QualityInspection.org

Quality Assurance, Product Development, and Purchasing Strategies in China

The Concept of Quality: Little q VS Big Q.

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Take a deep dive into the concept of quality. A lot of importers focus narrowly on if the products they're getting from their manufacturers/suppliers are within tolerance (little q). But without a wider view that looks at the entire manufacturing process from design to production (Big Q), can the mistakes that lead to each batch containing defective pieces be found and fixed, or do we end up in a cycle of inspecting finished batches, removing 'bad' pieces, and then reworking them or scrapping … [Read more...]

How to optimize inspections & drive suppliers to improve quality to reduce costs & risks?

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If you're placing large enough orders with your overseas manufacturers there are ways in which you can optimize the product QC inspections you're conducting in order to get better quality results for the same costs or to reduce overall inspection costs without increasing risks. While we're talking about improving quality, a great way to reduce your need for inspections is to analyze and improve product designs, testing, and production processes in order to lock in good quality before products … [Read more...]

How to Improve Product Quality from your Supplier? (6 tips) [Podcast]

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In this episode… Renaud explores how to improve the product quality you're getting from suppliers who you sourced and are now actively working with.  This is a continuation of our series of podcast episodes on how to do your own sourcing from China, covering every topic from initially finding them through to going into mass production.  Almost no production will be completely free of defects, but if you follow the advice here you should be able to reduce quality problems to a … [Read more...]

What’s a Supplier Development Program, and Why Implement One? [Podcast]

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In this episode… Let's say you're now working with a new supplier who’s doing your manufacturing in China (or elsewhere in Asia). No doubt some things will be great, and there may be issues that you wish could improve. Rather than abandoning a supplier with some problems, how to develop them to obtain better performance and results? A supplier development program is for you. Furthermore, what sort of results should we be aiming for if we embark upon such a supplier development program? … [Read more...]

Exploring The Cost Of Quality When Manufacturing In China [Podcast]

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In this episode… Renaud Anjoran, Clive Greenwood, and Max Phythian who boast decades of experience in manufacturing around the world dive into the costs of quality, especially poor quality such as defective parts coming from suppliers. They will explore what the cost of quality means, drivers of the cost, how to avoid or reduce the costs of poor quality, and how to work with Chinese suppliers who may not be very focused on quality.   Just hit the play button to start … [Read more...]

A Few Tips To Avoid Quality Fade in China

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When Paul Midler wrote ‘Quality Fade’: China’s Great Business Challenge in 2007, I remember it struck a nerve and that article was widely quoted. And, nearly 14 years later, the term 'quality fade' is rather well known among importers. As Midler described it: One of the problems facing China is that manufacturers continue to engage in a practice I call “quality fade.” This is the deliberate and secret habit of widening profit margins through a reduction in the quality of materials. Importers … [Read more...]

How A DFQ Review Designs Quality INTO Your Product At An Early Stage [Podcast]

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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...]

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

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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...]

The Basics of Quality Management for Buyers [Podcast]

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What's the best way to get started with quality management? It makes a lot of sense to work to improve your product quality coming from Chinese suppliers and you don't need to be a large corporation to do this, but this kind of quality management is best when it follows a process. So in this episode of the podcast, we discuss what the quality management process is, and its 3 main parts: quality planning, quality control, and quality improvement. By understanding how to put measures in … [Read more...]