Frequent questions

Asquance can arrange QC within 48 hours nearly anywhere in Asia, from USD 190 per half day and USD 288 per full day. Please contact us.

http://www.asquance.com/questions/asquance-how-fast-can-you-arrange-qc

Simply order or fill in the information request form at the bottom of the Services pages.

You can also use the Contact us page.

Finally, if you simply drop us an email we will reply quickly !

Our quotations are based on your indications and transparently show time estimates.

http://www.asquance.com/questions/how-to-book-your-services-

An agent will take 10% to 45% of commission on all your purchasing volume.

This can be upfront or hidden, in the form of kickbacks from suppliers that you might never hear of. Unless you have very goods reasons such as technical consulting needs or export documentation assistance we suggest that you will be happier and more profitable working directly with factories.

• The advantage of working with an agent is that it does not cost anything to try and it seems easy to move in and out of agent relationships.
• The drawback is that an agent has no interest in telling you if there are quality problems since they would not earn anything but arguments with their business partners by attempting to fix the problem. An agent would actually jeopardise their earnings by reporting quality issues.
• An agent is a buffer in the communication between you and the people who make your product.
• Finally an agent is a huge drag on your profitability in the long run, since once business is started all they do is collect a fee for very little work.

Asquance sourcing services work for a fixed pre-determined price paid by its clients. And nothing else.

We are not a middle man, you will not hear funny stories about factory names, difficulty in accessing the factory floor or factory management directly when needed, as you would from a middleman trying to block you from talking directly with the production site.

You fully enjoy the financial benefits of your work - and of ours !

Please note that Asquance sourcing is exclusively accessible to our QC and QA clients.
Please contact us should you have any questions.

http://www.asquance.com/questions/what-is-the-difference-between-asquance-and-an-agent-

Our general terms and condition of service can be downloaded here.

We define tailor made contracts for long term partners. Predictability and cost control are key to the long term success of our clients: customised contracts can include per unit or per month fixed prices. Please contact us for more information !

http://www.asquance.com/questions/what-are-your-terms-and-conditions-of-service-

We are opened every day of the week, from 9:00AM to 9:00PM, Central European Time and Beijing Standard Time. Please contact us for more information.

http://www.asquance.com/questions/when-are-you-open

Our sales office for Europe is located in France:

60, Rue d'Ypres
67000 Strasbourg
FRANCE
sales@asquance.com

Tel: +33 (0)3 88 60 61 61
Fax: + 33 (0)3 88 60 69 90

Operations teams are located in:

• Hong Kong,
• Mainland China: Guangdong (Zhanjiang, Guangzhou, Shenzhen), Fujian (Xiamen), Zhejiang (Taizhou, Ningbo), Shanghai, Jiangsu (Changshu, Kunshan, Suzhou).
• Taiwan (Taipei)
• India (Mumbai)
• Korea (Seoul)
• Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh)
• Thailand (Bangkok)

Our head office is located in Hong Kong:

Asquance Ltd
2F Shui On Centre,
6-8 Harbour Road, Wan Chai
HONG KONG
sales@asquance.com

Tel: +852 2824 8095
Fax: +852 2824 8000

http://www.asquance.com/questions/where-are-you-located

As we explain separately, Quality is a management system which applies to goods and services. A Quality approach to our own Services is of course also desirable and this is what Asquance is all about.

Below are some examples of product categories checked or lab tested by Asquance:

Please contact us for additional information on our areas of expertise.

http://www.asquance.com/questions/asquance

Asquance clients range from nimble startups to NASDAQ and EURONEXT listed multinationals.
Most but not all are western.

They come to Asquance because they seek:

• trusted field partners
• who understand their culture and requirements
• with expertise in their Industry area and Quality management

While we keep the identity of all our clients confidential we are happy to provide references on request.
Please contact us for references.

http://www.asquance.com/questions/who-are-your-clients-

Defects are commonly divided in three categories. These are used for assessing the tolerance levels to defects, and to define escalation paths in case they are found.

Below are the standard definitions. In practice you the client will define what you deem acceptable from your supplier.

Critical

Any condition found which poses the possibility of causing injury or harm to, or otherwise endangering the life or safety of the end user of the product or others in the immediate vicinity of its use.

Major

Any condition found adversely affecting the product's marketability or adversely affecting its required form, fit, or function, and which is likely to result in the end user returning it to the source from which it was purchased for replacement or refund.

Minor

Any condition found which while possibly less than desirable to the end user of the product, does not adversely affect its required marketability, sale-ability, form, fit, or function and is unlikely to result in its return to the source from which it was purchased.

Please contact us for additional information on defining your inspection specifications.

http://www.asquance.com/questions/aql-defect-classification

Asquance makes a distinction between inspection types because clients needs vary.

We are happy to tailor an inspection to your specific requirements. The most relevant categories are as follows:

Please contact us to find out how we can be of assistance.

http://www.asquance.com/questions/what-are-the-different-types-of-inspection-services

AQL stands for Acceptable Quality Level

The concept stems from statistical analysis, and in particular the representativity of a population by a randomly drawn sample.

Take a random sample. Depending on its size it will exhibit the same characteristics as the general population, to a degree of accuracy (Think of political polling - the same formulas are used). The larger the random sample the more accurate its ability to predict the characteritics of the general population.

Back to Quality Control: AQL tables help define, for a requested degree of accuracy, the acceptable defect levels that can be found in the sample. Defects are usually divided into 3 categories (Critical, Major and Minor), and acceptance thresholds are defined for each.

Based on this simple information we will define rules for your product batch. Random sampling QC results will define whether the whole batch passes or fails your criteria. This decides if you should accept the shipment, ask the factory for a rework or discount, etc.

Please download the full AQL tables for a view of:

• sample quantities for lot sizes
• defect category statistical choices
• accept / reject criteria depending on defect category

Notes:

1. The key to good sampling is RANDOM sampling.
2. A slightly perverse effect of AQL is the assumption that perfection is impossible: seeking perfection is a waste of time: rejects are part of life and one just makes sure they remain manageable. To illustrate the effect, think of the Western car industry in the 1970's vs Japanese competition. This is why Quality Management in factory management culture makes such a huge difference. AQL is the way for buyers to check a one-off order, but if you have an ongoing relationship with a supplier then Quality Assurance, TQM, root cause analysis, continuous improvement feedback loops and Six Sigma are the way forward.
3. Please contact us to define the method best suited to your needs.

http://www.asquance.com/questions/what-is-aql

We regularly review what a good contract should include. This varies with each individual case of course, and there are common sense rules. Because we learn every day from new situations this is a work in progress.

You can find our latest effort here

Please contact us for help drafting more secure contracts.

http://www.asquance.com/questions/trade-definition-contracts

First introduced in 1936, Incoterms rules are international rules that are accepted by governments, legal authorities and companies worldwide for the interpretation of the most commonly used terms in international trade. They either reduce or remove altogether uncertainties arising from differing interpretations of such terms in different countries.

Make sure to specify "Incoterms 2000" in your contracts if you would like to be covered by the terms below.

Download the ICC Incoterms 2000 table in pdf format.

The new table for Incoterm 2010, valid from January 1st, 2011 is not available publicly yet. However the ICC published an explanatory table that tracks the differences between Incoterm 2000 and Incoterm 2010 (Link).

Note:
It is important to specify which version of Incoterm you want applied to your contract. For example specify "Incoterm 2010" or "Incoterm 2000".

http://www.asquance.com/questions/what-are-incoterms