PACKAGING QUALITY CONTROL

Packaging Quality Control: What To Do Before Pre-Shipment Inspection

In the last decade, JS Quality has inspected the myriads of goods in China
factories. Of all the defects we picked up, the most redundant ones were
related to packaging. Ranging from inadequate material and sizes, minor
damages, inaccurate information, to unreadable barcodes, our Quality
Inspectors have seen all kinds of packaging quality control defects.

Have you ever purchased batches of products with an unreadable barcode? Or

no barcodes on the products themselves? Have you ever succeeded in getting
a refund for the fees invoiced by your warehouse to sort your delivery from
China?

Importers who have experienced this already know the answer: Yes, Yes and
No. Sadly, not all the factories in China are familiar with standard packaging
practices in your market. More than that, we have witnessed a great
discrepancy between packaging from one Buyer to another in the same
factory.

In this article, we will focus on everything you need to address to ensure that
your packaging passes the Pre-Shipment Inspection :
– Make your requirements known from the start
– Request packaging & print samples
– Send only Final packaging files to your supplier in China
– Publish a Packaging QC checklist
– Book a Pre-Shipment Inspection that includes drop tests

Why do you need to clearly state Packaging Requisites before Quality

Control?
There are 2 main reasons why Packaging Requirements should be shared with
your Chinese supplier as earlier as possible in the process of sourcing in China.

❖ Packaging should be part of Risks Management, same as Product Safety

Buying from China implies taking risks. Like any other International Buyer, you
know that these risks need tending. Packaging falls into the scope of the
aforementioned risks. Naturally, a good purchaser shall implement adequate
risk management to packaging imported from China, together with product
requirements. Waiting for a Pre-Shipment Inspection to address an issue does
not constitute sound Risk Management.

❖ Packaging is sub-contracted to a local Chinese supplier in 99% of cases

Whether your products are retail, wholesale, or industrial, they all need
packaging. Some may say that sharing Packaging Requirements later in the
purchasing process is safer. But we have had numerous opportunities that
proved the contrary.

The reality is that your supplier in China sub-contracts the packaging and
printing to a local Chinese shipping carton factory. Which means that delivery
times apply. The more you wait to share the specifics, the greater the
possibility of one of the 2 issues arise :

– Your factory in China ordered cartons, but it’s wrong;

– products are ready but the packaging has not been delivered yet;
In both instances, your order will suffer delays. A delay in China automatically
leads to further delays in the supply chain.

The best solution so far is to make your Packaging Requirements known at the
same time as your Product Requirements. Chasing your Chinese supplier for
updates on product and packaging manufacturing helps a lot. The key is to:
1) share your requirements earlier;
2) keep a constant pace in updates;
3) prepare adequately for the Pre-shipment QC;

Request packaging & print samples

Preferred when dealing with a Chinese manufacturer for the first time, or
dealing with a demanding client. Packaging can get quite complex. Printing
standards may differ from what you are used to. Eventually, you may even
consider them sub-standard.

A packaging sample is the first step to a 0 risk during Pre-Shipment Inspection

Considering the size of the production batch, you may require your factory in
China to issue a packaging sample before order. It is usually considered
standard practice for buyers who import new products in China.
Packaging does not necessarily mean the shipping carton. It usually includes
the several layers a product will be packaged in to allow for delivery. They are
usually called Primary, Secondary, Tertiary … packaging.
If the sample you get meets all your requirements, it can be considered a
“Golden Sample” meaning you can provide it to the Inspection company in
China. They will use it as a reference during Pre-Shipment Inspection.

A printing sample can avoid heaps of hassles especially for Retail

Many times our colleagues at JS Sourcing have refused print proofs. Even
though they came from a Supplier whose client base was “European”
(meaning, European cosmetics standard apply). There is no shortage of
printing factories in China. But some of them should rather be called
“workshops”. Consistently, we pick up issues with :
– color specks in white zones;
– mind-boggling color deviations;
– the inconsistent color scope within a batch;
Getting a print proof, or
Every inspection check is incomplete unless a Pre-Shipment Inspection is
conducted for the products.

Though it’s important as it reduces the risk of receiving poor-quality goods, still
pre-shipment inspection is often ignored by manufacturers and suppliers as
they primarily focus on the inspection during the manufacturing process.
A professional pre-shipment inspection assures suppliers that their products
are ready to be sent to the market. The inspection makes it easy for the
exporters to assess the quality of the goods during the production process and
take corrective measures when required.

Checking for proper packaging materials and methods is the foremost step of
pre-shipment inspection. For this, you need to prepare for packaging a QC
checklist. Let’s take a look at some of the best ways to prepare before
commencing the pre-shipment inspection procedure:-

For what reason do you have to address packaging pre-requisites before the
examination?
Many Importers don’t have the foggiest idea about all the sub-providers inside
their supply chain. So the most ideal approach to guarantee that your
packaging fulfills your guidelines is to give clear-cut packaging requirements to
your provider.

1. Set expectations in your PO to avoid resistance to packaging tests

Many suppliers tend to hinder the pre-dispatch inspection process. For
instance:- Industrial facility staff may disallow reviewers to play out certain
packaging checks that have chances to harm the products.
To evade the problem, confirm all the packaging requirements in your PO
before placing the order. You can include points such as:
• The inspection would be conducted by whom?
• When will the inspection occur?
• What kinds of packaging tests would the product undergo before
shipping?
By incorporating these points in your PO the supplier at present may not be
able to oppose portions of an examination they believe are pointless or hard to
pass.

1. Give packaging quality control requirements in a QC agenda

Besides setting desires for checking the packaging of your product before
transportation, adequately conveying your packaging requirements to your
supplier will assist you with anticipating issues. A QC agenda is an arranged,
organized rundown of your product and packaging requirements, some of
which ordinarily include:
• Packaging materials: for example retail containers, polybags, and so
forth.
• Packaging variety: for example units per retail container
• Fixing technique: for example staples, glue, clear/obscure tape,
plastic/metal straps.
• Container marking: for example -Barcodes, manually written/printed
names, container markings, standardized identifications

2. Send all-important retail marking and work of art documents to your

provider ahead of time
Mistakes may occur anytime, anywhere and by anyone. With regards to
packaging QC, wrong spelling, wording or designs on retail packaging are
among the most widely recognized packaging flaws discovered during the
examination. To refrain from such issues you should give every detail to a
manufacturer in a document.

Thus, these were some of the points that must be taken into concern before
the pre-shipment inspection. If you are looking for a pre-shipment inspection
in China, Shanghai JS Sourcing is here to help you out. Reach out to us to avail
of our services in China.