A quality control checklist, sometimes referred to as an inspection criteria sheet or simply an inspection checklist, is a vital part of effective quality control. This checklist is how a company communicates what it is specifically that they want inspected. Typically speaking, yes, most quality control criteria are similar. You’ll always be checking for defects, making sure the products are intact, and generally evaluating the overall quality, ensuring that it’s up to the standard that’s expected.
However, companies can also be interested in specific criteria, such as packaging, colors, barcodes, and other elements that might not be important to all companies. This is why a quality control checklist is essential. This list tells your QC people, whether they’re in-house or you’ve hired a third-party company, exactly what to look for when they’re inspecting incoming products.
Be Specific
An actual checklist, whether it’s a physical piece of paper or a digital document displayed on a tablet, is so much more reliable than simply conveying your request over the phone. People are prone to forget things, especially if they’re trying to remember a lot of details. Having a checklist in hand means that they don’t have to rely on their memory, which is especially difficult when it comes to specifics. Having a sheet in hand that can constantly be referenced (and can provide visual aids) will ensure a thorough and complete job.
The same idea applies to checking for defects. Anybody can tell if a product is broken or otherwise damaged, or if the quality is so poor that it’s barely held together. These sorts of issues are obvious, but if the products that you’re importing are prone to specific defects, these might go unnoticed if the QC technicians don’t know exactly what they’re looking to find. Oftentimes companies will even create a separate defect list to go along with their quality control checklist.
Cut Your Checklist into Sections
Even though there’s no pressure on your QC technicians to commit things to memory, that doesn’t mean they can’t get overwhelmed, especially if your checklist is thorough. It’s a good idea to separate your checklist into sections, so technicians can focus on one section at a time. Additionally, this will allow quality control teams to assign different sections to different teams, which not only speeds the process up but helps the technicians by allowing them to focus solely on their section.
Some examples of typical checklist sections include:
● Product Requirements – This is where you’d specify size, weight, materials, and other basic requirements of the received product.
● Packaging – It’s important that the packaging meets the proper dimensions and weight requirements, as well as has all the proper labels.
● Safety Concerns – Many products need to meet certain safety criteria before they can go to market. Have the inspectors ensure that your product meets all requirements.
● Visual Inspection – How does everything look on the surface? Are there any clear dents, dings, scratches, or any other signs of manufacturing or shipping damage? Tell inspectors specific things to watch out for.
● Functionality – Think about all of the ways that your product might be used and ask the technicians to put your product through the paces.
Always ensure that the defect classification definition and determination is included for each section. Classifications include minor, major, or critical. This will help determine whether a product is rejected, reworked, or allowed to pass inspection with defects.
Quality Control is all about making sure a product measures up to a certain standard, but a checklist is how you ensure that it meets your standard, not someone else’s.