Case Studies

Delivering flawless products to clients is the ultimate goal of any supplier or importer. But, believing any manufacturer for procuring products is not a wise choice unless you are sure that you are paying for the quality you agreed upon. The market of China is brimming with all kinds of manufacturers, the ones who deliver superior quality, the ones who deliver average quality, and the ones who deliver very poor quality.

The best way to ensure that you are getting what you are paying for is to hire Product Inspection Services in China. If you are new to procuring or importing business, understanding the product inspection in detail will help you communicate with your quality inspector more effectively.

What does product inspection mean?

Product inspection refers to the process that is used for checking whether the goods are manufactured in adherence with the defined specifications. Rather than focusing on the products’ manufacturing phase, product inspection mainly emphasizes examining the appearance, design, and functionality of a product.

The primary goals of product inspection are:

• To locate any quality defects in the products before they are delivered to the client
• To minimize the quality issues with clients
• To segregate poor quality products from good ones
• To check whether defined specifications are being met
• To determine the type of defects in the products
• To determine the causes of defects

Most quality inspectors use an acceptance sampling method, such as AQL, to inspect a certain number of the sample from the total order quantity. Once the inspection is completed, the quality inspector declares the result as ‘pass’, ‘fail’, or ‘hold’.

Is Product Inspection Different from Product Testing?

Yes, product inspection and product testing are both completely different processes.

For instance, if you are willing to check whether the finish of the products is flawless or if the screen of a tablet, phone, or laptop computer is intact, broken, or scratched, it refers to product inspection.

On the other hand, if you want to know whether the chemical composition of detergent or paint is as per defined specifications, or if toys are designed in compliance with the standards of consumer product safety authorities, it refers to product testing.

In short, product testing is similar to lab testing that is conducted by a certified third-party laboratory instead of at a supplier’s facility. It is performed usually to check the composition, mechanical, electrical, or corrosion properties based on the product type.

What are the different types of product inspection?

The following are the different kinds of product inspection conducted at different phases:

• Pre-Production Inspections (PPI): conducted to check the raw materials or prototypes before starting the manufacturing process
• During Production Inspections (DUPRO): conducted when 20% of products are completed to identify issues at an early stage
• Pre-Shipment Inspections (PSI): conducted when the production is complete and at least 80% of items are packaged to ensure the quality (most often hired by importers)
• Loading Inspections (LI): conducted when the consignment is ready to be loaded onto the containers for overseas delivery to ensure whether correct products are loaded, if they are in good conditions or if set loading plans are being followed
• Sort Inspection (SI): conducted to segregate defective units and get the accurate count of acceptable products

Hiring third-party Product Inspection Service is the most effective way to attain the peace of mind that you are getting only products with acceptable quality and specifications.