December 5, 2022
Quality Control -
How to ensure you're getting the highest quality products possible when sourcing from Asia | OneLink Holdings
Quality assurance is a big concern for many people, whether it be on an ecommerce website or in person. Learn about the steps and measures that can be taken to ensure that you are getting the highest quality products possible.
Quality assurance (QA) or quality control is a process or set of procedures intended to ensure that a manufactured product or performed service adheres to a defined set of quality criteria or meets the requirements of the client or customer. It is a critical component of any manufacturing or service process. All businesses should have some form of QA in place to protect their interests and safeguard their customers.
When you’re running a business, it’s important to make sure that you’re getting the highest quality products possible. After all, if your products aren’t up to par, it is reflecting poorly on your brand. There are many steps that can be taken to ensure that you are getting the highest quality products possible. Here are a few Quality Assurance measures that you can take:
Inspect all incoming raw materials for damage or defects
This is the first line of defence against poor quality products. By inspecting all incoming raw materials, you can immediately identify and reject any damaged or defective items. This will help reduce waste and keep your costs down.
Establish clear quality standards for your finished products
Before you can even begin to assess the quality of your finished products, you need to have clear quality standards in place. These standards should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). Once you have established your quality standards, you can then develop testing procedures to measure whether your products meet those standards.
Conduct regular audits of your manufacturing process
Regular audits of your manufacturing process can help identify potential areas of improvement. Audits should be conducted by trained personnel who are unbiased and objective. They should also be conducted on a regular basis depending on your purchasing requirements. After each audit, corrective action should be taken to address any issues that were identified.
Visual Inspection
One of the simplest and most common QA measures is visual inspection. This just involves looking at the product to see if there are any visible defects. This can be done either by hand or with the help of machines such as optical character recognition devices. When conducting a visual inspection, it’s important to have a checklist of things to look for. That way, you can be sure that you’re not missing anything. Some common things to look for include chips, cracks, stains, misprints, and mismatched colours. If you do find any defects, it’s important to document them so that they can be fixed. It’s also a good idea to take pictures so that you have evidence in case there’s a dispute later.
Using Inspections at every stage of production
Incorporating several different inspections throughout the process can aid in picking up any quality issues before the product reaches the buyer. The inspections include pre-production (PPI), during production (DPI), post-production and pre-shipment inspections (PSI).
Pre-Production Inspections (PPI)
These inspections are conducted prior to the commencement of the production process, with the focus on the quantity and quality of the raw materials and components needed in production. Focus is also drawn to whether the raw materials are in conformity with product specifications.
During Production Inspection (DPI)
A DPI inspection is conducted during the products manufacturing process, often before mass production occurs. By having a DPI in place, it helps manufacturers to correct any errors and allows businesses to check the quality of the manufacturing before large numbers of products are produced.
Post-Production Inspection
Post-production inspections involve the thorough inspection of each individual product to ensure things such as general appearance, workmanship, function and safety have been satisfied. This process is usually done just before items are packed for shipment. Inspecting each item ensures 100% are fully compliant, meeting strict consumer and market requirements.
Pre-Shipment Inspection (PSI)
A pre-shipment inspection is very similar to a post-production inspection, with its purpose being to check the production specifications match the buyers’ specifications. These inspections are usually done once 80% of the order is ready to be packed, with samples selected at random to be inspected and cleared as acceptable.
Implementing a strong Quality Assurance program is essential for any business that wants to produce high-quality products. There are many steps that can be taken to ensure that your products meet the highest standards possible. By inspecting all incoming raw materials, establishing clear quality standards, and conducting regular audits of your manufacturing process, you can help ensure that you’re getting the highest quality products possible.
At OneLink Holdings, we believe in quality assurance. That’s why we’ve put multiple factory inspections in place, pre, during and post-production. This ensures that our products meet the highest standards of quality control. By doing this, we can be sure that our products are of the utmost quality before they even leave the factory floor. With OneLink Holdings, you can be confident that you’re getting a product that is backed by our commitment to quality.
Written By
One Link Holding team
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