What can go wrong while you are not looking
Materials get substituted when prices rise, a second production line with less experienced workers is added to meet the deadline, or your order slips behind a bigger customer's. None of this is visible in a weekly 'everything is fine' message.
The three moments that matter
A first visit when production starts confirms the right materials and the approved sample on the line. A mid-production visit checks quality and real progress against the plan. A final visit before packing catches issues while there is still time to fix them.
- Start: materials, components and the golden sample at the line.
- Middle: quality of first finished units and real output per day.
- End: packaging, cartons and labels before the boxes are sealed.
What a good visit report contains
A useful report has dated photos and video, progress per production stage, the problems found, what the factory agreed to do and by when. Without the last two, a report is only a diary.
Visits and inspections work together
A visit keeps production on track; a pre-shipment inspection decides whether the finished goods meet your standard, using AQL sampling. Together they give you both: fewer surprises along the way, and a clear decision at the end.
Questions to ask on every visit
A visit is most useful when it has a purpose. Prepare questions in advance and compare the answers with what you see.
- Are the materials in use the same as in the approved sample?
- How many units are finished today, and how many per day?
- What problems have you had so far, and what did you change?
- Is the packaging material already on site?
Turning findings into action
Every problem found should leave the visit with an owner and a date: who fixes it and by when. Follow-up is where most value is created. A finding that is written down but never checked again changes nothing.
