Effective quality control stretches from manufacturers all the way to the consumer.

Historical data and experts claim that quality impacts 30-70 percent of the final cost of the product. This includes things such as:

• Rejected parts that need to be replaced, returned or fixed
• Delays impacting the production schedule
• Customer dissatisfaction after a product is delivered

While manufacturing quality goods is often the first thought when it comes to quality control, breaks in quality at other points in the supply chain cause issues as well.

Investing in the quality of both products and standard operating procedures (SOPs) brings greater value to the entire supply chain.

THE ROLE OF LOGISTICS IN QUALITY CONTROL

Quality control plans often leave out the subject of logistics which is an enormous mistake! Many organizations use quality scorecards to rate their suppliers on specific metrics, and one key metric they track is product delivery timeliness.

When logistics focus on quality in the same way that manufacturing does, it can result in:

• Increased speed to market
• Enhanced visibility
• Controlled costs
• Strengthened relationship with customers.

Quality control plans for logistics might include:

• Reworking or writing SOP and reviewing with factory partners
• Reworking or writing SOP and reviewing with customs broker(s) / agent(s)
• Using the latest tech
• Shipping company consolidation vs diversification
• Factory purchase order financing requirements
• And more!

Conclusion

Great planning and communication are the first step toward continuous improvement, increased efficiency and reliability.

Whether you are a company overseeing an entire supply chain or one piece of the puzzle, an investment in a quality control plan including logistics will generate long-term benefits.

(Article first published on Inboundlogistics.com on August 13th 2019)