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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.
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 product 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-
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. Contact us for more information !
http://www.asquance.com/questions/what-are-your-terms-and-conditions-of-service-
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 problems with the quality of goods as they would not earn more by fixing the problem. They would actually jeopardise their earnings by reporting 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 works for a fixed pre-determined price paid by its clients. And nothing else.
We are not a middle man, you will not get 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 !
http://www.asquance.com/questions/what-is-the-difference-between-asquance-and-an-agent-
We are opened every day of the week, from 9:00AM to 6:00PM, Central European Time and Beijing Standard Time.
Our sales office for Europe is located in France:
60, Rue d'Ypres
67000 Strasbourg
FRANCE
Tel: +33 (0)3 88 60 61 61
Fax: + 33 (0)3 88 60 69 90
Operations teams are located in Hong Kong, Zhanjiang, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Taizhou, Shanghai, Taipei, (Greater China), Mumbai (India), Seoul (Korea), Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam), Bangkok (Thailand).
Our head office is located in Hong Kong:
Asquance Ltd
2F Shui On Centre,
6-8 Harbour Road, Wan Chai
HONG KONG
Tel: +852 2824 8095
Fax: +852 2824 8000
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.
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:
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Incoming (raw) materials visual checks |
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Materials need to be tested against master samples and some simple tests performed, such as surface resistance or colour bleeding tests for example.
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Materials lab testing |
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The chemical and / or bacterial composition of materials needs to be tested against a desired outcome.
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Factory feedback after pre-production |
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Less of an inspection and more of a product development service, we go on site and make sure that the factory has understood your feedback regarding pre-production samples. This service if very useful to cross language barriers as we will make sure that every point you wanted to make is understood.
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In production line checks |
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We observe and if needed suggest corrections to the manufacturing process in order to ensure the end product matches your specification. Especially useful on first time mass production to make sure the move from pre-production to final delivery will be smooth.
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Final check |
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Final checks or inspections are usually conducted by randomly sampling products. Bulk, 100% checks are also possible of course but can be time consuming. When sampling, we require that at least 80% of goods are finished and packed before we pick goods for inspection. This is to ensure the quality of random sampling. Final checks usually include the following areas: packing materials and markings, packing contents checks, overall quantities checks, product visual aspect and product functional aspect, safety checks where applicable depending on product and regional norms, and packing stress tests. Documentation checks can also be performed: shipping and certification documents.
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Final product lab testing |
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Used to find if the finished product will be compliant with destination country legal requirements (norms and standards) and certification processes. This is usually done as part of the final product checks described above. Lab checks usually require a few days. If production is ongoing, periodical checks are advised. For example for toys and cosmetics when producing regularly in high volumes it is usual to perform lab analysis once per month. Testing each production batch is required for some product categories, such as CE class III personal protection equipment.
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Container loading check |
| Container loading checks are mostly concerned with packing and quantities checks. Some sampling is possible but due to limited time the range of checks is usually limited to visual checks and contents verification if relevant. |
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:
- The key to good sampling is RANDOM sampling.
- 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 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.
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
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.
Also note that a revision of Incoterms is due for publication in 2010. Please check here or on the International Chamber of Commerce website for updates.
