Is Real Time Inspection a Good Solution?
Real time inspection using Wechat or Whatsapp maybe a favourite to some buyers but is an idea that is bad 99% of the time. It sounds like a good idea but may lead to problems practically.
As explained in an earlier article, first is product specifications, sample reviews follow before QC inspection. These steps ensure a client gets the right products from the manufacturer and avoids any possible mistakes. Real time inspection breaks the protocol exposing the buyer to various risks. Here are reasons why real time inspection is thus not recommended:
1. Confusion
Take a scenario where the inspector selects samples which the manufacturing staff brings in under close supervision. He is to mark or stamp the boxes. He takes photos and sends to the buyer who requests for more pictures of specific aspects of the product. The inspector, while trying to fulfil this demands, may get confused and forget the steps. The company staff may return the boxes without labels which may result in the manufacturer changing the contents of the boxes. This confusion will, therefore, put the buyer at risk as opposed to following the inspection procedure that will ensure thorough checking. The interferences and interruptions are quite frankly an unwelcome idea. By the time the inspector readjusts to the interruptions, you can guess how many risks you have run into as a buyer. The agent at the manufacturing company is enough interruption already.
2. Timing
The production procedure is a clearly laid down process which is meant to be seamless. By the time it gets to inspection, most of the processes are already complete and thus real time inspection may prove both out of time and a waste of valuable time. As a buyer, you need to be keener on the earlier processes like product specifications and sample inspection as opposed to last minute inspection complications. By the time it gets to inspection, it`s too late, and nothing much is doable. In case you want to remain within your time frame and end up with the perfect products, then you need to minimise real time inspection. It may sound unwelcome, but the result will justify the decision.
3. Straining Your Agent
The procedure of inspecting is itself a tasking process that needs your inspecting agent to be alert all the time. Real time inspection strains your agent because of the additional tasks. Besides having to operate on the manufacturers` time frame, remote controlling your inspector changes the inspection from a perfect job to quite an enormous challenge where he or she has to battle hard to meet both your demands. The downside of strain is the decreased efficiency of the inspector. It may result in lower quality inspection which cannot be blamed on the inspector but rather on the buyer. You may need to let the inspection flow smoothly and in case photos and videos are sent to you appreciate the much that has been done and trust that the inspector will be your eyes and heart in the whole process.
4. Relationship with Inspector and Manufacturer
As much as real time inspection gives you more control over your products, it may be costly to your relationship with the inspector and manufacturer. Buying may not be a one-time affair, and you may need to do it over and over again. When you frustrate the inspector through remote controlling them, you impact negatively on the relationship you and the inspector have. It thus may lead to running risks of either interfering with your business links to the inspecting agency and manufacturer or lowering the quality of services you get. A warm relationship will always attract better service but once you get on the nerves of some people who may not necessarily show you but there will be consequences. Let the good relationship guide the inspection, and you will be happy with the results.
5. No Guarantee
Real time inspection has no guarantees that the products will meet your demands. Insisting on it may not change the outcome of the goods if there is no following of proper steps. There is a lot more that happens even beyond the inspection, and it will all depend on the inspector and the manufacturing staff. It is thus never a hundred percent sure that the real time images on WhatsApp and Wechat will change anything. In fact, the bother may create loopholes for the changes to the products that may happen right at the inspection stage. This fact means that you may as well just depend on the inspector to accomplish the work in the best possible way. Many experienced buyers give the inspector freedom to conduct his services the best way he can and most of the time get their products the way they want them.
6. Why Hire the Agent?
Real time inspection grants you a virtual presence in the inspection room, and you get to check out the samples. This virtual presence thus raises the question; why hire an inspector while you can be there virtually with the help of the manufacturing staff? Therefore, when you hire an inspection agency, let them do their work. Let them take away the hustle from you. In any case, they are more efficient than your virtual presence. When you opt for the agent, sit back, relax and let him or her ensure you get the best of what you need and in case the products don`t meet your demands, you will be in a position to back-trace the problem easily. At the end of the day, the services paid for must deliver value for money.
Conclusion
Even though real time inspection allows you control over your products and the complete inspection, the many risks you run as a buyer make it inadvisable. It may feel like a nice idea, but in a real sense, it is not. With time, gaining more experience will enable you to realize it is better to let the inspector do their work and await results than interfering with real time inspection. The relationship you have and the seamlessness of the inspection may be interrupted by your demands during the real time inspection and lead to losses on your side.