I think there is no one wants to receive defective goods from their suppliers. And I do believe some of the customers have ever received the defective goods. How could that happen? From my point of view, most of the defective goods are made by unqualified raw materials, nonstandard production operations, and lack of a set of quality control management. How to make sure the quality of your goods is assured? Quality control plays a very important role in the whole production. It is not just an inspection conducted by customers or a third-party inspection company. The quality control should be conducted by the factory/supplier themselves. We call it in-house quality control.
As you are well known, umbrellas are assembled with lots of components. If one component has a quality problem, the umbrella will become a defective product. In my opinion, quality control should conduct in two parts. One is raw materials incoming inspection. The other one is production inspection. Production inspection includes semi-product inspection and final inspection.
RAW MATERIALS INCOMING INSPECTION
Umbrellas are assembling with fabric, frame, handle, tips and top, etc. First, we need to make sure each component is following customers’ order requirements. Regularly, pre-production samples need to provide before production. Customers will check and confirm whether pre-production samples are ok or not. When the sample gets approval, the purchasing department should strictly purchase raw materials per each order requirement and approval samples. When raw materials come to the warehouse, the inspector needs to check them according to order requirements and approval samples. Below are four points that we need to take more care of when inspecting the raw materials.
- For fabric, we need to check the color/print designs/texture and materials quality.
- For frame, we need to check the size, materials, surface treatment and opening or open/close mechanism.
- For handle, tips and top, we need to check the size, materials, surface treatment.
- For accessories (e.g. hangtag, sew-in label, woven label, pp bag,etc.), we need to check the size, printing content.
If the above components are no problem, at least 60% of umbrellas’ quality can be assured. If some materials are not the right ones as we require, we must return to the supplier, inform them of the problem and remake another batch.
SEMI-PRODUCT INSPECTION
When raw materials are no quality problem, production will begin. From fabric cutting to final goods finish production, each step of semi-product should inspect. Only each step of semi-product is no problem, the production process will go on smoothly. Below steps of production is the one that we need to pay attention to.
- For fabric cutting, panels should be cutting in line with umbrella size and make sure the umbrella shape is good-looking.
- For promotion orders or brand orders, printing quality is good. We need to check the logo color, content, and position.
- For sewing, we need to make sure each panel is well sewing. The sew-in label, woven label, and fabric strap are sewing in the correct position. Fabric cases are suitable for packing umbrellas.
- For stitching umbrellas, we need to check whether the stitching is stable or not, take more care of the leftover threads, and wipe the dirt on the fabric surface.
- For assemble, all handles and tops should be well installed. The glue should not be out of the surface of the handle, shaft, and umbrella top.
- For adhesive label posting, labels should post in the right direction on the polybag and shipping mark.
- For barcode labels that show on the hangtag, pp bag, or shipping mark, we need to make sure all barcodes are scannable.
- For packing, the packing method should be the same as per customers’ requirements.
- For the shipping mark, we need to check the printing content and box quality.
FINAL INSPECTION
After the order finish production, no matter who will inspect the goods, we need to random check the quality of the goods again by ourselves at first. If the goods will be inspected by customers or the third party inspection company, we need to make an arrangement in advance. After inspection, if goods are no problem, we can inform customers and arrange for shipping.
Only each step of production are no problem, then the quality of goods is assured. Because we firmly believe the quality of the goods is from production, instead of inspection.
