Sometimes factories resist third-party inspection. The consequences range from shipping delays to undiscovered quality issues due to forgoing inspection. And if you’ve experienced this as an importer, you’re not alone. Resistance to third-party inspection can be taken as a red flag and a sign that you should pay more attention to the products and the relationship you have with your supplier. But some hesitation on the part of the factory is fairly common.
Topics:
Product Inspection
Many of us have had a bad experience with buying a cheaply made bag. Chances are that cheap bag wasn’t tested for quality and durability before leaving the factory that made it. If you’re an importer of bags or an end consumer, it pays to be familiar with these simple tests for bags and suitcases typically carried out during product inspection. Whether they’ll be used for hauling school books, carrying groceries or will be shaken up in the cargo hold of an airplane, consider the value of your bag’s contents when deciding how important quality is to you.
Topics:
Special Inspection Tests
You might realize that inspection of your goods prior to shipping is one of the only ways you can rest easy, knowing the quality of your products meets specifications. But what if you could get better quality without product inspection? You might be surprised to learn there are other steps you can take to ensure you’re getting what you pay for.
Topics:
Product Inspection
Importing a product takes guts. Whether you’re starting your own fledgling company and manufacturing for the first time or working as a purchasing manager in a Fortune 500 company, your success or failure depends on getting a product that meets your requirements shipped on-time. Following these three ways to keep to your production schedule, you can avoid the kinds of delays that cause factories to rush production, at the expense of quality.
Topics:
Manufacturing Tips & Advice,
production monitoring
Businesses have always tried to cut costs in a competitive market, some employing unethical measures in the process. Three plaintiffs are suing Nestlé, Archer-Daniels-Midland and Cargill claiming they were trafficked from their home in Mali and forced to harvest cocoa beans in Ivory Coast as children without pay. Find out the full story and how you can investigate possible use of forced or child labor in your own supply chain.
Topics:
Social Compliance
Worker interviews during a social compliance audit remain an important aspect of investigating if your supplier is compliant with international or brand/retailer standards. An auditor will ask questions about working hours, wages and conditions to uncover whether or not local laws or standards are being violated at the factory. But it’s important to understand that the efforts of worker interviewers can be thwarted by factory management. Still, a social compliance audit remains one of the best ways to investigate your supplier.
Topics:
Social Compliance
Importing from abroad can be stressful. But choosing a product inspector doesn't have to be. Here are five of the most important questions you should consider asking when selecting a product inspector.
Topics:
Product Inspection
Knowing these six common garment defects will help you be aware of issues that have plagued the garment industry for decades. While quality issues like untrimmed threads may seem commonplace and acceptable for lower-end retailers, open seams and dimension issues could result in unsellable product, product returns and damage to your brand.
Topics:
Product Inspection
Carrying out product inspection before shipping can tell you a lot about the status of your order and the quality of your products. But it’s important to understand what a product inspection report will not tell you. You should use the report to make more informed decisions regarding your product and shipment, as opposed to expecting the report to solve all of your problems on its own. If you have questions about what to expect from a product inspection report, don’t be afraid to ask your inspector directly.
Topics:
Product Inspection
A lot of buyers express frustration in getting accurate information from their supplier. Supplier miscommunication can lead to shipping delays, quality problems and a host of other issues. Communication by phone, email or even through a face-to-face meeting at the factory can leave a lot of room for interpretation. Maybe your supplier is unwittingly sending you the wrong message.
Topics:
Manufacturing Tips & Advice
