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...]
How A DFQ Review Designs Quality INTO Your Product At An Early Stage [Podcast]
![How A DFQ Review Designs Quality INTO Your Product At An Early Stage [Podcast]](https://qualityinspection.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/HowADFQReviewDesignsQualityINTOYourProductAtAnEarlyStagePodcast-1140x445.jpeg)
What if you could reduce the chances of quality problems long before your product goes into production? A DFQ review can help you achieve this! What is DFQ? Design For Quality is where we review a number of factors that affect quality at the early stages of the new product introduction process, so that's your concept and prototypes. Not every Chinese manufacturer will do this, and while it may be tempting to power through to production to get to market, it's risky to do so (could your … [Read more...]
Documenting Your Company’s Quality Standard into the Details
We have worked with many companies that buy products from China & Vietnam, and their most common shortcoming is probably the lack of a clear quality standard. They don't document what they are willing to accept. They start working with a new manufacturer and both parties often get confused about what is acceptable. Now, people often ask us what a quality standard that goes into the details looks like. We can't share any examples from our clients, for confidentiality reasons. … [Read more...]
3 Quality Control Plans & Why They’re Needed BEFORE Production [Podcast]
![3 Quality Control Plans & Why They’re Needed BEFORE Production [Podcast]](https://qualityinspection.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/3QualityControlPlansWhyTheyreNeededBEFOREProductionPodcast-1140x445.jpg)
What is a quality control plan and why do you need to approve it before production begins? A QC plan is an essential tool for buyers to drive their suppliers to produce goods that reach their quality standard. It will typically list your quality-related expectations that the supplier needs to know about before the production starts which may be anything from legal penalties for poor quality, to the types of process used for production and checking quality, through to making the types of … [Read more...]
Why Product Safety, Quality, and Reliability Are Tightly Linked
Recently I read an article that calls for manufacturers to be more proactive in reducing risks for consumers. And they shared this (pretty scary) graph about product safety recalls: Many companies that develop & purchase products wonder how to minimize the risk of a forced recall, which can be extremely expensive. And my advice is simple: Put more efforts in assuring the quality and the reliability of your products, and it will greatly contribute to their safety. Let's … [Read more...]
Using Reliability Engineering for Designing a More Durable Product
Many leading brands have had to address concerns over the impact of their products on the environment. And one of the best responses is "make products that last longer". Here are the responses of two iconic brands: Apple: make iPhones last longer (optimizing battery charges, making display glass very hard, etc.) Patagonia: clothes that are durable and that are timeless (the opposite of 'fast fashion') Over time, customers have the feeling that those brands' products are of high … [Read more...]
Undetected QC Issues: 7 Common Failures of Chinese Inspectors
Quality inspectors are human like the rest of us, and while it's usually unlikely that they will let major QC issues slip through the net, it can happen. Let's examine why and how this happens, and how to mitigate or stop these mistakes... … [Read more...]
China Supply Chain Transparency and Monitoring: Not Getting Easier…
China supply chain transparency and monitoring is still as important an issue as it has ever been, and importers need to stay on their toes. Let's explore why this isn't getting any easier... … [Read more...]
Does The Safety & Quality Of Products Sold On Amazon Pose Risks?
A few weeks ago, a journalist asked me whether products sold on Amazon present higher safety risks and whether their quality is inferior (relative to other distribution channels). My guess is that yes (I have no solid data to back that up. It would be quite difficult to come up with such data), for a similar product positioning (price & quality), those sold on Amazon present higher risks for consumers. Here's why. … [Read more...]
Actionable Tips To Improve Sourcing From China & Develop Suppliers
Over the years, many importers have contacted me after making various mistakes, and, often, the best they can do is start things over with a new supplier, but that means a lot of wasted time, money, and energy! What if you could get years of advice about sourcing from China and developing suppliers once you've started working with them in order to avoid this scenario, but distilled into one eBook? Now you can! A few years ago, I wrote 15 articles that address sourcing from China and … [Read more...]