Too Early for Christmas Inspection? (Hardlines)

August 07, 2023
Table of Contents

The hardline category encompasses a wide array of goods, all of which present unique quality assurance challenges. Late detection of product defects resulting from inadequate inspection protocols may prevent you from getting your hardline goods out in time for Christmas.

It’s not ideal, but it’s not a disaster either. You can always go back and make changes. It will cost you, but it’s worth it as it allows you to maintain both consumer satisfaction and your brand reputation.

However, what if you’re only a few days away from Black Friday or Christmas? It’s too late. No amount of money in the world will get your inventory out in time for when shoppers flood the aisles.

Whether we’re talking kitchenware, furniture or fitness equipment, this nightmare scenario is more common than you think. A Third-party Inspection agency (TPI) can help you reduce the probability of defects by conducting various types of inspections earlier on in the production process. Here are some of the most common types:

  1. Raw Material Incoming Check – An inspection carried out before production even begins, which focuses on whether raw materials are meeting quality specifications.
  2. Initial Production Check (IPI) - Conducted when 10-20% of your inventory has been produced. This helps verify first run quality requirements./li>
  3. During Production Check (DUPRO) - Typically carried out when goods production is at 40-50% in order to ensure that quality benchmarks continue to be met

With these types of inspection in mind, let’s focus on a few hardline categories and their associated quality assurance challenges.

Kitchenware and Cooking Utensils

Migration defects are one of the most common non-conformances found in kitchenware. Migration refers to the amount of a certain chemical that is transferred from the utensil into food. TPIs can conduct a Raw Material Incoming Check, making sure that any plastics, metals, and ceramics used are within migration thresholds.

Furthermore, by partnering with the right agency you will gain access to a wide network of trusted suppliers, many of whom the TPI will have an existing relationship with. This will greatly reduce both your time to market and the likelihood of defects.

Furniture

Any discussion of quality assurance in furniture would be incomplete without mentioning the risk of mold or mildew infestation; a critical defect that can harm your brand reputation, force recalls, and even leave you vulnerable to lawsuits.

A warm and humid facility and the use of cotton stuffing that hasn’t fully dried are just two examples of the many risk factors for infestation. An IPI can help you isolate the origin of the defect so you can implement corrective measures such as proper cotton drying procedures or moving production to a cooler facility.

Sporting Goods and Fitness Equipment

Durability is a key source of competitive advantage for manufacturers of sporting goods and fitness equipment. Nobody wants to buy an elliptical or exercise bike whose pedals snap in half after a couple of uses.

Furthermore, the aesthetic appeal of goods cannot be underestimated. Nobody wants to buy a basketball if the orange finish quickly turns into a dirty brown smudge that stains their hands.

A TPI can verify the quality of paint with a Raw Material Incoming Check or even troubleshoot substandard production practices and storage issues during DUPROs and IPIs.

Hardware and Building Supplies

Lumber, marble tiles, stones, bricks, and ceramics: these are just some of the various types of materials used for renovations and home improvement.

While a pre-shipment inspection will verify that your building materials are cut, finished, and packaged correctly so that they are ready-to-use, you need to conduct inspections during production to ensure that your goods are durable and fit for purpose. After all, high-quality structures cannot be built without high-quality building materials.

Ensuring that your hardlines are free of defects can be a challenging and frustrating process. With its inspection services, InSpec by BV is perfectly positioned to help get your goods to market ahead of the upcoming Christmas and winter spike.

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