Be it a product or a service, the quality determines its market value. In the present aggressively competitive market, quality plays the role of a differentiator for all products and services. If you envisage a dream of building a successful business that will surpass your customers’ expectations, you need to focus on quality control. An ideal quality control system follows a recognized standard, for instance, ISO Standards.

Nowadays, companies are employing various methods to reach and maintain the highest quality level. Even some organizations are inclining towards Total Quality Management or TQM while a great number of companies are sticking to Internal and External Standards.

Are you going to hire quality control subcontractors? Do you have a clear insight into quality control? Having a clear concept is required for making the right choice when it comes to hiring Quality control professionals.

This article will help you decipher the actual definition of quality control, the roles and responsibilities of a Quality Inspector, and five types of quality control.

What is Quality Control?

Quality Control or QC is a series of processes used to ensure that the manufacturing of a product complies with a recognized set of quality principles. It must meet the relevant requirements of a client, including quality inspections.

Roles and Responsibilities of a Quality Inspector

The responsibilities of a Quality Control Inspector vary from industry to industry. However, there are some responsibilities common in every industry, such as:

• Performing quality analysis considering relevant measures of all the products, which are ready to be shipped; these assessments also include testing the raw materials.
• Carefully examining the route maps, specifications, and layouts to determine the product requirements.
• Discarding the raw materials that do not meet the quality measures and reporting these issues to the concerned person immediately.
• Finding realistic solutions to quality issues.
• Guiding and supervising the quality control team.
• Creating and following an efficacious protocol that all departments can access.
• Reporting what can be done for further improvement.
• Helping the production team in addressing the quality control principles.
• Reviewing customer satisfaction levels.
• Monitoring each phase of the product manufacturing circle.

5 Major Types of Quality Control Process

Generally, quality control inspection is classified into five types. Before sourcing consultants to carry out quality inspections for your company, you need to know which type of inspection your business needs. Listed below are five types of quality control inspection:

Pre-Production Inspection (PPI)

Pre-Production Inspection takes place when a purchase order is placed. To perform PPI, a quality inspector will need to inspect the production or manufacturing site to assess the quality of raw materials, components, etc. The assigned inspector should:

• Verify the current state and quality of the raw materials.
• Check the planned storage.
• Examine the readiness of the production team.
• Evaluate the safety issues.

First Article Inspection (FAI)

When the production process starts at the supplier’s site, then First Article Inspection or FAI can be performed. This quality inspection demands a detailed investigation of the first mass production stage including the factory floor used for production and the designs of the relevant documents. For performing FAI, the quality officer should:

• Determine whether the product is aligned with the design documents.
• Examine whether the supplier is following the pre-decided process and raw material specifications.
• Taking notes about the nature, qualities, and flaws of the manufactured products.

During Production Inspection (DPI)

When your production circle is 20-50% finished and packed, then During Production Inspection or DPI process takes place. This type of inspection is designed to ensure that all processes are carried out following the decided standards. The inspector should:

• Check the production and quality plan.
• Examine the storage condition.
• Monitor the packaging, labeling, and barcodes.
• Review the half-finished products.

Pre-Shipment Inspection (PSI)

Pre-Shipment Inspection or PSI is also known as the final random inspection. It ensures that the suppliers have addressed the specifications given by the clients while manufacturing and packing the products. During PSI, the quality inspector should:

• Examine the safety and function of the manufactured products.
• Determine the product’s quality and deal with issues related to price adjustment.
• Scrutinize whether the order adheres to the specific standards.
• Monitor the packaging, labeling, and shipping.

Container Loading Inspection (CLI)

The fifth quality control inspection process is Container Loading Inspection or CLI. It is performed at the warehouse of a supplier. During this inspection, the quality control inspector should:

• Ensure that the right products have been loaded in the decided quantities.
• Check the packaging to detect any physical or environmental damage.
• Conducting random spot checks of manufactured products.
• Monitoring the loading conditions, sealing numbers, and departure time.

A Final Takeaway

Quality control is a vast field, which is designed to ensure the quality of manufactured products. For every business, quality is the key to success. You need a well-structured and logical quality control system to ensure that the outcome (end product) fulfills all quality requirements. Some companies have an internal quality control team. However, if your financial fund is limited, recruiting quality control subcontractors can be your best bet. This way you will receive the best quality control inspections at affordable ranges.