{"id":14911,"date":"2022-06-22T21:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-06-22T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsbites.hktdc.com\/?p=14911"},"modified":"2022-12-02T15:10:41","modified_gmt":"2022-12-02T07:10:41","slug":"supplier-quality-management","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsbites.hktdc.com\/tips\/supplier-quality-management\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the Role of Factory Audits in Supplier Quality Management?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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As an importer, you have requirements that you expect your suppliers to meet.<\/p>

Perhaps you\u2019ve put together specifications to define your product\u2019s materials, measurements, components, and other attributes. And hopefully, you\u2019ve shared those specifications with suppliers so that they understand your expectations.<\/p>

Of course, third-party inspections are a helpful tool for managing supplier quality. You can conduct them to check the products that have come off the production line and verify that your shipment is acceptable. But there\u2019s another powerful tool that importers sometimes overlook \u2014 the factory audit.<\/p>

First, let\u2019s define supplier quality management (SQM). Then we can discuss factory audits and the role they play in helping to ensure that your products satisfy customer needs.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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What is Supplier Quality Management (SQM)?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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the role on supplier quality management<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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According to ASQ<\/a>, \u201cSupplier quality is a supplier\u2019s ability to deliver goods or services that will satisfy customers\u2019 needs. Supplier quality management is defined as the system in which supplier quality is managed by using a proactive and collaborative approach.\u201d<\/p>

In other words, it means setting up processes to determine if suppliers can meet your needs and then working with them to ensure that they continue to do so.<\/p>

As we\u2019ve said, inspections are helpful because they allow you to check individual shipments. And gathering inspection data over time lets you monitor performance and spot trends. But if a supplier is not meeting your expectations, the inspection data won\u2019t be able to tell you the reason.<\/p>

This is where factory audits often come in. Let\u2019s talk about the role they play in supplier quality management.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Crucial Role of Factory Audits in SQM<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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manage existing supplier relationships<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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A factory audit is a visit to your supplier\u2019s facility in which an auditor assesses them on a pre-set list of criteria. Factory audits help you accomplish two things.<\/p>

First, factory audits help you improve supplier selection. When you\u2019re considering a new supplier, an auditor can verify their capacity and capabilities. They can also assess their quality management system (QMS) by conducting a quality audit. If they pass the quality audit, you can have more confidence in your decision to work with them.<\/p>

Second, factory audits help you manage existing supplier relationships. While inspections let you look at individual shipments, audits give you a snapshot of their entire quality management system. With a higher-level view, you have the potential to spot problems at the process level before they develop into shipment-level quality issues.<\/p>

Auditing your existing suppliers at a predetermined frequency can be a good idea. If you have multiple suppliers, you\u2019ll need some way to prioritize them.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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How to Prioritize Suppliers for Auditing\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Rather than auditing all your suppliers at the same time, you can classify them by risk level and then prioritize them for auditing.<\/p>

If you have different manufacturers making different components, you might prioritize the ones that make the components with a higher risk of failure. Or, if a particular supplier makes a higher percentage of your products, you might prioritize that one.<\/p>

You can audit high-risk suppliers more frequently to ensure they\u2019re adhering to your quality standards and minimize the chance of shipment-level issues cropping up in the future. By prioritizing your suppliers well and conducting the appropriate audits, you\u2019ll position yourself to excel at supplier quality management and get the best possible results for your business.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Additional Resources from Insight Quality Services<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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This article was originally published on the Insight Quality Services website. For more information about quality audits, you can view the company\u2019s website here<\/a> or download their free guide on How to Conduct a Factory Audit<\/a>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAndy Church - Founder & CEO of Insight Quality Services\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Andy Church has over 20 years of experience in product quality and founded his company in 2014. Insight provides product inspections, factory audits, lab testing, and other services in 17 countries worldwide.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Subscribe to\u00a0NewsBites<\/a>\u00a0and stay updated on the latest business trends and news.<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Outside Source:<\/p>

What is the Role of Factory Audits in Supplier Quality Management?<\/a><\/blockquote>