What is A Third Party Inspection Agency? Why Do You Need The Inspection Agency?

What Is A Third Party Inspection Agency?

A third party inspection agency is an unbiased third-party organization that specializes in inspecting products before they are distributed to customers. It is not their responsibility to take part in the production process. Their job is to analyze the various stages of the process; from how the product is designed and produced to how it’s delivered to the buyer. They examine the entire production process to find out if there are any errors at any stage.

Manufacturing companies always claim that they produce high-quality products. However, that is not always the case. That is why an independent third party is always needed to verify such claims. The assessment is not only carried out on the request of buyers or suppliers, it can be a mandatory requirement by government agencies or customs authorities.

For every product that is manufactured, there are international manufacturing standards which the manufacturing company has to meet. These standards are based on important considerations such as corporate social responsibility, quality management and environmental models.

Although it can be quite expensive to hire an inspection agency, you will be getting value for your money because of the very important role they play which is providing an unbiased assessment of your products. Third party inspection agencies have qualified employees who will provide certified assessments 24 hours a day.

Why Do you Need a Third Party Inspection Agency?

Why third party inspection is required? If you are in the business of manufacturing products of any kind, or you are considering getting into that business, you definitely need the services offered by third party inspection agencies. Their services are even more important if you export your goods to other countries because the products have to meet international manufacturing standards. You want to avoid supplying poor quality products which are not safe for consumers. If you supply substandard products, it will also affect your company’s reputation, resulting in major losses.

Below are some of the detailed reasons why you should consider the services offered by third-party inspection agencies.

1. Better Quality

Third party companies assess the products to ensure that they meet the specific requirements of the buyer. The consignment must meet the set standards based on factors such as weight, materials and quantities. The whole idea is to make sure that the manufacturer delivers exactly want the buyer asked for. If for some reason the assessing agents identify a flaw in the product, they will mention this in their final report. This will allow the manufacturer to make the necessary improvements. As such, not only will the end product meet the requirements of the buyer, it will also meet local or international quality standards. That way, it’s highly unlikely that the order will be returned by the buyer.

2. Manage Expectations

In some cases, the buyer will have specific expectations regarding product quality. But, because there is usually a lack of transparency between the supplier and the buyer, chances are that there will be a discrepancy between expectations. A third-party inspection agent will help to avoid this issue by managing the expectations of both parties. The agent will achieve this by outlining the expectations of the buyer to the supplier before production begins.

3. High Efficiency

Compared to other forms of inspection, third-party inspection agencies have an approach to doing profit-oriented business. If the buyer decides to carry out a self-assessment, this would require travelling to other countries to accomplish this. But, because third party inspection companies have professionals located at numerous locations, they can help to improve operational efficiency.

4. Improved Customer Relations

For there to be a great connection between the buyer and the manufacturer, trust is key. Basically, it all begins with the supplier making good quality products which meet the set standards. The buyer will in turn give positive feedback when the products have been delivered. The buyer and the supplier may miscommunicate and this will obviously affect relations. This is where a third-party agent comes into play. He or she can mediate between the two parties to mend the relations by giving the supplier impartial feedback. Also, importers normally trust and prefer a trader who gives them audit reports and who is willing to work with a third party inspection agency.

What Are The Different Types of Third Party Inspection Services?

1. Pre-production Inspection (PPI)

As the name suggests, this inspection is conducted before production begins. This informs the buyer or importer which raw materials the supplier will make use of. Manufacturers are always looking for ways to save costs. And, one way some of them manage to save costs is by making use of below standard materials. However, this can have really negative consequences for the buyer. For instance, using the wrong component in a gadget will obviously render the gadget defective. To produce a good quality product, it’s important to use good quality raw materials and good control plan.

2. During Production Inspection (DUPRO)

These checks basically inform the buyer about the product quality. What that means is that the inspector will be able to determine whether or not the product meets the required quality standards at this early stage. Inspectors are recommended to take this stage seriously because this will determine the quality of the final product. If you are a buyer and you receive a report which states that there is something wrong with the quality of the product at this stage, you will be able to make an informed decision about whether or not you want to continue buying your goods from that supplier.

3. The Final Random Inspection (Pre-shipment Inspection)

This type of check can only be carried out when all the consignment quantity is completed and over 80% is already packed. Although quality checks will have already been done, it is still important to make sure that this is done correctly. When carrying out these checks, the agent goes to the manufacturing plant and randomly chooses products for sampling purposes. The selected products are tested based on industry specifications. If the goods do not meet local and international standards, the supplier will be able to make the necessary corrections before shipping the goods.

Click here for more type of inspections.

What information can you get from a Third-Party Inspection Report?

After the checks, the results will be recorded in a report (click here to download report samples). The result will be a fail, hold or pass. If the result is a pass, the supplier can proceed to deliver the goods to the buyer.

(Related: 3 Different Product Inspection Result In Third Party Inspection Report)

The inspector will send the report to both the manufacturer and the importer. If anything needs to be attended to by the supplier, the buyer will notify the supplier so that that issue is attended to before the product can be delivered.

This report is what will help to build trust between the supplier and the importer. The report will give the importer a better understanding of what happens in the factory. The report will be detailed to the extent that every step of the manufacturing process will be recorded.

It’s easier for the importer to trust the contents of the report because it will be prepared by a third party inspection agency; a neutral party. However, it is important to note that had that report been prepared by an employee of the supplier or the importer, the contents would be very different because of bias.

What is even more important is conducting these inspections frequently as this will help to further strengthen the business relationship of both parties. The buyer will be able to determine whether or not the supplier is making any improvements when it comes to improving the quality of their product.

How a Third Party Inspection Agency can help you to Improve Product Quality?

Carrying out these inspections will help to improve the quality of products because a bad inspection report is a bad news for any manufacturer. No manufacturer wants their reputation to be tarnished because of a bad report. So, because of these reports, suppliers are forced to make good quality and safe products at all times. They are also encouraged to make the necessary improvements if they want to improve their reputation.

Because checks are done at the factory, any defaults are detected early. The reason why this is important is that if a substandard product is delivered to the buyer by the supplier, it will have negative consequences for both parties.

However, it is the supplier who will be most affected. For the buyer or importer, they will have to return the defective goods to the supplier; causing them unnecessary delays.

For the supplier, they will lose credibility as well as money. Once their reputation is tarnished, it will be very difficult to rebuild trust. Chances are that the importer will no longer want to do business with them.

So, catching any flaws earlier on with the assistance of a third party inspection agency is in the best interest of both parties. Once the goods have been shipped, it will be too late to do anything about it.

Related:

• How Does A Third-Party Inspector’s Day look Like in Product Inspection?
• What Does Quality Control Inspector Will Do in a Quality Inspection
• Man-days Calculation in Quality Control Services
• A Comprehensive Guide to Quality Inspection Costs in China

Author: AQI Service as a professional quality control service company in China specialized in providing a complete range of quality inspection and testing certification services in China & Asia for global importers, buyers, retailers, and sellers.