Your products, your clients, and your reputation should not, under any circumstances, be jeopardized. That’s why pre-shipment inspections are required and follow a specific set of guidelines. This time period is critical because it is the last opportunity to identify and correct issues on time. Inspections are meant to be thorough, so it’s important that you’re fully aware of all that should be included in a successful pre-shipment inspection. Here are some helpful reminders:
1. Function Testing
Before an item is shipped, it is necessary to firstly test its typical use or function and make sure the device fulfills its functional specifications. Furthermore, 100% of the goods must be finished, meaning: regardless of time crunches, the product should be completed in the manner in which it was intended and should, by no means, be lower quality than other ready goods. Clearly this is crucial for ensuring customer satisfaction as well as upholding your brand’s reputation.
2. Drop Test
This portion tests whether or not the product is capable of remaining intact during its shipment. The product is dropped from a specified height (depending on the type of product) to make sure it doesn’t break. This procedure is sometimes only conducted on master cartons in order to simulate and ensure that the product can withstand transit and shipping. Improper or poor packing can cause damage to the product during transport, thus it is essential to control the goods in their shipping cartons. At least 80% of the goods must be packed in order to conduct the pre-shipment inspection.
3. General Quality and Safety
There are quality and safety standards that must be adhered to during pre-shipment inspections. This is very important for obvious reasons and must be followed precisely. The general quality and safety requirements for products include:
- Product material, workmanship, size, count, color, and texture are the same as the approval sample
- No dirt or dust on the product
- Product is not damaged or deformed
- No sharp edges or sharp points permitted
4. Catered to the Customer
The final key inspection inclusion should be ensuring that each checkpoint is customized to meet the customer’s specific needs and covers what’s most important to the client. When an inspection is personalized and designed in a manner that guarantees customer satisfaction, there is little room for error and, more importantly, the loss of the customer’s loyalty.