- Written by Andy Chen
My supplier does the Quality Control – really?
Some buyers occasionally mentions that they don’t need a third-party QC. They thinks their supplier could do the QC job. Trading companies and manufacturers always promise one-stop service, from quotation to production, all the way to arranging shipments. In process, there’s also quality control.
If you think you can relay on the supplier do the QC for you, think again.
Ask yourself before considering not doing a third-party QC for any goods sourcing from China.
Is your supplier own quality control staff capable of understanding your request and specification? Most QC staffs at factories, traders and sourcing agents are not professional, and do not have regular training. Is the factory QC interested and encouraged to judge by your standards? The supplier’s and the agent’s costs rise when more defective products are replaced. Their management often ask own QC to be more lenient and test as few products as possible. Are the results and findings shared with the buyer? Traceability, transparency and accountability are essential for quality control. A third-party QC reports all important details back to its client. On the other hand, many suppliers wouldn’t do so for conflict interest.
In the end, allowing professionals to do professional things is both rational and necessary.