Manufacturing a product is a challenging endeavor, especially when you’re balancing company standards and market regulations. Consumers want to buy from a company whose products are consistently high-quality and durable. Setting a standard and making sure every product meets that standard and is made ethically builds consumer trust and loyalty. Quality control (QC) services are one important tool for achieving those goals. 

Why Inspect for quality?

All quality control inspections have one goal: to make sure your manufacturing processes and outcomes meet exacting standards. If they don’t, the inspector needs to identify which parts of the process are falling short and why.

At the end of a quality control audit, the inspector will uncover issues and offer suggestions for improvement. Your company will know what actions to take to obtain better, more consistent outcomes that keep vendors and customers satisfied. It’s not difficult to see why this is an essential service for any business. 

What do quality inspections cover?

Product consistency

The most familiar type of quality control audit is designed to check that product batches are correct and consistent with one another. This process might include collecting random samples of the product at various manufacturing stages and measuring them for a variety of factors.

The results will be compared against set standards set forth by the company. This could include specifications for size, shape, durability, and color. If any deficiencies are found, an auditor can determine where the issue is occurring. They’ll also establish whether it’s a consistent issue or a specific problem with the machinery, work process, or materials. The auditor will use this information to draft a report detailing the problems and recommended solutions.

Product safety & usage

Product quality control can also determine whether a product meets specific industry standards based on the product type:

• Electronics may need to meet requirements for minimal interference with signals or include proper shielding to avoid electrical sparking hazards
• Medical devices may need to have sufficient safeguards or may have very strict requirements, such as the materials used or size variations
• Food products may need to meet requirements for cooking processes and ingredient labeling

These are just some of the important standards QC services can ensure your products meet. In addition to these safety requirements, product quality inspections help ensure your brand can provide quality merchandise that meets federal regulations and local laws without disrupting operations. 

Ethical manufacturing

Consumers often care about whether the products they buy are manufactured humanely and are willing to support companies that follow clear ethical guidelines. Social audits can help evaluate a factory’s working conditions, including worker hours, compensation, safety standards, and environmental hazards. The inspector’s findings can be checked against international and internal standards to be sure your manufacturing process is fully compliant. 

QC experts at your fingertips

Factored Quality is the go-to source for reliable QC services. Our convenient portal gives you access to a network of over 1,500 qualified experts and easy-to-use checklist tools to develop and schedule your next quality control audit.

The transparent reporting and analytics you receive will help you make informed decisions about your manufacturing runs to limit downtime, returns, and unexpected costs. Request a demo to learn more about our platform.