Your Purchasing Partner in China

 

How to Make Quality Control When Import from China

 

Testing Your Samples  

If your sample was shipped by air freight, it should arrive within 3 to 10 business days. If it was shipped via sea, it may take about 15 to 45 days before it arrives. Once you get your samples, here are what you need to do:

  • Inspect The Quality

Is the quality what you expect? Use the item for a while and see if it holds up and how it holds up.

  • Packaging

Check to see if the packaging is sufficient to ship to your customer. If your items are lumped into one box, inform your supplier to box them on future orders.

  • Instructions

If your goods do not come with instructions and if your supplier does not have instructions, then you need to create or borrow some instructions ad include them with your goods.

  • Labelling

Is “Made in China” marked anywhere on the box? If not, ensure this is done on the next order.

PRE-PRODUCTION INSPECTION 

The pre-production inspection is the second most commonly used inspection after the Pre-Shipment inspection.

A Pre-production inspection is carried out, when the manufacturer has received all the raw materials and components for your product but has not put them on the production line yet. This is a great way to ensure that the supplier is using the components/raw materials that were agreed as changing components over orders due to different reasons (to cut costs, unavailability of components, etc.) is by far the single biggest QC issue that we see.

By the time these components have been assembled into a finished product, it can be too late or expensive to change them. Therefore, a pre-production inspection helps avoid that scenario.

MID PRODUCTION INSPECTION 

A DUPRO is useful when you want to check some samples when the first batch of goods have come out of the production line. It allows you to detect quality issues early so they can be fixed before goods are packed and corrective action can be taken on goods that have not yet been put on the production line.

PRE-SHIPMENT INSPECTION 

Pre-Shipment Inspection Service can greatly reduce this risk for you, especially when quality standards are defined clearly by the client and an inspection is agreed in advance with the supplier.

Also loading inspection is useful when:

  • You want to ensure that the right product and quantities are loaded into the container.
  • You require the goods to be loaded according to a very specific loading plan.
  • You are consolidating a container from multiple suppliers and want to verify quantities.

Arrange a Third-Party Inspection

If you have been inspecting orders before shipping but you’ve not been getting the results that you desire, then you need to take these actionable steps to find success with third-party inspection.

  • State Expectations And Product Requirements

Tell the supplier exactly what you want before you place the order. Detailed specifications and packing information will effect the prices and some productions are irreversible. By waiting longer than you should before telling the supplier what you want, the factory may have finished packaging your goods by the time you tell them.

Clearly state your expectations and product requirements before the inspection commences and before issuing the purchase order. It is better if the supplier can sign a purchasing agreement before placing the order so that you can address your need for 3rd party inspection, shipping deadline and the consequences of not meeting your requirements.

Holding a legal recourse, with the supplier accountable, may not be easy. Thus, it is advisable to hire a local attorney who will draft a contract in the local language. With this, you can take the supplier to court if he goes against the laid down agreement.

  • Conduct Product Inspection

To be successful with 3rd party inspection, you need to hire a 3rd party to visit the factory and inspect your goods. Inspection (for most products) can occur at any stage of the production. For instance, if you are manufacturing upholsteries, you can inspect them before the upholstering stage so that you can check the dimensions, structural integrity and epoxy binding amongst others.

If you’re manufacturing acrylic sinks on the other hand, you can inspect the finished goods and check them before they are packaged. Your decision on when to inspect will be determined by your budget.

Your budget for inspection will limit the scope of inspection. You can, however, modify inspection to align with your budget. For instance, you can merge similar items and inspect them together. You can also decrease the sample size chosen for inspection. You can also cut the landed cost incurred on inspection by hiring a local inspector.

  • Sort Out Issues With Your Supplier

If the report obtained from an inspection shows an unacceptable number of defects, you need to communicate with your supplier and ask them to wither rework or replace the defective items.

You need to discuss how you want the factory to fix the problem. For instance, if the defect is due to an issue related to injection molding, then the factory may be required to trim the excess material by hand. Note that the additional handling of goods can lead to another defect, as a result, consider the method that you’re going for when requesting for a rework.

If the factory is not willing to rework the defects, then you can charge the supplier for those goods that were shipped but cannot be sold. Your relationship with the supplier and the value of your PO will determine if you are able to force a supplier to pay for defective products.

  • Re-Inspect To Ascertain Rework

This gives an added assurance that the defects have been resolved.re-inspection will enable you to know any corrective actions taken by the factory so that you can be sure the order is ready to ship.