Quality inspection is a rigorous methodology employed by a manufacturing company to make sure that the quality of its products is consistent. Two essential components of quality inspection are quality assurance and quality control, which are often used interchangeably even though these are distinct differences between the two.
According to the ASQ (American Society for Quality), Quality Assurance consists of that part of quality inspection focused on providing confidence that quality requirements will be fulfilled. The confidence provided by quality assurance is two-fold: internally to management and externally to customers, government agencies, regulators, certifiers and third parties. Quality control is that part of quality management focused on fulfilling quality requirements. While quality assurance relates to how a process is performed or how a product is made, quality control is more the inspection aspect of quality management.
Quality Assurance best practices while conducting quality inspection focus on the prevention of mistakes and/or defects during the manufacturing process. Adherence to its principles helps to streamline production and ensure that the company’s exacting standards are met throughout the design, development, manufacturing and delivery processes. Quality assurance also helps to safeguard the quality of all raw materials, components, assemblies and finished products and to prevent any issues arising as a result of defective third-party components.
Typically, those working on a manufacturer’s QA team function as overseers of cultural systems such as document control, process control, calibration, training and corrective action and they are also tasked with conducting quality inspection audits, as necessary, to ensure compliance with ISO 9000 or TS16949 standards.
The ASQ, in collaboration with the American Productivity and Quality Center, recently published a report which shows that there are nearly 1700 survey respondents from organizations around the world and addresses topics that are germane to quality and continuous improvement programs, including the influence of the customer, trends in industry standards, training systems, governance structures and more. One interesting fact from the report to mention here is that 60% of respondents don’t know, or don’t measure the financial impact quality has on their organization.
Best practices in a company’s quality inspection program all contribute to a host of benefits, including reduced costs, dramatically increased efficiencies and, ultimately, greatly enhanced customer satisfaction.
While many manufacturers have yet to adopt a fully automated system to ensure the quality of their product, gradually, more and more are transitioning into enterprise resource planning (ERP) with robust QA functionality to achieve these objectives. These solutions provide the tools needed to effectively manage quality assurance objectives at every point in the supply chain from initial evaluation to finished product to distribution. ERP Systems also enable QA teams to monitor all of the systems and sub-systems in the production cycle for errors or defects so that the finished products are consistently of the highest quality as well as safe and effective.
Quality assurance in quality inspection check enables a strong relationship between customers and enterprise. QA and customer satisfaction therefore are inextricably interconnected. That’s why manufacturers who rely on ERP solutions during the production process are much more likely to deliver higher quality products that will attract more loyal customers for the long term. An ERP system with robust QA capabilities is able to gather critical, real-time intelligence from within and without – from the manufacturing plant, distribution centers, human resources, etc. as well as from every link in the supply chain. Armed with all of this intelligence, manufacturers are not only able to produce higher-quality products; they can deliver higher levels of customer service.
Another by-product of an ERP system with integrated QA functionality is the ability to generate accurate forecasts that can anticipate future events in the supply chain and help to make workflows more efficient. Worthy ERP solutions provide a broad range of business analytics that can shed light on the effectiveness of assorted workflows, including production planning, inventory and distribution. Studies indicate that use of ERP systems helps businesses make more informed decisions and significantly reduces costs.
This is an extension of quality inspection check. If a manufacturer takes all the steps necessary in quality inspection to produce a first-rate product and deliver to its customers on time, the odds are very good that not only will they be repeat customers, but they will recommend their products to others. In other words, the benefits and the profits will continue to accrue over time. One additional way to earn customers’ trust is to provide them with up-to-date quality inspection testing information on products they purchase which reinforces the perception that the company is totally committed to quality and transparency.
Compliance is a critical issue for all manufacturers and an ERP solution with QA capabilities will instill confidence that all regulations and standards are met across the board. For starters, these systems will help manufacturers comply with all health and safety guidelines in the workplace and thus avoid hefty fines and other penalties that can result from non-compliance with quality inspection check. To this end, the right ERP solution is able to collect all applicable data from integrated systems to monitor workplace safety and to prevent any potential workplace hazards. An ERP solution also facilitates generation of weekly or monthly safety reports. The system should also enable manufacturers to design their own testing procedures of incoming materials to make sure that they meet all the requirements, starting with the quality of raw materials and spreading throughout the entire manufacturing process.
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Dear Aaron,
Now everything perfect. Thanks indeed for your services you have a good product at very competitive pricing.
I will consider giving future pre-shipment inspections to your company.
Best Regards.
Francisco Guerra
Smart Market Development
