How do I start ordering inspection, verification and quality control from a Chinese factory?
Confidence 4/5 Established practice
A workable first order follows the same sequence in every category: fix the specification in writing including tolerance and finish; decide the quantity against the minimum above; get a physical sample approved before any mass production; agree tooling ownership and payment terms in writing; arrange inspection before the balance is paid; and confirm the HS code and the destination labelling requirements before the goods ship rather than after. For inspection, verification and quality control the two details that most often delay a first order are inspecting only at the end, when design and material choices are already locked in and accepting a factory's own report as independent verification.
Sources
- Pre-shipment inspection scope, pricing and AQL sampling — QIMA and SGS published service definitions
- ISO 2859-1 sampling procedures — ISO
- Supplier verification practice — QIMA supplier qualification guidance
What goes wrong with inspection, verification and quality control
- Inspecting only at the end, when design and material choices are already locked in.
- Accepting a factory's own report as independent verification.
- Skipping inspection because the order is small; small orders are where a total loss is most painful relative to turnover.
- Not defining what a defect is before the inspection, which makes the report unactionable.
- Booking an inspection after the goods are already packed and the container is loaded.
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