A case Study on Quality control

A Case Study to prevent the Quality Control & Inspection issues on International Business

Bon Tea is manufacturer of Green Tea from China & Africa Group from Dubai is interested to buy Green Tea from them. Africa Group wants to control & get their shipment.

Africa Group has options to control their order from the beginning up to the shipment, Such as Samples, process check, pre shipment inspection etc.,

First, Africa Group needs to think about what exactly they want to control. It is ideally coming from their own definition of what is critical for their products and their business. They may consider what are the past quality issues they faced, ones that brought you to or go through the specifications of the product.

Sampling

Africa Group, as a buyer, orders a sample before committing to a purchase order to be sure that the product meets up to their expectations.

If the Samples have been approved by the buyers then they will issue a purchase order, this contains detailed product specifications, packing & Marks, etc.

Initial & In- process Production Check

After the confirm order, Africa Group or they can appoint some inspection Agency to perform a visual inspection of products as available at the beginning of the production cycle against or as per Africa Group’s instructions and Purchase Order specifications.

This step will helps in taking corrective actions at an early stage of production cycle.

Pre shipment Inspection

Once Green Tea ready for the Shipment, they can ask for the Pre Shipment inspection from their own or through Inspection Agencies.

Inspection of the consignment is generally carried out either at the premises of the shipper, provided adequate facilities exist therein for inspection, or at the port of shipment.

Africa Group can perform a final random inspection comprising of a detailed visual inspection of goods before shipment. It is generally conducted on the premises of the manufacturer, on samples selected according to defined sampling procedures.

The inspection criteria covering quality, quantity, marking and packing are based on their specifications and reference samples, as provided.

In case of Inspections through Agency, upon completion of the final random inspection a detailed inspection report is sent to the client and the inspection certificate issued to the supplier if all findings are positive.

Africa Group have an option to instruct the Inspection Agency to do Tight check inspection instead of Random inspections.

Loading Supervision

To further manage and control the product delivery, Africa Group can do Loading Supervision which involves, "as appropriate," the checking of the container condition, identification of the loaded packing units with the previously inspected consignment, tallying of the total number of shipping packing units and sealing of the container.

Post Shipment Samples or Shipment Samples

Most of the times, the consignment reaches the destination after certain period of time. Meanwhile, the buyers can obtain a Shipment sample from the suppliers & confirm the quality of products which they shipped.

Self-Certification

Africa Group can ask a self-certification from the exporter himself, to judge the quality of his products. More over Green Tea needs a health Certificate and HACCP certificate for shipping outside the origin country.

Certifications from concern State Departments: In Some Countries, particular products are compulsory to get an inspection certificate from the state Authorities, before the shipment. For Example, in Thailand it’s mandatory to avail Inspection certificate from Govt. Inspection Agency for Rice.

Documents required for quality control & Inspection

There are certain forms and documents that are necessary for quality control and pre-shipment inspection. The following documents need to be submitted along with the application:

1.Particulars of the consignment intended to be exported
2.Copy of commercial invoice
3.Details of packing specifications

4. Copy of the export order/contract, indicating the buyer’s requirement that goods are strictly according to the prescribed specifications or as per samples.

Conclusion

As a buyer, Africa Group has several options to control the quality. The above can be done through their own team or through Inspection agency. It is not necessary to do all but its must to take some actions to ensure the Quality.