Pre-Shipment Inspections (PSI)

What is a pre-shipment inspection (PSI) ?

A PSI is a systematic onsite inspection of units selected at random from all batches of your order, conducted when production is 80-100% complete.

Where issues are found, a PSI provides a final opportunity to take corrective action before a production run is finished and packed. As such, they are an effective tool to safeguard you against costly import mistakes.

Why perform a pre-shipment inspection?

Complex supply chains make it near impossible for most businesses to verify the quality and specifications of their finished products at their factories before they’re shipped.

The risks associated with poor quality products are also high. You may  only have one shot at winning over today’s discerning consumer. In the hyper-competitive consumer products market, if your product doesn’t meet their quality expectations or is defective, it’s likely they’ll simply turn to your competitor next time.

A pre-shipment inspection provides peace of mind that your order has been filled successfully before it’s dispatched.

• Ensure that your supplier has met all agreed-upon specifications

• Verify quality standards with off-the-shelf checklists or with your own unique checks

• Check that production is on track

• Take corrective action before it’s too late

• Avoid returns and protect your brand’s image

• Verify final product quality when you cannot access the factory yourself

You can use a pre-shipment inspection to verify quality at the source and to avoid paying for defective products. Don’t rely on your factory to tell you the product meets all specifications, check for yourself.

What checks are carried out?

Firstly, the QIMA inspector will randomly select a sample of products to inspect using the ANSI/ASQ Standard Z.1.4-2008 sampling standard.

The checks that are then carried out are tailored to match client requirements and the product in question. QIMA has an extensive range of off-the-shelf inspection checklists available that are designed for particular products. Clients can use these off-the-shelf checklists. Otherwise, where they require specific alternative checks to be carried out, they can add to one of these lists or create their own unique checklist.

Pre-shipment Inspection (PSI)

QIMA conducts a comprehensive PSI that involves a series of meticulous checks, typically including the following:

• Product specifications checks:

  • Quantities of semi-finished, finished and packed products

  • Product colors

  • Product style and construction

  • Artwork including spelling, fonts, dimensions, positioning and general design

  • Labels including main labels, care labels, size labels and product tags

• Other product-specific checks and tests to verify quality and workmanship

• Workmanship defects checks

• Product dimensions check

• Packing and packaging checks:

  • Unit packing

  • Inner packing

  • Outer packing

  • Export carton dimensions and weights

  • Shipping marks on cartons

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What happens after a PSI is completed?

After a PSI is completed, clients receive a detailed inspection report, delivered on the same day as the inspection and accessible on their online QIMA account. The report outlines the findings of the inspection, including through providing photos of any defects found, and gives an overall pass/fail outcome for the inspection.

QIMA expertise

QIMA provides independent quality control designed to protect your business interests. Our highly trained and experienced inspectors are product experts who receive regular training in their field of specialization.

QIMA inspectors can be onsite at your factory within 48 hours of booking, and reports are provided on the same day as the inspection.

Our inspections can be carried out on all types of consumer products including, but not limited to, apparel and footwear, toys, electronics and furniture.

Take your quality management online

QIMA offers an intelligent online platform to help you seamlessly manage your quality control and global supply network.

You can easily book, cancel or reschedule inspections, make payments or download your inspection reports with a few clicks. We also provide a customizable dashboard with all of your quality control data, so you can identify trends and make informed decisions in real-time.