General there are five types of quality inspection services and each one corresponds to a particular step in the production process. They are all part of the useful tool for every importer, when it comes to from China or Asia.
Below we would like to summarize the options available to anyone would like to know, as in a visual manner.
Please be noted all Asia quality inspection services are not adapted to the same situation:
First Article Inspection:
Will attests that all engineering, design and specification requirements are rightly understood, accounted for, verified, and recorded. The inspection takes place at factory floor right after the manufacturer starts producing the first mass production samples. A complete, independent, and documented physical and functional inspection process is conducted.
Pre-production inspection:
tells the buyer which kind of raw materials (or components) will be used. Factories are often suspected of lowering their costs by purchasing substandard materials, and this can be disastrous for the buyer (e.g. the wrong kind of chip in an electronic device).The pre-production inspection can also focus on the processes followed as production starts. Sometimes this can also be critical if the factory not respect your approved samples or specification of pattern.
During production inspection:
(Often called DUPRO or DPI in the industry) allows the buyer to have an idea of average product quality, early in the production cycle. It is the most useful and the most under-rated tool at the disposal of importers, who often only rely on final inspections.It usually takes place once some finished products(20%-50%) have come out of the lines. If quality issues are found, what is already produced might be re-workable, and corrective actions can be taken for the rest of the job. It gives buyers the time to plan ahead, and even to avoid delays (repairs and re-inspections take much more time when problems are noticed after all production is finished).
Final random inspection:
(Also called [pre-shipment inspection") is by far the most common type of quality inspection services. It takes place once 100% of shipment quantity is finished and at least 80% is packed, so it can be a real random inspection (this is not exactly the case if quality is checked earlier) and suppliers cannot play games.It puts pressure on suppliers and gives power to buyers. Its objective is really to confirm a shipment`s quality, rather than catching issues early. Therefore I usually advise my clients to complement final inspections with a DUPRO, to avoid finding disasters at the last minute.
Container loading supervision:
(Also called Container loading inspection)Ensures that the correct styles, sizes and quantities have been loaded correctly and safely onto the container. It happens in the manufacturer`s warehouse or the forwarder`s premises, Not only the loading of the correct products and its quantity are supervised during the supervision but also the correct packaging and the quality of the goods are inspected.
It can be useful if the buyer has a precise loading plan and needs it to be respected very precisely (e.g. some cartons are too fragile to be placed at the bottom), or if the packaging is not conventional (e.g. some garments hung on bars, with no carton protection).
It can also ensure that the right kind of products are shipped out in the right quantity, when the importer places no trust in his supplier or when several suppliers bring their products for consolidation.
Seldom projects require all four types of inspection. Generally, only one or two of these tools are used, depending on the risks identified by the buyer.