There is no doubt that quality control is essential to the success of your manufacturing business.
After all, you must ensure that your products meet the highest standards before reaching your customers.
But what exactly is quality control? And what methods should you use to ensure that your products are up to par?
In this article, we’re going to talk in detail about quality control in manufacturing. We’ll also give you a viable solution on how you can improve and digitize these practices for your organization.
What is Quality Control?
Quality control is a process used to ensure a certain level of quality in a product or service. It is a process often used in manufacturing but also in other industries. The goal of quality control is always to ensure that the product or service meets the required standards.
What is Quality Control in Manufacturing?
Quality control in manufacturing ensures that products meet specific standards of quality before releasing to customers. This process typically involves inspecting products at various stages of production and making adjustments or repairs as necessary to ensure that the final product meets the required quality standards.
Quality control is an integral part of the manufacturing process, as it helps to ensure that customers are satisfied with the products they receive and that any defects are detected and corrected before products are shipped out.
In addition, manufacturers can avoid costly recalls or customer complaints down the line by detecting and correcting defects during production.
Various methods of quality control are used in manufacturing, depending on the product type. Some standard techniques include visual inspection, testing against specification requirements, and using statistical methods to monitor process variation.
The visual inspection quality control method involves inspecting products at various stages of production for defects or irregularities.
Testing against specification requirements is another standard method of quality control in manufacturing. This method tests products against a set of predetermined conditions to meet specification requirements.
Quality Control Best Practices
Quality control is one of the most critical aspects of manufacturing. It ensures that products meet customer expectations and are free of defects. Quality control best practices can help manufacturers avoid costly mistakes and improve their bottom line.
Quality control methods can vary based on the manufacturing of products and the desired outcome. However, some standard quality control techniques include inspections, testing, and audits.
Inspections are a visual examination of a product to look for defects manually or with automated machinery. Testing is another standard quality control method. It involves putting the product through a series of tests to see how it performs under different conditions. Finally, audits are periodic reviews of a manufacturing process to ensure that it meets all quality standards.
Adhering to quality control best practices can be time-consuming and costly, but the investment is worth it to avoid problems.
By implementing these techniques, manufacturers can ensure that their products are of the highest quality and meet customer expectations.
With the digital workplace taking a central role in manufacturing, it has become more important than ever to manage such inspections & audits digitally.
To empower manufacturers to do the same, we have built a quality inspection app. The quality inspection app will empower companies to
- Conduct quality inspections on the production line to ensure adherence to product/process quality standards.
- Collect quality inspection data, log defects, and send reports to quality supervisors for further action.
Axonator Quality Inspection App
What are ISO Standards?
ISO standards are a set of international standards that provide guidelines for quality control and assurance in manufacturing. ISO 9001 is the most widely used standard in the world, and it provides a framework for creating a quality management system (QMS). Other ISO standards focus on specific aspects of quality control, such as environmental management, energy management, and occupational health and safety.
Implementing ISO standards in manufacturing includes improved product quality, increased efficiency, reduced waste, and improved customer satisfaction. In addition, ISO-certified companies often enjoy a competitive advantage over non-certified companies.
If you are considering implementing ISO standards in your manufacturing business, there are a few things to keep in mind:
- You will need to create or update your QMS to meet the requirements of the chosen standard.
- You will need to train your employees on the new system.
- You will need to get certified by an accredited organization.
If you are considering implementing ISO standards in your manufacturing business, there are a few things to keep in mind:
We also suggest you implement a quality control digital checklists app to conduct ISO audits. These checklists will help you perform quality audits to comply with global standards like ISO 9001, Q10, ISO 14971, ISO 13485, FDA requirements, EU MDR, and more.
Easy-to-use Quality Control Digital Checklist App for Implementing ISO Standards.
Total Quality Management (TQM)
Manufacturing is the process of turning raw materials into products. Quality control is a process used to ensure that the products meet specific standards. Total quality management (TQM) is an approach that integrates quality control into all aspects of the manufacturing process.
TQM aims to produce high-quality products that meet or exceed customer expectations. To do this, TQM emphasizes three things:
1. Continuous improvement
TQM always looks for ways to improve the manufacturing process and the quality of the products. It could involve changing the sourcing of raw materials or the production process itself.
2. Prevention
It is better to prevent problems from happening in the first place rather than trying to fix them after they have already occurred. Therefore, TQM looks for ways to prevent defects by improving the manufacturing process.
3. Customer focus
The customer is always the focus of TQM. Manufacturing decisions should be in harmony with the customer in mind. It means understanding what the customer wants and needs and designing the manufacturing process to meet those needs.
TQM is a comprehensive approach to quality management to enhance the manufacturing of products.
How to improve Quality Control in Manufacturing?
There are several ways to improve quality control in manufacturing. One way is to improve the design of products by ensuring that products are designed for ease of manufacture and considering manufacturing processes during the design phase. Another way to enhance quality control is to ensure that all manufacturing processes are well documented and followed. Having standard operating procedures (SOPs) and following them can help.
Regular audits of manufacturing processes to identify areas where quality control needs improvement are always good. Finally, it is essential to have a feedback loop in place to identify and correct any issues.
To help companies to achieve the same, we at Axonator have developed a quality control app. The app digitizes the entire quality control process easily. Companies can perform quality inspections, conduct audits, log defects, and send real-time reports to ensure high-quality standards.
Quality Control App to Improve your Existing Processes!
Quality Control Tools in Manufacturing
As a manufacturer, you know that producing high-quality products is essential to your success. But what exactly is quality control? And what tools do you need to implement it in your manufacturing process?
Quality control is the process of ensuring that your products meet all the requirements and specifications. It includes everything from checking for defects to providing safe and fit products.
Besides inspection, testing, and audits, sampling is another quality control tool you can use in your manufacturing process besides inspection, testing, and audits.
Sampling
It is when you take a small sample of products from each batch and test them to ensure they meet quality standards. It helps you identify any issues early on to fix them before they become a bigger problem.
These are just a few quality control tools you can use in your manufacturing process. Implementing these tools can improve process performance and ensure production efficiency.
Six Sigma
Manufacturing quality control is a process that helps to ensure that products meet or exceed customer expectations. It can be a challenge to implement quality control in manufacturing, but the use of Six Sigma can be helpful. Six Sigma is a data-driven approach to quality improvement for use in any industry, but it is especially well-suited to manufacturing.
One of the essential tools and techniques used in Six Sigma is statistical process control (SPC). SPC can help to identify process problems and track progress towards quality goals. Therefore, it is essential to have a strong understanding of statistics when using SPC, as this will help to ensure accurate results.
Another critical tool in Six Sigma is the design of experiments (DOE). DOE can be used to test process changes and analyze the results. This approach can help identify the root cause of problems and find solutions that will improve quality.
ISO 9001 is among ISO’s best-known standards as it defines the criteria for meeting various quality management principles. Opting for ISO 9001 standard products or applications helps in reliability, quality, and ideal endurance of the same.
Six Sigma App to Help you With the Six Sigma Process!
Checklists
This is the most basic tool used by manufacturing organizations to maintain quality standards across your organization. Checklists involve checking off a list of essentials manufacturer of a product.
In recent times, digital quality control checklists have been gaining significant momentum in the manufacturing industry. Digital checklists can be used to manage numerous quality control processes like quality inspection, quality audits, Gemba walks, 5S audits, GMP audits, and many more.
We at Axonator have already created numerous checklist-based mobile apps to help manufacturing perform quality control effortlessly. Here are some examples:
Convert Your Quality Control App Into Mobile Apps.
Lean Production
Lean Production is one of the most critical aspects of quality control in manufacturing. Lean production is a methodology that emphasizes the elimination of waste in all areas of production, from the initial design phase to the final product.
By eliminating waste, manufacturers can produce higher-quality products at a lower cost.
There are many lean production techniques, but some of the most common include value stream mapping, just-in-time production, and Kanban systems.
Value stream mapping is a tool that helps manufacturers identify and eliminate waste in their production process. Just-in-time production is a lean technique that minimizes inventory by only producing what is needed when it is required. Finally, Kanban systems are used to visualize and manage workflow and can help manufacturers identify bottlenecks and areas of waste.
Implementing lean production techniques can be challenging, but the rewards are significant. Manufacturers who successfully implement lean production often see dramatic quality, productivity, and profitability improvements.
Why is Quality Control Important?
Quality control is essential in manufacturing for a variety of reasons. First, it ensures that products meet customer expectations and requirements. Quality control also helps identify and solve problems during the manufacturing process, saving time and money. Finally, quality control can help improve the overall efficiency of the manufacturing process.
Benefits of Quality Control
There are many benefits to implementing quality control in manufacturing. Perhaps the most obvious benefit is that it can lead to improved product quality. By catching errors and defects early in the production process, manufacturers can avoid costly rework or scrap and produce products that meet customer expectations instead.
In addition to improving product quality, quality control can also help to improve production efficiency. By identifying and addressing errors and defects early on, manufacturers can avoid disruptions later in production. Quality control can also help improve communication between different departments and team members and between the manufacturer and its suppliers.
Finally, quality control can help to build brand reputation and customer loyalty. Consumers are more likely to purchase products from companies with a reputation for producing high-quality goods. Similarly, businesses delivering quality products are more likely to retain their customers and earn repeat business.
Roles and Responsibilities of Quality Control
In any manufacturing setting, quality control (QC) ensures that products meet the required standards before being shipped out to customers. QC is the process of monitoring and inspecting products during manufacturing to identify and prevent defects. Many different QC roles and responsibilities maintain high-quality control standards.
One of the most critical roles in QC is that of the quality assurance (QA) manager. The QA manager is responsible for developing and implementing quality control policies and procedures. They also conduct regular audits to ensure that the whole staff follows the correct procedures.
Other Key QC Roles
- Quality inspectors, who carry out inspections at various stages of production;
- Test engineers, who develop and carry out tests on products; and
- Process engineers who create and optimize manufacturing processes.
The whole staff involved in quality control must understand their roles and responsibilities. Then, by working together, they can ensure that products meet the required standards and are free from defects.
Axonator for Quality Control in Your Business
Quality control is one stepping stone to success that has been around for decades, leading companies on their road to success with innovations and best practices every year.
At Axonator, we help transform your manufacturing processes with enterprise-grade solutions developed on the unique no-code platform to match your business needs.
Explore some of the topic-notch enterprise-grade software solutions and digital checklists.
Top 5 Quality Control Mobile & Tablet Apps to Get Started
- Free Quality Audit Checklist App
- Free On-site Quality Control Checklist App
- Free Quality Control Inspection Checklist App
- Free Daily Quality Control Checklist App
- Free Quality Control Audit Checklist App
Why Axonator?
- World’s first mobile-focused & Highly customizable no-code architecture to support real-world scenarios.
- Deploy enterprise-grade solutions rapidly as per unique requirements
- Achieve Paperless quality audits and inspections
- Generate reports automatically and automated data collection for trends and analytics
- Streamline processes and implement a fully automated system within weeks using Axonator’s MicroApp strategy
Available on Android, iOS, and the web, Axonator is a highly customizable no-code field workflow automation platform mainly used to transform your paper and spreadsheet-based manual processes and maintain quality control in numerous industries.
Axonator offers a number of simple and ready-to-use enterprise-grade apps for field workflows like inspections, audits, safety, asset management, and work orders that can be used by organizations to replace paper, spreadsheet & cumbersome desktop-based manual processes with mobile & tablet apps.
