How do I inspect products coming from multiple factories?

You'll need multiple inspections, or you can ship them all to one factory and do a consolidated inspection there.

When should I do multiple inspections?

You can ship all your products to one supplier, and do one inspection for all of your products. However, this carries some risks.

• You may need to pay for your products in full to ship them. If you are worried or it's your first order, it may be worthwhile to do multiple inspections.
• Your products may have unique features that require machinery to check. If that's the case, it's best to do multiple inspections at each manufacturing facility to make sure the inspector has access to the product specific machines.
• Fixing problems after the products ship may require the products to be shipped back to the original factory. This can incur additional costs and delays. If it's your first time ordering or you feel your products are susceptible to problems, it may be worthwhile to do multiple inspections.
• Complex packaging can create difficulties during the repackaging process. Read more about this process here. The receiving facility will have to repackage units post-inspection. If the packaging requires a special process, machinery, or skill, then it may be best to do the inspection at the source factory.

When should I do one consolidated inspection?

If you have a working history with your suppliers, your orders generally pass inspections without any problems, and the product packaging is relatively simple and unskilled, it may make sense to ship all your products to a receiving factory and do one inspection there.