Quality Control- Preproduction
Quality Control during pre-production
During the pre-production process the first step in maintaining quality is careful selection of the materials to be used. Materials should be of the same quality as the sample that was sent to the buyer. If the same materials are unavailable or need to be substituted, the buyer must be notified immediately. All materials should also be examined for quality. Wood should be properly dried or final products will crack. Textiles should be checked for color fastness and shrinking. Fittings and fasteners should function properly and withstand use. All materials used should be consistent in quality and color. In general, it is not a good idea to compromise quality for cost by using inexpensive, but poorly made materials. Paying a little more for good quality materials will pay off in the long run by building buyer's confidence in your products.
In this stage of production, perhaps the most important thing to take into consideration is the sample that is sent to the buyer. Handcrafts are often made in small workshops, and large orders may be filled by a number of different producers. In this case, extra care must be taken to make sure that the final products are all alike and are the same as the sample. Each producer should have the same exact counter sample as the sample sent to the buyer.
Sometimes, after the sample has been sent, producers find out that the amount of raw materials at their disposal is not enough for a large order. Immediate communication with the buyer is essential, as well as the creation of counter-samples for as many producers involved with the product. The challenge of finding an abundance of raw materials can come with virgin materials and mostly with recycled materials. Virgin and recycled materials can vary in size, color and texture, and amount; but letting the buyer know about "variations" is important during this stage of production.
Producers can always benefit from using a "check-list" during this process. Here is a sample of what producers can use:
Quality Control Checklist
□ COLOR: Do the colors match the colors requested in the order? Do they match the sample? Is the color consistent in the sample and various counter samples? Do the dyes crack, rub off or fade?
□ MATERIALS: Are the quality of the materials identical to the sample? Is the quality consistent in the sample and counter samples?
□ ODORS: Do your samples smell of stain, paint, fumigants, textile ink, soil, repellents, mold or cigarette smoke?
□ SIZE AND DIMENSIONS: Are the samples the same size as the original order request? Are the dimensions accurately duplicated in production? Is the weight of the finished product the same as per the buyer request?
□ FINISHES: Have the requested finishes been added, such as linings, closures, hooks, stands, etc.? Are they exactly what the buyer is looking for?
*Partial list produced by Aid to Artisans
4 Comments
by Isaac Rashid Agina
Pre quality check is utterly important and communication with the customer on any change in quality at this stage not only gives you the freedom to experiment with other available kinds of materials, but also gives the customer the knowledge especially for recycled products, that there could be a change in design etc. Good work SERRV!!
by Manos Amigas
Gracias por todos los puntos necesarios para iniciar una buena produccion en calidad. Quiero mencionar un caso que sucedió con nosotros. Los artesanos de ceramica trabajan con moldes y cada 500 piezas el artesano ya no debe usar el mismo molde porque las figuras se van deformando en la cara o facciones y para retocar estos errores toman mas tiempo y no queda igual el producto.
by Carol Grabins
Gracias por su comentario. Tengo una inquietud, los moldes que utilizan los artesanos, como los hacen, son identicos al original? Como se asegura Manos Amigas de que los moldes son unicamente utilizados despues de esas 500 piezas? Ha tenido su organisacion algun problema con este proceso?
Gracias
by Siwok
We many times had a prize for the craftman that produced his products without flaws. The idea behind this is that THE CRAFTMAN HAS TO DO THE QUALITY CONTROL FIRST. If he does it then the whole line, production-consumer, will benefit. A detailed note given with the order with a photo, colours, measures and materials to be used is also very usefull. But to get all 100% right is not easy when you have many working by hand, there has to be certain flexibility.