How To Maintain Quality Control When Manufacturing Overseas

Quality control is an essential process for any manufacturing company, but when you are working with overseas factories, quality assurance becomes slightly more challenging. It’s not realistic to watch the manufacturer's production practice, but it is possible to remove some of the challenges and improve quality control.

These challenges typically exist because overseas manufacturers often:

• Exhibit behaviors that other countries aren’t accustomed to.
• Show conflicts of interest.
• Don’t have standard quality operating procedures.
• Don’t have a compliance plan.
• Notify customers about problems too late.

Any of these can hurt your supply chain and can harm your relationship with your partners and clients -- but these issues can be solved by finding a manufacturing company with an exceptional quality control plan.

How do you know which overseas manufacturer to partner with? At Hanbit, we make quality control our number one priority!

Know the Quality Control Plan

Every manufacturing company has a quality control plan in place, and it is as crucial for them as it is for the customers to control every product's quality. After developing set standards for the quality control program, they must be shared with everyone from the domestic engineers to your overseas production management.

Related: Quality Control and Lab Testing

What Should a Quality Control Plan Contain?

At a minimum, a quality control plan should include:

• The set standards and specifications regarding product development
• A way to maintain consistent quality throughout each product
• Your customer’s requirements for what is acceptable quality
• How often inspections will take place and how they will be performed
• A sign-off process for every product in the quality control plan

Key Points of Quality Control

One of the best quality control strategies for overseas manufacturing that is often overlooked is testing at multiple stages during the manufacturing process. If a company relies on one final inspection of its products, it is more likely to have problems with the goods.

Testing throughout the process allows you to catch problems much earlier and keeps you from accidentally shipping out defective or damaged products. Frequent quality reports also allow you to set acceptable variations from standard levels and find any deviations in the process.

Measure and examine metrics along the production process, and it will be much easier to improve them down the road.

Third-Part Quality Inspections

Another way to improve your quality assurance plan is to take advantage of third-party quality reviews. It can be a massive advantage to have the manufacturing process observed by a person who isn’t directly affiliated with any of the companies involved. Third-party quality inspections can benefit all parties in the partnership. There are two huge advantages that a third-party quality assurance group can give you:

• They are your eyes and ears from places that are thousands of miles away. Manufacturing slowdowns and product defects can typically get caught much earlier in the process, and these groups act proactively to stop a problem before it becomes an emergency.
• They also help improve your reputation and credibility by maintaining compliance with international standards. Meeting human rights and safety regulations is essential, and a third-party can help ensure you are on the right track.

Related: GMP Consulting

What Happens When Issues Arise?

Even with an excellent quality control plan in place, manufacturing issues can occur and may go unnoticed for a short period. It’s likely that at some point in your partnership with an overseas manufacturer that you’ll receive a shipment that isn’t perfect, whether the shipping company mishandled the cargo or due to a quality control issue at the manufacturing plant.

If a quality issue arises with your overseas manufacturer, here are the steps to take to resolve it:

Communication

Communication is key when working to solve a quality problem. The sooner you get in touch with the manufacturer after finding an issue, the better it is for everyone involved. There could likely be a quick and simple solution; contacting your customer service representative right away will likely result in a swift resolution of the problem.

Part of the communication factor is letting your supplier know what is wrong with the shipment. Providing a detailed and accurate report on the defective shipment will result in a more straightforward process for both parties. Here is some of the information you should take note of:

• When and where the defect was found.
• Does the defect seem to have occurred during manufacturing or shipping?
• Take photos, both for your records and your suppliers.
• The purchase order number and a count of the defective or damaged items.

Remember to include as much information as possible for a swift resolution!

Contain the Issue

If an issue comes up with a new shipment of goods, it’s essential to ensure all of the relevant internal and external departments are aware of the problem. You don’t want the issue that you’re experiencing to spread farther than it needs to.

After receiving a shipment that isn’t up to the quality standards, there a couple of other people you need to reach out to other than your supplier. You should contact the logistics department and have them hold the pending shipments from the factory to have them double-checked for the same issue. Your domestic warehouse should also hold on to those items until further quality inspections are completed.

Solve the Problem

While the supplier is responsible for solving the overlying problem, you can always offer a solution if you think you think it will help. When working with an overseas manufacturer, problem-solving can work a little differently than usual. You’re likely extremely familiar with the product and may be able to offer a simple solution that works for everyone.

Offering to help can also strengthen your partnership with your supplier, which is a fantastic benefit for your business. Take this time as an opportunity to invest in your long-term relationship with the manufacturer -- but be sure to keep your solutions realistic.

Related: Contract Manufacturing

Choosing the Right Manufacturer

Quality control in overseas manufacturing typically needs two key factors: swift communication and excellent planning. When choosing the right manufacturer for your needs, do your due diligence, and evaluate the company to decide if it’s the right partnership for you.

Do you want to partner with the top overseas manufacturer? Get in touch with Hanbit today!