I have written extensively about pre-shipment inspections (before, during, or after production), always from the perspective of the buyer checking what a supplier is doing; but I noticed that I haven't covered receiving inspections (also called incoming quality inspections). However, that's a really important topic, so let's get into how to set one up here... … [Read more...]
A Simple AQL Calculator To Prepare Your Product Inspections
One of our developers prepared this simple AQL calculator for Sofeast. You can use it instead of reading the AQL tables to quickly produce your sample size and permissible defect number. … [Read more...]
When To Do a Random AQL Inspection vs. Check 100% of the Goods
First, let me get one thing out of the way: not all batches need to be checked. If a manufacturer has great systems and processes, and if they have a history of complying with your quality standard, there is usually no reason to send quality inspectors to their facility. Similarly, if you can easily return the whole batch and it can be reworked quickly, you probably don't want to spend resources on checking whether they did as promised. Now, let's assume you do want confirmation of … [Read more...]
3 Common Ways Factories Try to Cheat Inspectors/Auditors
Every day in China, in Vietnam, in Bangladesh, and in India, thousands of inspectors and auditors take a bus or a car to a factory. And, in some of those factories, managers are plotting how to cheat those unwelcome visitors. Let's look at 3 very common ways this is done, so you are warned and ready to avoid unscrupulous suppliers like this... … [Read more...]
Why the AQL tables are not in favor of the buyer
This is the third and last video about the ANSI tables (also known as “AQL tables”). As I explained in the last video, these sampling schemes were designed for very stable relationships, where the manufacturer keeps making the same products and keeps shipping them regularly (e.g. twice a month) to the same customer. As a consequence, the assumption is that quality is under control. And an inspection is used to catch the big accidents. What it means is that the statistics are way, way … [Read more...]
The 4 ways of checking product quality before shipment
I can see four key product inspection solutions that importers should use for checking product quality before the goods are shipped out (remember, it is extremely hard to send a container of defective products back to China). … [Read more...]
How much does a Chinese inspector cost?
Some importers wonder how much a Chinese inspector costs to hire full time. The short answer is: More than you might think. It's more than just their salary, so in this post, I'll explore the 5 types of people you might hire as an inspector, their pros and cons, approximate salaries, and then break down how to calculate their full cost to your business as a new hire. … [Read more...]
How does a random quality inspection work? [infographic]
![How does a random quality inspection work? [infographic]](https://qualityinspection.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/shutterstock71358019-1140x445.jpg)
On the last trade show I attended, I noticed that I explained over and over again how we perform random quality inspections. There must be a better way to pass this message. A graphic designer helped me render it visually, and here is the result: To go further: lots of great information about inspections on this page about QC basics. Understanding what “AQL” (Acceptance Quality Limit) means in simple terms here. -------- TRANSCRIPT: FINAL RANDOM INSPECTIONS - How … [Read more...]
Inspection during production: a necessity?
The inspection during production (or "DUPRO") is the second most frequent type of QC inspection, after the final random inspection (see the list of the major types of quality inspection services). … [Read more...]