If you’ve just started importing from a foreign country. Chances are that you are already flooded with masses of information. Regarding details that require your attention on top of the list. Might be measures you wish to take regarding ensuring the quality of the products and Product Inspection. Among other things that might appear complicated to you. You might be having a difficult time getting to know different quality control terms and what they imply in the market.
As an example, several importers get confused when using the terms ‘product testing’ and ‘product inspection.’ To a layman, testing and inspection may be used interchangeably; however, in the manufacturing business mixing these terms up can cause confusion and potential drawbacks for your business.
There are some questions that you need to ask your supplier before he begins manufacturing, such as whether he would be able to conduct product inspection and testing at the same time? how many units will you need to check to make sure that your order fulfills the requirements that you set out earlier? These are among the many questions that’ll require answers, and mixing up terminology won’t do you any good.
Actually, product testing and product inspection revolve around two different steps that are carried out when ensuring the overall quality of a product. Let’s look more closely at what these two processes are, and which one might suit you and your quality control plan.
What Is The Difference Between Quality Inspection And Testing?
To put very simply, product inspection involves examining a particular sample among the entire shipment to make sure that the products are in conformance with the buyer’s requirements and specifications, and to ensure that there is no major deviation from what the buyer ordered and what has actually been produced. In contrast, product testing tests the products in a certain laboratory to make sure that they are certified to be used by the consumers and do not violate any regulations or laws.
Product inspection
Product inspection is most generally conducted at the factory manufacturing site, where the products are checked to see if there is any irregularity in their appearance, construction or any other basic function of the goods ready to be exported. However, one of the primary concerns during this stage is to try to identify any quality defects in the products prior to them being shipped. This is very important because you ideally wish to identify any quality issues before the products reach you so that they can be reworked or remade by the supplier without causing you ample damages.
Your product quality inspectors will typically have a QC checklist to work off of so that they can adequately check whether the products meet with your requirements or not. In addition, they will also have access to inspection sampling methods such as AQL so that they inspect a small number of statistically significant products rather than the entire shipment. They will also have clear criteria in front of them outlining the maximum amount of defects of a particular kind that are acceptable to you, on the basis of which they will decide whether the sample passes or fails the particular inspection.
Who Conducts Product Inspection?
You generally have three options available to you when deciding upon whom to assign the task of product inspection:
- Hiring a third-party inspection company
- Hiring a full-time team of inspectors
- Inspecting the products yourself or sending someone abroad on behalf of you
Each approach comes with its own pros and cons, and you would want to select your method of inspection depending upon the needs of your particular business.
Pre-Shipment Inspection- The Best Time To Conduct An Inspection
As a business striving to make larger profit margins it doesn’t make sense to incur additional costs, especially when that cost is completely upon your discretion, right? When talking about pre-shipment inspection, many businesses wish to avoid this process because of the additional strain on resources that it will bring in terms of both time and money. You would want your suppliers to produce the right kind of products, to begin with, so that there is no reason to carry out any pre-shipment inspection.
Why waste money on inspection when you can just stress upon your supplier to make products. That fulfill all the specifications and requirements that you have asked for? Alas. If only it were that simple.
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Sadly, more often than not, manufacturers will produce goods that in one way or another do not meet your requirements. It is only upon the arrival of the shipment that you find that several pieces of goods defect; this begins the dreaded process of repairs and returns that is nothing but a nightmare for every business.
As emphasized earlier, the best time to carry out an inspection is while the products are still with the supplier. And have not yet been shipped to you. Defects are inevitable, but it’s better to identify it while you can fix it rather than sell out faulty products. That would not only cost you more in the long run but also cause discomfort for the customers. So investing in pre-shipment inspection is a sure shot way to make sure. Your business only sends out products that abide by the set quality standards.
What are some of the key advantages associated with the pre-shipment inspection?
How Pre-Shipment Costs Limit Internal Failures
Consider an example: a factory producing chairs also produces the cartons that those chairs will be packed into. Upon delivery in another country, the importer finds that the cartons are in fact of very poor quality. And need to be stapled together again in order to hold the chairs. The importer will have to spend money to call a local team to fix these cartons. Because he does not have the time to ship them back to the manufacturer for repairs. Not to mention the vast transportation cost that this would incur. If the business had used pre-shipment inspection then this problem would have been fixed by the manufacturer. And the importer would not have had to spend money to have this internal failure fixed.
How Pre-Shipment Inspection Limits External Failure
Suppose that you sell shirts in a floral design. The packaging and description both show a floral design. But upon purchase, the customers find that they actually have striped shirts. The cost that you would incur to replace or refund these sales could have been easily avoided. If pre-shipment inspection had been carried out. Which would have pointed out that the wrong design had been packed in the floral packaging. Even though appraisal costs are an expense for the business. You can see how they help to limit extremely costly mix-ups like this.
Product Testing
You can think of product testing as a kind of lab testing. Where products are tested at a certified lab rather than at your supplier’s factory. Although on-site tests often form an integral part of the overall quality control plan. They cannot alone suffice to ensure quality and thereby product testing is essential for most products that you will import.
Why Is Lab Testing Necessary For Your Products?
If you’re someone who wants to make sure that your products are in compliance with all regulations and laws. Set out to govern the quality, then product testing is essential for you. However, if you’re still unsure whether or not to opt for it, consider the following questions to help you out:
· What Is The Intended Use And Attributes Of Your Products?
There will be products that inevitably carry more risk associated with them than others. For example children products that can be ingest. These will need to be test more rigorously than other products.
· What Claims Have You Made While Marketing Your Product?
If you’ve made some specific promises about qualities in your products. Failing to live up to those might not only cause you embarrassment but penalties in the court of law. It is therefore highly advisable that you test these products before putting them out for sale.
· What Are The Regulations Concerning Your Products?
Some products will have greater rules and regulations attached to them, such as mandatory safety regulations. Compliance with these regulations can only be ensure through adequate product testing.
When Should You Ideally Conduct Product Testing?
You’re now faced with the option to either conduct product testing before or after production begins.
Importers commonly test two different types of samples at two different stages:
- Pre-production samples provided by the supplier before mass production begins
- Production units after the mass production are underway
It is recommend to always request your suppliers to send in a product sample. Prior to beginning mass production when you begin a contract with a new supplier. Even if you do not plan to conduct tests on it in a lab.
The best way is to ask your supplier for a golden sample before proceeding with production.
Should You Allow Your Supplier To Conduct Testing At Their Own Facility?
Where it might be true that some suppliers might have a system in place to conduct product testing. It is always a good idea to keep in mind never to overestimate this accuracy of these test results. One reason being that labs associating with factories are often not certified. By accrediting bodies such as the ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB) or the International Accreditation Service, and certainly cannot be considered independent third parties. In several markets, like the EU and United States, national governments require these accreditations. For brands to import and sell products there. So if you want your products to be accredited by a renowned lab. It is always better to opt for external labs.
There also remains the risk of fraudulent product testing results when factories test their own products. This is because this presents an inherent conflict of interest. It would harm the factory if it were to identify irregularities in its products.
Do not confuse product inspection as being the same as quality control.
It is important to clarify that product inspection alone does not wholly constitute as quality control. It is only one part of the process.
Aside from quality inspection and testing, key elements of a robust quality control strategy include:
- Supplier qualification, often involving auditing suppliers for ISO9001 or other relevant compliance frameworks and evaluating product samples
- Developing a quality manual that reflects customer and retailer standards
- Analyzing customer feedback, complaint and return data for ongoing quality improvement
- Taking corrective and preventative action to improve quality, for instance, through root cause analysis and process improvement
- Managing any product recalls and liability risks
Conclusion
Hopefully, this guide will help you know what are the main differences between product testing and product inspection. Both of these processes are integral in ensuring that your products meet with customer requirements. And one should not be abandon in the favor of the other.