Quality Control (QC)

What is quality control?

Quality control (QC) is the process during which the quality of products and the manufacturing process is evaluated.

If you are planning on having a product manufactured, consider paying for quality control inspections to ensure that your product looks and performs the way you want it to.

When does quality control happen?

Buyers usually run QC at three points. Before production, they check materials and components. During production, they catch defects while there's still time to fix them. Before shipment, an inspector checks a sample of finished goods against the agreed specifications.

A pre-shipment inspection often follows a sampling standard: the inspector pulls a set number of units from each batch and checks them for defects, measurements, labeling, and packaging. A failed inspection lets you ask the supplier to fix or replace the goods before they ship, which costs less than finding the problem after the goods land. Third-party inspection companies run QC for many importers.

Related terms: Cargo Ready Date (CRD) and Packing List (PL).

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