Quality Blog

Find articles, case studies, videos and other insightful resources related to quality assurance, quality control, supply chain, and manufacturing.

Preparing for an audit

Preparing for an audit

Factory Audits
A previous Quality Q & A newsletter article featured tips for audit preparation.   In the reprinted content below, Pro QC’s Supplier Development Manager discusses how each party can expedite the process.   Preparation for a factory audit can be broken down by responsibilities of the client, supplier (factory) and third party (Pro QC). Communication and […]
Selecting suppliers using a grid analysis

Selecting suppliers using a grid analysis

Supplier Management
Let’s say you need to find a manufacturer for a new product.  It’s easy to look at the cost and weigh heavily in that direction.  However, this often results in regrets later when shipment delays and other quality issues occur. A useful quality tool for making such decisions is the Grid Analysis.  It allows you […]
Your shipment is rejected, what now?

Your shipment is rejected, what now?

Product Inspection
Receiving a failing inspection report is never a happy occasion   Shipment delays, rework costs, etc. all create tension among all parties involved.  But, put into perspective, the end result can be positive.   When you see the “reject” status on the report, stay calm.  Attack the problem with three questions: Why did it fail? Review the report […]
Intern insight

Intern insight

Pro QC
Before our intern, Melanie Rinehart, left for China, I had the pleasure of meeting with her.  Our Managing Director has a keen eye when it comes to recruiting passionate individuals.  Melanie is no exception. For the past several weeks, Melanie has been training in our Shenzhen office.  I wanted to reach out to her again for […]
Top 5: What we know to be true about success in quality

Top 5: What we know to be true about success in quality

Quality Control
We’ve been following a recent discussion in ASQ’s LinkedIn Group talking about words of wisdom for those entering the quality field.  The majority of these posts have been quite positive and have us thinking about our own lessons learned over the years. With almost three decades of experience, here’s what we know to be true […]
Inspecting textiles & garments

Inspecting textiles & garments

Product Inspection
In our latest newsletter, we’re talking about inspecting textiles and garments and the specialized expertise required for this industry. Unlike wood, metal and other materials, textiles and garments have unique variables that may result in unexpected issues throughout the manufacturing and during the final inspection. As one of Pro QC’s textile inspectors noted, “it’s an […]
Which AQL do you choose?

Which AQL do you choose?

Quality Control
One of the most frequent questions we receive regarding on-site quality inspections relates to selecting AQLs, or Acceptable Quality Levels.  AQLs represent the maximum percent defective that you consider acceptable. Pro QC’s Assistant Operations Manager in China, Cesar Marsical, address the question below: The selection of AQLs and sampling plan for a given lot size […]
Why inspect? What are the benefits?

Why inspect? What are the benefits?

Product Inspection
This is one of the most frequent questions we receive, and it’s often a hot debate at quality industry events as well. At the end of the day, inspecting product for quality prior to shipment does the following things: Verifies that product specifications are being met and avoids unnecessary reengineering work later Confirms important quantity […]
7 QC Tools in 8 Minutes

7 QC Tools in 8 Minutes

Quality Control
Great presentation… Quick and easy way to learn about quality control, the benefits, and the primary tools used in the industry. Graphs Check Sheets Pareto Charts Cause & Effect Scatter Diagrams Histograms Control Charts In addition, we discuss the benefits of quality control on our website .  We also talk quality tools in a few older blog […]