06 Nov 2019
On August 23, 2019, we met with * * company founded in Brazil in 1987 at Pet Fair Asia(Shanghai). After four rounds of email communications, we received * * company's factory inspection request and was carried on Nov.5th, 2019. This factory inspection proves that we can stand the inspection of customers, and tells the most real data and management to customers, so as to grow together with customers. Here is the whole process of our factory inspection.
Emily in this article is a representative of Sweet Pet Products (Beijing) Co.,Ltd. and Jim is a representative of this Brazilian customer; Jim arrived at our factory at 7:50am.
Emily: Welcome to our company for inspection;
Jim: There's a lot of content in the factory inspection, I hope it is not a very early morning for you.
Emily: No worries, it's just our work time. We start the inspection early in the morning before mass production. It helps to check the problems we can't see during mass work. Please help to find out more problems which will be really appreciated.
Jim: OK. Let me introduce our company first, *****; our company focuses on the quality control, the improvement and control of quality management system, and the implementation of relevant quality control details. Do you think we should go to the workshop first or look at the documents?
Emily: we respect your opinions and follow the factory inspection process.
Jim: OK, let's look at the workshop first, and then you arrange for the personnel to bring the documents here.
Emily: Ok
Start of raw material area inspection
Emily: introduced the overall distribution and use of the production workshop, the main production line: cat toys of Silver Vine; Raw material area, on the left-hand side of the factory, where we have done the material partition processing, the division of the area to be inspected, the qualified product area and the defective product area are placed in the defective product area;
Jim: I'd like to know if there are any inspection procedures for raw materials and records of defective raw materials, and how to deal with batch of defective products. Do you have any of these?
Emily: In this respect, we have the inspection record sheet of raw materials, which contains the specification, weight and relevant requirements of the materials, and is inspected by IQC personnel.
Jim: did you find any defective products in the incoming materials? How do you deal with the defective products?
Emily: There are some unqualified incoming materials occasionally. For example, after the fabric comes to the factory, we need to check the width, color and weight. Usually, the weight of fabric is the key part of our inspection. Generally, I compare the color with Pantone color card.
Jim: Did you ever have any batch defects in the inspection process? If any, have there been corresponding inspection plan measures, etc.
Emily: the phenomenon of batch defect is relatively rare. We use the method of replacement or abandonment to deal with the defective products. We have processes to check the plan measures, but there is no record of this aspect if there is no batch defect.
Jim: in this respect, it is necessary to record the inspection plan and measures for the defective products, no matter the size of the defective products.
Emily: Ok
Jim: In addition to the inspection records of raw materials, our company also requires to set up the waiting area (which you have), the qualified product area (which you have but need to clearly identify), the defective product area (which you set in the outside area, it is better to put the three areas of raw materials in the large area of raw materials); in addition, the recorded defective product records need to be Make a statistical table (we'll see the data later)
Emily: Ok, thanks!
Production and processing area
Including cutting and sewing areas; the items we check are different from the raw materials (production process, inspection standard, qualified products and unqualified products)
Jim: During this process, we should pay attention to the record and statistics of defective products, and then make a summary of each issue;
Emily: We have made detailed records in this regard, and the problems just mentioned will be improved one by one
Finished product processing area
Jim: How many production lines do you have?
Emily: We have two packaging lines
Jim: Where is the inspection area for finished products and the defective product area?
Emily: Here, our finished products need to be unpacked for inspection, and the products need to be sampled for inspection, and then they need to be warehoused
Jim: Do you have any records of spot check?
Emily: Yes, the information is in the Office
Jim: It also needs to be hung here
Emily: Ok
Jim: Finished products need to be divided into areas to be inspected and areas to be finished products
Emily: there's a sign on it. Look at there
Jim: all right.
We went back to the office to check the process documents, Jim asked me, do you carry ISO test?
Emily: we do BSCI certification.
Jim: When the company sent me here, I was also asked to raise a few questions. We want to learn more about the inspection of this kind of goods from the factory. Such as -- What's your inspection standard? What are the general problems? Why do we use Silver Vine?
Emily: Let me answer why we choose this material. First, it's pure wild material, and it is mainly planted in my hometown. Secondly, according to the scientific research data in the United States, cats loves catnip, but only 60% react to the normal catnip. While the comprehensive data shows that 80% of the cats react actively to the Silver Vine. Most importantly, 80% cats among those do not response to normal catnip love the Silver Vine!
There are three kinds of materials for its sse: leaves, fruits and roots. Here are the raw materials. Let me introduce them to you.
This is the leaf powder
this is the fruit powder
this is roots...
Jim: Let me try it? Why I cannot smell it? How much do we usually use?
Emily: Humanbeings have a very small proportion of small amount of smell. I opened the whole bag of fruit powder and let Jim smell it.
Jim: ummm, now it tastes much stronger. Then, how can we check how much Silver Vine you use for our product?
Emily: we use these methods.
Firstly, we use a small container to measure about 2 grams.
Secondly, we put the powder in the bag, and then put it into the product;
Thirdly, compress the leaf powder into various shapes by molds.
Jim: I see. I still don't understand the material of cat toys. Do I have corresponding inspection report?
Emily: Yes, general customers or we need to find a corresponding inspection agency to test the fabric and other materials used for the first time, similar to this SGS test report.
Jim: Ok.
Emily: The most important thing for cat toys is the needles detect. Any needles or metal is fatal, it can lead to a company's entire production failure ‘cause needles may hurt people or animals, causing life danger.
Jim: you are doing the needle test, ha ha
Emily: Yes, it's a step that can't be ignored.
Jim: Did you have any experience of inspection failure?
Emily: To be honest with you, since I entered this industry in 2002, I had only one experience which caused returned products in my previous company in 2009
Jim: why?
Emily: it's the cardboard that was not qualified. Although we received the qualification report from the raw material manufacturer that stated it as a qualified product, when it arrived at the destination port, it is detected and returned as unqualified. Since then, we have purchased formaldehyde testing equipment and instruments to ensure the safety of each shipment.
Jim: I know. Our company is very strict in quality inspection and has seen a lot of factories. There are few that can pass. In the evening, we will give a report but not directly to the factory. Can you ask about the specific results to the office? Thank you for your cooperation today. Thank you!
Emily: I appreciate your hard work today. Thank you very much for pointing out our problems. We will implement the follow-up continuous improvement work.
Look forward to seeing you next time ‘cause that means we will start our business relationship!