Quality Control from Supplier Selection to Container Loading

What is ALSHUMUL’s quality control process?

ALSHUMUL’s quality control process is a series of successive checks that starts by verifying the factory before you contract with it and ends with supervising the loading of the goods and sealing the container. The aim is to catch a mistake at the stage where it can still be corrected, not after the shipment reaches your country.

The process does not rely on a single inspection at the end of production, because a final inspection reveals a problem but does not prevent it. So each stage builds on the one before: a qualified factory, then a clear specification and reference sample, then monitoring during production, then a final inspection before loading. Any of these services can be requested on its own, such as inspecting a shipment you bought yourself without us being part of the purchase.

How do we verify a factory before you contract?

We verify a factory with an on-site visit before you contract, checking its licences and records, production capacity, production lines, workforce and quality systems. A factory without enough capacity or a quality system cannot be fixed by an inspection at the end of production, which is why the audit comes first.

Before the visit, we shortlist the factories able to make your product and compare their offers, prices and terms; the details are on the page How we choose the factory. During the factory audit we check:

• The business licence, the registered business scope and the actual address, to find out whether it is a factory or a trading company.
• The records and certificates the factory provides.
• Production capacity, production lines and machinery, compared with the quantity you need.
• The workforce and the quality systems in use at the factory.

You receive the result in a photo report in English with recommendations, so you can decide whether to contract with the factory or look for another one. To request an audit of a specific factory, fill in the factory audit request form.

Why do we agree the specification and reference sample before production?

We agree the specification and reference sample before production because every later inspection compares the goods with them; if they are not agreed in advance, there is nothing to measure against. Many quality disputes stem from an incomplete specification rather than a bad factory.

So we agree a written specification with you and the factory, attached to the purchase order and covering, depending on the product:

• The raw material and its grade, named precisely rather than described in general terms.
• Dimensions and weights, with the permitted tolerances.
• Colour by Pantone code, plus the printing and logo specification.
• Inner and outer packaging, carton dimensions and the number of units per carton.
• Labels, barcodes and the language of the product information.
• The AQL acceptance level and defect classification, written down before production starts, not after.

Then comes the sample. We provide samples: we request them from suppliers, follow them up and arrange for them to be sent to you for review. Once you approve it, it becomes the reference sample against which production is compared at every later inspection. Ideally there are two identical copies, signed and stamped, one kept by you and one by the factory, to serve as the reference in any dispute.

What do we check during production?

During production we inspect the units being made and compare them with the specification and the reference sample, so that deviations are found and corrected before they turn into a rejected shipment. This is the during-production inspection (DUPRO), usually carried out when 20% to 50% of production is complete, while a mistake can still be fixed and at lower cost.

As part of our quality control service, we monitor production to AQL standards, including:

• Checking specifications and dimensions on units taken from the production line.
• Comparing the units produced with the reference sample in material and colour.
• Recording any deviation and reporting it to you and the factory, so it is corrected before the rest of the quantity is made.
• Regular photo reports that show you where your order stands without being in China.

What does product inspection cover?

Product inspection checks the product itself: its conformity with the specification, its function, dimensions, packaging and labels, and the market requirements set out in the specification. This is what we inspect in units during production and in finished goods before shipment, and product inspection can also be requested as a stand-alone service.

• Function and durability tests suited to the type of product.
• Dimensions, weight and materials compared with the specification.
• Packaging, labels and barcodes checked against what was agreed.
• The condition of the outer cartons.
• Every defect documented with photos and classified as critical, major or minor.

How is the pre-shipment inspection carried out?

Pre-shipment inspection is a final random-sample inspection of the finished goods, carried out before they leave the factory and before loading, comparing the shipment with the approved sample and the purchase order. It takes place once 80% to 100% of production is complete, and before you pay the balance to the supplier.

The steps of a pre-shipment inspection follow this order:

1. We set the inspection date with the factory according to when the goods will be ready.
2. We draw cartons at random using the AQL tables in ISO 2859-1, so the factory does not choose which units are inspected.
3. We check the quantity, specifications, dimensions, weight and materials, and run the functional tests suited to the product.
4. We review the packaging, labels, barcodes and the condition of the cartons.
5. We classify defects as critical, major or minor and compare their number with the agreed acceptance limits.
6. We issue a photo report with a clear result: accepted or rejected.

For a plain-language explanation of sampling tables and acceptance levels, read Pre-Shipment Inspection and AQL Explained.

What happens when the container is loaded and sealed?

When the container is loaded, we supervise the goods going into it to check the quantities and the stacking method, then the container is sealed and the process is documented with photos. Passing inspection is not enough on its own if a short quantity is loaded or the cartons are stacked improperly.

• Loaded quantities matched against the quantity that passed inspection.
• How the cartons are stacked inside the container.
• The condition of the cartons during loading.
• Sealing the container and photographing the seal and its number.

Once the container is sealed, we move on to shipping: we arrange the booking, insurance and document review through to the port of arrival in any country, while customs clearance and import permits in the destination country are handled by the importer or their customs broker there. If your shipment is a part load (LCL), we arrange it through consolidators, because we have no warehouse and do not consolidate goods ourselves.

Who decides whether to accept or reject a shipment?

The final decision to accept or reject the shipment is yours; our role is to put the evidence for that decision in front of you. The inspection report sets out the result, the classified defects with their photos and the measurements, and compares all of it with the specification and the reference sample.

If the result is a rejection, you decide the next step with the supplier. The report strengthens your negotiating position as long as you have not yet paid the balance, which is why it is advisable to tie the balance payment to the supplier to the pre-shipment inspection result, and to write this into the proforma invoice before you pay anything. The article How to Read an Inspection Report and Decide explains the sections of the report and what to look out for.

Why do our reports and recommendations stay independent of the factory?

Our reports and recommendations stay independent of the factory because we charge our service fees and commissions only to the party that requests the service, which is usually the importer, and in that case we take no fees or commissions from factories. The factory whose goods we inspect or whose premises we audit does not pay us, so we write the report and the recommendation in your interest.

Payments for our services go only to the company’s bank account, never to a personal account. You can start with a single service, such as a factory audit or an inspection of a shipment before loading, before entrusting us with the whole process.

Factory selection → Shipping process & methods → Work samples →