China and other low-cost Asian countries are manufacturing haven for importers in developed economies like the U.S and the U.K. The price economy of goods produced in these countries can sometimes be shadowed by poor quality and substandard manufacturing processes. What can you do to ensure quality of products during the manufacturing and shipment?

Product inspection services are what you need. These services provide total quality assurance to industries worldwide. There are four types of quality inspection services, each corresponding to a particular step in production and shipment process.

Here we try to summarize the product inspection services available to importers.

Pre-Production Inspection

Factories you import your goods from can try to lower their cost of production by purchasing substandard materials, this can prove to be disastrous for you as a buyer. Pre-production inspection provides detailed information to buyers on which kind of raw materials will be used in the production. Pre-production inspection can also ensure that the processes in the production are same as buyers’ blueprints because sometimes Chinese and low-cost Asian manufacturers try to cut corners to increase their profits.

In-Process or During Production Inspection

In-process inspection allows importers to get an idea of the product quality early in the production process. Most buyers rely on the final product inspection services that can prove to be costly as once finished product is out of line, quality issues can be uncorrectable. In-process inspection gives buyers an opportunity to find quality issues quickly and plan ahead to avoid delays in the shipment. Repairs and re-inspection after the production is a lot difficult task.

Final Shipment Inspection or Pre-Shipment Inspection

The pre-shipment product inspection services are by far the most common type of quality assurance checks that the importers perform. This inspection is performed when 100% of the production is complete and at least 80% of the products are packed. This ensures that the inspection process is really random. It is beneficial if suppliers are suspected to play games within the production cycle to cut corners. It puts pressure on supplier to honor the quality standards provided by buyers. Objective of final shipment inspection is to ensure quality rather than finding quality issues early. Importers must conduct a pre-shipment inspection to avoid future disasters.

Container Loading Check or Inspection

In some specific cases, container loading check is a worthwhile option. If importers have some precise shipment plans like handling fragile cartons and ensuring they are not kept at the bottom or if the packaging is unconventional, as in case of some high quality garments that are hung on bars without any carton protection.

This product inspection ensures the right kind of product is shipped in right quantity. Especially if buyers have no trust in the shipping process of suppliers, container loading check becomes inevitable.

Depending on consumer goods or industrial products sometimes customization in these inspection services may be required. Generally a couple of these tools are enough to ensure the quality of a project, but in case of most sensitive projects all four product inspection services may be required.