When sourcing for a manufacturer outside of your home base, you want to get the quality control process right. As a business, you want your products to be top-notch, which requires quality machinery, materials, working conditions and manufacturing processes.
Quality control is a delicate matter that requires human analysis to judge the user’s experience, spot errors and communicate feedback to improve production. This often means traveling long distances and hours to get to the manufacturing country, which can be time-consuming and expensive for a business.
But what other options are there when quality control is such an important aspect of the manufacturing process that cannot be neglected? In this blog, we will walk you through exactly how to manage quality control from the comfort of your office. But first, let’s break down the impact of poor quality control management on your business.
The Cost Of Poor Quality Control Management
The consequences of poor quality control cannot be ignored. It damages the brand, business and profits, creating a snowball effect that impacts the entire system from your customers to employees.
Customer cost: Poor quality products mean dissatisfied customers and refunds, resulting in losses in revenue and profitability.
Operational cost: Every unusable product results in lost time, the waste of resources and an increase in production cost that could’ve been avoided if there were proper quality control measures in place.
Business cost: Not only do poor-quality products lose customers and profits, but they can also result in liability claims and legal action if your product is seen as a safety hazard. In 1999, automotive manufacturer, General Motors, was sued for $4.9 billion when their faulty gas tank exploded and burned six individuals. Liability cases due to faulty products are a hefty price to pay for any business.
Research has shown that poor-quality products can cost an average company 20% of their sales. Improving quality control can reduce that number to a single-digit percentage, which is a whopping amount of money saved.
How To Remotely Manage Manufacturing Quality Control
Knowing the importance of quality control, how can you maintain a high standard of manufacturing without wasting time traveling across oceans? The ideal solution is to manage your manufacturer in Asia from your office desk in the US and these are three ways you can do just that.
Use expert on-the-ground quality control officers you can trust
Some companies choose to undergo virtual video inspections but a camera can only do so much. Sometimes, the product needs to undergo certain tests that can only be done by a human.
While you can’t clone yourself just yet, you can instead hire experts in quality control that are based in these manufacturing countries to do the job for you. Not only do you save time and money, but you’re also guaranteed professional quality control checks by experts in the field.
Another plus side is these independent on-site experts are usually hired on a project basis so you don’t have to fork out extra cash for full-time employees.
Leverage management platforms for a streamlined communication process
Once your on-the-ground quality control representative has completed their checks with your manufacturer, you’ll obviously want to be updated on their inspections. As with all remote work, technology is at the front and center of a successful business operation.
Having an all-in-one online management platform to communicate with these experts can help you consolidate all photos, samples and reviews on the manufacturing company from anywhere in the world. Invest in a reliable management software that encourages a seamless communication and workflow process with your overseas teams so you’re always up-to-date with the manufacturing process.
Set up real-time machine condition data collection
Machinery in manufacturing plays a big part in the quality of your products especially when malfunctioning equipment can cause defects, material wastage and an overall increase in production cost.
Staying up-to-date with your manufacturer’s equipment health and possible failures can curb any losses. A solution is to optimize your manufacturing machinery through a computerized management system. The real-time production data analyzes your machine conditions and gives updates using automated notifications. You can get early warning signs of equipment failure, communicate them to your on-site team and alleviate those risks before it affects your whole production process.
You now know the sheer importance of quality control management in a business. Since the pandemic, we’ve learned to run our businesses remotely and we’re lucky that quality control can also be managed from your office by working with trusted partners on the ground.
Gembah has a mission to be part of this solution by providing a network of experts including quality control officers that are thoroughly vetted through a strict process of background checks and interviews. No matter your manufacturing location, Gembah has on-the-ground teams at every manufacturing hub to support you in your supply-chain management. Get in touch if your brand needs help with on the ground quality control.
