Quality Control vs. Quality Assurance
Know the Difference
When thinking about your branded products, the key component is the product itself. With product reviews being an important piece of the purchasing process for consumers, poor-quality products will not hide for long. Quality could mean the difference between someone buying your item versus buying a similar one. Brands are constantly balancing between the cost to produce and selling a quality product. Sourcing in China can be the perfect way to get your products inexpensively and fast, but many brands have some fears. One of the main fears is the quality of items produced in China. U.S.-based brands sourcing in China could run into quality issues for several reasons, including:
- Language barriers – Language barriers can make it difficult to communicate product requirements and answer questions.
- Time difference- Immediate contact can be tricky. The time zone difference between the United States and China could cause delays.
- Poor Facility Conditions- It is difficult to know if your manufacturer’s facility has the labor and proper equipment needed without being on the ground.
- Low-Quality Goods- Without checks and balances, products can end up not meeting your standards.
Let’s talk more about quality.
What is quality control?
Quality control (QC) is a process conducted to ensure that a service or product has been reviewed or inspected and follows set guidelines. Typically, these guidelines could be a set of requirements, measurements, or specifications. The servicer, manufacturer, and client agree on the quality control guidelines. ISO 9000 defines quality control as “A part of quality management focused on fulfilling quality requirements”. Before performing quality control measures, it is important to identify a set of standards. Once these standards are identified, it is important to provide your service partner with the requirements.
What is Quality Assurance
Quality assurance (QA) is part of the product management process. It is the surety that all of the product requirements have been met. In manufacturing, QA largely consists of how well (or how poorly) the goods have been produced. QA also audits the entire process of production. In short, QC focuses on the product, while QA focuses on the process.
Understanding quality control and quality assurance is one thing, implementing them are another. One of the easiest ways to avoid quality challenges is by working with a China sourcing agent. Sourcing agents function as the liaison between your brand and the China manufacturer. Sourcing agents will perform quality control checks to ensure your items meet requirements. Most China-based sourcing agents also have relationships with local facilities. These relationships mean that the China sourcing agent is aware of manufacturers who know the importance of quality assurance.
When sourcing in China, quality and low cost CAN go hand-in-hand. Quality control and quality assurance are two ways to make that happen. Let Global Manufacturing and Sales help by being your sourcing partner in the U.S. and in China. We specialize in sourcing, manufacturing, and quality assurance for all brands and businesses.
To get more information on how we can meet your needs, contact us at Info@GlobalManufacturingS
