From: "Saved by Internet Explorer 11" Subject: 5 things a QC company can't control Date: Mon, 18 Apr 2016 15:02:40 -0700 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; type="text/html"; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0000_01D19983.5A203240" X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.1.7601.17609 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0000_01D19983.5A203240 Content-Type: text/html; charset="utf-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://www.globalsources.com/NEWS/SIC-5-things-a-qc-company-can-t-control.HTM =EF=BB=BF
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Path: Sourcing News & = Advice=20 >> Smart=20 Sourcing >> 5=20 things a QC company can't control
By Oliver Knack
Have=20 you ever had difficulty scheduling a product inspection or factory audit = through=20 a third-party? Have you received a product inspection report that was = missing=20 some key requirement or process for checking your goods?
Many=20 importers express frustration when an inspection or audit cannot be = booked on a=20 certain date or a certain test is not completed on-site. But what many = of them=20 don=E2=80=99t realize is that their supplier actually plays a major part = in controlling=20 many aspects of their interaction with their third-party.
In=20 fact, you might be surprised by what your independent auditor CAN and = CANNOT do=20 regarding scheduling and conducting a service on your behalf.
It=E2=80=99s=20 important for you to understand what factors your QC company = can=E2=80=99t control so=20 that you can address those with your supplier directly and avoid costly = quality=20 issues, shipping delays and other undesirable effects of losing control = of=20 production.
1.=20 The supplier allows access to the factory
Perhaps=20 a more obvious aspect your QC company can=E2=80=99t control is access to = the factory.=20 Any inspection or audit at a factory requires consent from factory = management=20 and staff. It may sound like a straightforward concept, but it=E2=80=99s = one that=20 deserves a bit more attention. If you=E2=80=99re working with a trading = company, for=20 example, your supplier contact is probably not the factory. And although = they=20 may agree to allow inspection, staff at the factory might = not.
Providing=20 the factory address
In=20 some cases, the address you provide your QC company contact may not be = the=20 actual factory address where the inspection is meant to take place. This = is=20 especially common when working through a vendor or trading company that = does not=20 reveal the factory to you upfront. It=E2=80=99s up to the supplier to = provide your=20 third-party with the actual factory address prior to = scheduling.
Some=20 suppliers are reluctant to give the address of the factory, which may be = a sign=20 that they are trying to avoid inspection or an audit. If your = third-party QC=20 partner informs you of difficulty obtaining the factory address, press = the=20 supplier to provide it.
Another=20 suggestion is to send an email to your supplier with your QC company = contact in=20 CC, introducing the two parties. This way, there=E2=80=99s no = uncertainty from the=20 supplier about who will be carrying out the inspection or audit. It also = helps=20 to keep your third-party in CC on any subsequent emails between you and = your=20 supplier. These added steps help to keep communication clear between all = those=20 involved and can prevent unnecessary delays.
Limiting=20 access to specific areas in a factory
Once=20 on-site, the factory will determine the areas your auditor can access. = Often=20 during a product inspection, factory staff will only allow access to two = areas:
=E2=80=A2=20 The warehouse or storage area for completed products and
=E2=80=A2=20 A separate area where inspection takes place, typically isolated from = the=20 production area.
An=20 inspector will usually arrive at the factory, go to the finished product = storage=20 area, verify product quantities, pull samples and head to the designated = inspection area. Inspectors are generally not permitted to walk freely = around=20 the factory and are usually accompanied by factory staff at all=20 times.
You=20 may have specific requests that require an inspector to visit other = areas, such=20 as requesting photos of specific production processes at work. If so, = you=E2=80=99ll=20 need to notify the supplier ahead of time and factory staff will need to = grant=20 access during the service.
2.=20 The supplier sets the service date for an inspection or = audit
Often=20 an importer will mistakenly assume that it=E2=80=99s the QC company that = sets the date=20 for the service. But actually, it=E2=80=99s the supplier that dictates = to the QC company=20 when the service will occur=E2=80=94if at all. While your QC partner = will certainly try=20 to accommodate the date that you specify for an inspection, it=E2=80=99s = ultimately the=20 supplier=E2=80=99s decision to confirm the booking.
Generally,=20 the steps to scheduling a service are = as=20 follows:
1.=20 You introduce your third-party to your supplier and let them know you = want an=20 audit or inspection
2.=20 Your third-party sends a booking form to your supplier that requires = entering a=20 requested service date and other information
3.=20 The supplier sends the completed booking form back to your third-party = and a=20 phone call confirms the service date
You=20 may have told your QC partner that you need inspection to occur on or = before=20 March 10th because your order is scheduled to ship on the 12th. But if = your=20 supplier issues the completed booking form with the 13th as the = requested=20 service date, the third-party must inspect on that date unless the = supplier=20 revises the form and resubmits it with a new date.
If=20 your third-party inspector visits the factory at a date other than that = shown on=20 the booking form, it=E2=80=99s very likely that they will not be allowed = inside. This=20 unsanctioned visit might also complicate the relationship with the = supplier and=20 cause more problems than it=E2=80=99s worth. So make sure that all = parties are on the=20 same page.
A=20 professional QC company will try to book well in advance of the service = date you=20 propose. And your contact there will inform you of the date the supplier = agrees=20 to so that you can ask the supplier to revise it if needed.
3.=20 The factory provides access to special inspection = equipment
Auditors=20 typically carry a set of tools and equipment with them to any factory = where they=20 conduct a product inspection (related: 6 Essential Tools for Product = Inspection).=20 But for some inspections, other more specialized equipment is needed to = check=20 certain aspects of your product.
For=20 precision machined components, for example, radius fixtures or thread = gauges are=20 necessary to thoroughly check the items. Auditors generally do not carry = this=20 equipment on-hand and are reliant on the factory to provide it for = inspection=20 (related:5 Factory-Provided Product Inspection = Tools).=20 A QC company can=E2=80=99t control this aspect of inspection.
Sometimes=20 a factory won=E2=80=99t have this equipment on-site, or the equipment it = has is not=20 properly maintained or calibrated for reliable use. Other times factory = staff=20 may not allow the inspector to use the equipment. As a result, you may = see a=20 remark in the inspection report you receive showing that a certain = check,=20 measurement or test was not performed because the necessary equipment = was not=20 available.
If=20 you require particular equipment to be used for inspection, be sure to = check=20 with your supplier before the inspection is confirmed to clarify=20 that:
=E2=80=A2=20 The factory has the necessary equipment
=E2=80=A2=20 The equipment is properly calibrated and maintained, and
=E2=80=A2=20 The equipment will be available to the auditor for use during=20 inspection
This=20 seemingly minute detail of arranging inspection can mean the difference = between=20 accurate reporting and uncertainty about your product. And your = third-party has=20 no control over the equipment the factory allows the auditor to = use.
4.=20 The factory controls which on-site testing is conducted
A=20 QC company can=E2=80=99t control which on-site testing is allowed during = a product=20 inspection. Like the inspection equipment example above, on-site testing = is=20 another aspect of product inspection that your supplier dictates. And = just like=20 a factory can refuse access to certain equipment, they can also refuse = to allow=20 the auditor to conduct any particular on-site test with your = product.
You=E2=80=99re=20 more likely to see refusal from the factory to carry out destructive = testing. An=20 example of such testing that=E2=80=99s often refused is the carton drop test, routinely = conducted to=20 ensure the integrity of packaging and simulate normal shipping = conditions.=20 Because = dropping a full=20 shipping carton can damage the packaging and the product itself, = factories often=20 refuse to allow the test.
Other=20 times a factory will only allow the inspector to open a certain number = of units,=20 which is sometimes not the full sample size required for AQL. An example is testing for a = product=20 packaged in blister packs, where the item needs to be removed from the = packaging=20 for inspection and doing so will destroy the packaging.
If=20 you require a particular on-site test to be conducted during product = inspection,=20 be sure to check with the supplier before scheduling the inspection to = make sure=20 the factory will allow it. This is especially recommended when you = require=20 destructive testing.
5.=20 The factory provides required documents for audits
Factory=20 audits tend to focus on the factory itself, rather than the product = being=20 manufactured therein. Regardless of whether an audit is checking quality = management, environmental management, social compliance or some other = area, the=20 auditor will usually ask factory staff to provide certain documentation = and=20 records, which may include any of the following:
=E2=80=A2=20 Payroll records =E2=80=A2 A business licence
=E2=80=A2=20 Financial records =E2=80=A2 Various = certifications
=E2=80=A2=20 An export license =E2=80=A2 A building permit
But=20 quite often the factory will not allow the auditor to check certain = documents or=20 will say that they don=E2=80=99t have them. This sort of response might = indicate the=20 supplier is trying to hide something or is just generally dragging its = feet. And=20 a refusal or inability to provide required documentation can result in = failing=20 the audit.
It=E2=80=99s=20 recommended that you ask your third-party auditor what an audit will = involve and=20 what documentation will be reviewed. Suppliers are sometimes uneasy = about being=20 audited, so informing them what the audit entails beforehand can help = ease their=20 anxiety. The audit is likely to follow more smoothly as well if the = supplier is=20 well informed beforehand.
Conclusion
Despite=20 the potential benefits of hiring the help of third-party QC, there are = several=20 things a QC company can=E2=80=99t control. And while getting an = inspection completed=20 sounds simple, it can be more difficult depending on the supplier. Some = are=20 quite easy to deal with, while others set a new standard for being=20 difficult.
You=20 may want a particular supplier to fill an order=E2=80=94and that = supplier likely=20 appreciates your business. But a product inspection or factory audit is = often a=20 vital part of that exchange that requires full cooperation from your = supplier.=20 Ultimately, you call the shots. And if the factory inhibits inspection=20 altogether, you might be better off finding a new one.
Oliver=20 Knack is a Client Manager at InTouch=20 Manufacturing Services,=20 a QC firm that performs product inspections and factory audits in Asia = for=20 clients in the US, EU and Australia.
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