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.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 … [Read more...]
Why Conduct On-Site Social Compliance Audits? [Podcast]
![Why Conduct On-Site Social Compliance Audits? [Podcast]](https://qualityinspection.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/WhyConductOn-SiteSocialComplianceAuditsPodcast.jpg)
In part 6 of our mini-series of podcast episodes about vetting Chinese suppliers, I'm discussing social compliance audits. After regular factory audits are done on a prospective supplier, it may make sense to assess their social … [Read more...]
The Importance Of On-Site Factory Quality Audits [Podcast]
![The Importance Of On-Site Factory Quality Audits [Podcast]](https://qualityinspection.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/TheImportanceOfOn-SiteFactoryQualityAuditsPodcast.jpg)
In this episode of the podcast, I discuss factory quality audits as a part of the new Chinese supplier vetting process. Loosely based on this article, you'll understand where these audits fit into the vetting process and the more formal … [Read more...]
Service Providers: Escape the Commoditization Trap
We compete with a number of other service providers, and over the years I have seen stark changes happen in some verticals. An interesting case study is the TIC (Testing, Inspection, Certification) industry. In 2005, importers were … [Read more...]
Tips for Writing SOPs and WIs that Will Actually Be Useful
What is worse than not writing SOPs (standard operating procedures) or WIs (work instructions) at all? Creating inappropriate and bloated procedures. In this post, we'll look at the benefits of really good guidelines and explore the best … [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...]
Are Calibration Reports Always A Must? Why Auditors Should Think Before Raising Suppliers’ Costs
By Annie Chan Did you get a visit from an auditor who seemed obsessed with calibration reports? Was he/she happy to see that all tools had been calibrated based on internal reports, or (even better) on third-party lab … [Read more...]
How To Keep A Clean Factory And Stop Dust On A Budget
In many industries, one of the most common reasons for defective goods is dust contamination, and they have adopted different cleanliness standards (see the Wikipedia page on cleanrooms and factory cleanliness). If you have visited … [Read more...]