Too Early for Christmas Inspection? (Hardlines)

August 07, 2023
Table of Contents

The hardline category encompasses a wide array of goods, all of which present unique quality assurance challenges. Late detection of product defects resulting from inadequate inspection protocols may prevent you from getting your hardline goods out in time for Christmas.

It’s not ideal, but it’s not a disaster either. You can always go back and make changes. It will cost you, but it’s worth it as it allows you to maintain both consumer satisfaction and your brand reputation.

However, what if you’re only a few days away from Black Friday or Christmas? It’s too late. No amount of money in the world will get your inventory out in time for when shoppers flood the aisles.

Whether we’re talking kitchenware, furniture or fitness equipment, this nightmare scenario is more common than you think. A Third-party Inspection agency (TPI) can help you reduce the probability of defects by conducting various types of inspections earlier on in the production process. Here are some of the most common types:

  1. Raw Material Incoming Check – An inspection carried out before production even begins, which focuses on whether raw materials are meeting quality specifications.
  2. Initial Production Check (IPI) - Conducted when 10-20% of your inventory has been produced. This helps verify first run quality requirements./li>
  3. During Production Check (DUPRO) - Typically carried out when goods production is at 40-50% in order to ensure that quality benchmarks continue to be met

With these types of inspection in mind, let’s focus on a few hardline categories and their associated quality assurance challenges.

Kitchenware and Cooking Utensils

Migration defects are one of the most common non-conformances found in kitchenware. Migration refers to the amount of a certain chemical that is transferred from the utensil into food. TPIs can conduct a Raw Material Incoming Check, making sure that any plastics, metals, and ceramics used are within migration thresholds.

Furthermore, by partnering with the right agency you will gain access to a wide network of trusted suppliers, many of whom the TPI will have an existing relationship with. This will greatly reduce both your time to market and the likelihood of defects.

Furniture

Any discussion of quality assurance in furniture would be incomplete without mentioning the risk of mold or mildew infestation; a critical defect that can harm your brand reputation, force recalls, and even leave you vulnerable to lawsuits.

A warm and humid facility and the use of cotton stuffing that hasn’t fully dried are just two examples of the many risk factors for infestation. An IPI can help you isolate the origin of the defect so you can implement corrective measures such as proper cotton drying procedures or moving production to a cooler facility.

Sporting Goods and Fitness Equipment

Durability is a key source of competitive advantage for manufacturers of sporting goods and fitness equipment. Nobody wants to buy an elliptical or exercise bike whose pedals snap in half after a couple of uses.

Furthermore, the aesthetic appeal of goods cannot be underestimated. Nobody wants to buy a basketball if the orange finish quickly turns into a dirty brown smudge that stains their hands.

A TPI can verify the quality of paint with a Raw Material Incoming Check or even troubleshoot substandard production practices and storage issues during DUPROs and IPIs.

Hardware and Building Supplies

Lumber, marble tiles, stones, bricks, and ceramics: these are just some of the various types of materials used for renovations and home improvement.

While a pre-shipment inspection will verify that your building materials are cut, finished, and packaged correctly so that they are ready-to-use, you need to conduct inspections during production to ensure that your goods are durable and fit for purpose. After all, high-quality structures cannot be built without high-quality building materials.

Ensuring that your hardlines are free of defects can be a challenging and frustrating process. With its inspection services, InSpec by BV is perfectly positioned to help get your goods to market ahead of the upcoming Christmas and winter spike.

Got questions about InSpec?
Talk with our specialist.
I hereby certify that I have read and I agree with the Personal Data provision of the Conditions of Service and the Cookies Policy

I hereby consent to the collection and use of the personal data I provide, with the understanding that the personal data could be used by Bureau Veritas Hong Kong Limited, its affiliates, and, where applicable, its subcontractors, for the purpose of performing the services I request.

Personal Data

1. Client’s personal data are collected by Bureau Veritas Hong Kong Limited, having its registered office at 1/F, Pacific Trade Centre, 2 Kai Hing Road, Kowloon Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, (“BV HK”) and are subject to computer processing in order to enable Company to provide the Services. When requesting the Services, Client has been asked and has given express consent to the collection and reasonable use of Client’s personal data for purposes relevant to the Services.

2 Client’s personal data are intended for BV HK, its affiliated companies and, where applicable, subcontractors engaged in performing the Services. They will be retained for a period of time as required by the relevant local tax authorities where the Services are performed.

3 If Client’s personal data are collected in the European Union, they may be transferred outside the European Union, on the basis of standard contractual clauses established by the European Commission, and the standard contractual clauses are available on request, by clicking on this link: Contact Us .

4 In accordance with the French Data Protection Act of 6 January 1978 as amended and the General Data Protection Regulation of 27 April 2016, Client has the right to access, rectify and erase any personal data concerning Client, as well as the right to limit the processing, the right to oppose to the processing or the right to portability of your personal data. In addition, since Client has given consent to the collection and use of your personal data, Client has the right to withdraw its consent at any time. In that event, the performance of the Services may be suspended or terminated if the absence of consent renders the performance of the Services impossible or impracticable. Client also has the right to set out general and specific guidelines that define how it intends these rights to be exercised after death. Client can contact us to exercise its rights in this paragraph by clicking on this link: Contact Us Finally, Client has a right to lodge a complaint to the Commission Nationale Informatique et Liberts (CNIL).
Would you like to receive marketing communication from Bureau Veritas