QualityInspection.org

Quality Assurance, Product Development, and Purchasing Strategies in China

3 Quality Control Plans & Why They’re Needed BEFORE Production [Podcast]

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...]

Understanding Product QC Inspections: What Is in a Man-Day?

A conversation earlier today made me realize that some buyers who haven’t spent much time in Chinese factories have some common misconceptions. For example, “Chinese production operators are forced to work 12 hours a day, in a case of modern slavery”, “all metal factories do all the steps from casting/forging to surface treatments and all the way to assembly and packing”, and so on. Another misconception is that a good inspector will spend 8-10 hours working at the factory. This is what I … [Read more...]

From Data Science To Machine Learning in Manufacturing, for Smarter Quality Control

I have long been put off by all the hype around artificial intelligence (AI). AI has become the modern 'magic wand': nobody knows how it works, but the results are assuredly amazing.  AI has limitations for manufacturers, but both data science and machine learning in manufacturing can help businesses make better decisions and improve quality control results, and it's these that we'll explore in this article... … [Read more...]

How to set up a Receiving Inspection: Checklist, Procedure, Reporting form

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 the receiving inspection (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...]

21 Assumptions About Buying From Chinese Suppliers To Avoid

Many buyers who are seeking to manufacture products in China tend to make assumptions about buying from Chinese suppliers that are seldom valid here, and it can be quite dangerous. When I started spending a lot of time in Chinese factories, what I saw blew my mind. A foreign buyer simply can’t imagine what is sometimes going on behind the scenes. I'll say that China is the land where everything is possible... from the worst to the best. I wrote 21 common assumptions below, in categories, … [Read more...]

How Much Does a Quality Inspection in China cost?

Understanding the cost of quality inspections in China I am always surprised by the expectations of some importers regarding the cost of quality inspections in a Chinese factory. Some importers get to talk about their project for some time, see where we would help them, and finally (almost as an afterthought) ask: "How much does a quality inspection in China cost?" The 2 categories of buyers when it comes to quality inspection costs I say "299 USD per day of work", and I can nearly hear … [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...]

QC Basics: What is a Quality Inspection? Context, Tools & Template

This article answers the question: 'What is a quality inspection?' and explores when they typically take place (before, during, and after production). We will cover the types of inspections most widely used by buyers in international trade. They should be performed by 3rd party QC providers (appointed by the buyer), or by the buyer's own inspectors, if you buy from China, Vietnam, India, or another low-cost country. … [Read more...]