The effectiveness of inspection depends on taken precautions. To make sure the conditions are favorable to effective inspections, there should be written clarifications from each party agreed.
There can be sub-optimal conditions that affect the inspection accuracy; the inspected products are not ready, conditions (lighting, sufficient working area i.e.) makes inspection impossible, cartoons are placed that are not possible to count.
There is a list of conditions for inspections, the suppliers should accept before inspection:
1- Inspection date and Conditions:
Not to allow the supplier to change the inspection date for a frivolous reason, the inspection date should be decided at least with a written email and before 24 hours.
“Please confirm the inspection day by email.
- Allow 24h between the end of the inspection and the ex-factory date. The customer will need to receive and review the report and might ask some questions before making a decision.
- Changing inspection date (only possible for very important happenings) please immediately inform by email (24h before inspection day),
Before inspection day take precautions to prevent time loss such as;
- Unexpected transport (the factory inspection takes place can’t be changed during the day),
- There should be a sufficient working environment for inspection (lighting,space etc.)
- The goods should be ready for inspection upon inspector(s) arrival: Products have to be packed latest at 8 am on inspection day. We tolerate that some cartons might not be ready yet but 20% of unpacked pieces for a given reference is a maximum. And the inspector should be able to take samples from these unpacked pieces.
- The cartons have to be sorted by reference, by color, and by size when presented to inspector(s). All the cartons of the same reference should be in the same place. In particular, if some cartons are not full, you need to point them to us as soon as we arrive. All cartons have to be easily accessible, and the shipping marks easily visible.
If any other condition listed above is not respected, we reserve the right to abort (and refuse) the inspection. In that case, we might charge your client for an inspection fee, and they might ask you to pay for it.”
2- Defected products condition:
To prevent unnecessary discussions inform the supplier about what to the with the defective products before;
“The defects found by the inspector should be repaired, taken out of bulk production, or replaced (please ask your customer which solution he prefers). The inspector will not check what you do with defects.
A passed report is not permission to ship. You should wait for your customer’s decision.”
3- Bribery:
There should be a signed code of conducts letter between supplier and inspector:
“ Inspectors are not allowed to receive any personal favor of any kind. If they request something from you, please refuse and then send an email to [email address read by a manager]. Factories are not allowed to corrupt inspectors.
In this case, the inspector has the duty to denounce the factory immediately to his manager.”