Quality Control

Quality control is the gatekeeper between your suppliers and your customers - ensuring that only items meeting your standards make it into available inventory and out to your customers. Let's explore how NaMa ERP helps you maintain quality throughout your supply chain.

Why Quality Control Matters

Imagine this scenario: You receive 1,000 units from a supplier. You immediately receive them into stock. The next day, production discovers half are defective. Now you have to:

• Stop production (disruption)
• Segregate bad units (extra handling)
• Contact supplier (time consuming)
• Process returns (paperwork and shipping)
• Find emergency replacement (likely expensive)
• Explain delay to your customers (damage to reputation)

Quality control prevents this cascade of problems by catching issues before items enter your regular stock and production flow.

The Quality Control Philosophy

Quality control in NaMa ERP follows these principles:

1. Gate Keeping: Items don't automatically become "available" just because they arrived. They become available after passing quality checks.

2. Documentation: Every quality decision is recorded - what was checked, who checked it, what criteria were used, what was found.

3. Traceability: Link quality records to specific batches, lots, or serial numbers so you can trace issues.

4. Continuous Improvement: Quality data helps you improve suppliers, processes, and specifications over time.

Quality Control for Incoming Goods

The most common quality control scenario is inspecting items as they arrive from suppliers.

The Two-Step Receipt Process

Instead of directly receiving into available stock, use a two-step process:

Step 1: Receipt to Inspection

Use ReceiptInspection (فحص استلام) to receive items into a quality inspection area:

What Happens:

• Items physically arrive
• Count them (verify quantities)
• Move to inspection area (separate from regular stock)
• Create receipt inspection document
• Items status: "Under Inspection"

At This Point:

• Items are in your custody (ownership transferred)
• They're in your inventory (counted as asset)
• But they're NOT available for use (can't be issued to production or sold)

Step 2: Quality Inspection

Quality team inspects items using configured checklists:

Physical Inspection:

• Visual examination (damage, finish, appearance)
• Dimensional checks (measurements match specifications?)
• Functional tests (does it work?)
• Sample testing (destructive or non-destructive tests)

Documentation Review:

• Certificates of analysis
• Material certifications
• Test reports from supplier
• Compliance documentation

Recording Results: Use QualityControlDoc (مستند فحص جودة) to record:

• What was inspected
• What tests were performed
• What results were found
• Pass/fail decision for each criterion
• Overall accept/reject decision

Step 3: Disposition

Based on inspection results:

Accept (Full):

• Create stock receipt from inspection to regular stock
• Items now available for use
• Update supplier quality score positively

Reject (Full):

• Create purchase return request
• Keep items in inspection/reject area
• Contact supplier for RMA
• Return items
• Update supplier quality score negatively

Partial Accept:

• Accept good quantity (move to regular stock)
• Reject bad quantity (prepare for return)
• Document discrepancy
• Inform purchasing for price adjustment

Accept with Deviation:

• Items don't fully meet specifications but usable
• Create deviation approval document
• Document the deviation
• Move to stock with notes
• Supplier may owe price reduction

The Quality Control Request

For planned inspections, start with QualityControlReq (طلب فحص جودة):

Workflow:

1. Goods arrive, receipt inspection created
2. Quality team receives request: "Please inspect 1,000 widgets in inspection area A-12"
3. Team plans inspection (schedule, assign inspector, prepare equipment)
4. Perform inspection
5. Create quality control document with results
6. Make disposition decision

This formalized request ensures:

• Inspections don't get forgotten
• You can track inspection backlogs
• Management visibility into quality workload
• Priority inspections get handled first

Quality Checklists

Rather than relying on inspector memory, use standardized checklists.

Item-Level Quality Checklists

Configure quality requirements at the item level:

qualityCheckList field on InvItem defines:

• Which checks are required for this item
• What criteria define pass/fail
• What measurements to record
• What tolerances are acceptable

Example Checklist for Electronic Components:

• [ ] Visual inspection: No physical damage
• [ ] Dimensional check: Within ±0.1mm tolerance
• [ ] Electrical test: Resistance 100Ω ±5%
• [ ] Function test: Powers on correctly
• [ ] Documentation: Certificate of compliance present

Example Checklist for Food Products:

• [ ] Visual inspection: No damage to packaging
• [ ] Temperature check: Maintained cold chain
• [ ] Expiration date: Minimum 6 months remaining
• [ ] Sample test: Microbiological analysis
• [ ] Documentation: Health certificate present

Using Checklists

When inspector creates QualityControlDoc:

1. System shows the checklist for that item
2. Inspector checks off each item
3. Enter measurement values where applicable
4. Mark pass/fail for each criterion
5. System calculates overall pass/fail based on rules

This ensures:

• Consistency (all inspectors check the same things)
• Completeness (nothing gets skipped)
• Documentation (every check is recorded)
• Data capture (measurements for trend analysis)

Quality Assurance for Inventory

Quality control isn't just for newly arrived items. Items in stock may need periodic quality checks.

Quality Assurance Documents

The QualityAssuranceDoc (ضمان جودة) records ongoing quality checks:

Use Cases:

Periodic Retesting: Some items (chemicals, pharmaceuticals) degrade over time. The reTestPeriod field on items defines how often to retest.

Example: Chemical expires 1 year after manufacture, but requires retesting every 3 months to confirm it's still within specifications.

Random Quality Sampling: Periodically pull random samples from inventory to verify quality is maintained during storage.

Pre-Use Inspection: Before issuing critical items (especially if they've been in stock a while), verify they're still good.

Compliance Audits: Regulatory or customer audits may require demonstration of ongoing quality management.

Quality Assurance Requests

The QualityAssuranceReq (طلب ضمان جودة) initiates quality checks:

• Quality manager schedules periodic checks
• Production requests check before using materials
• Customer audit triggers compliance verification

Quality Control for Outgoing Goods

Quality control isn't just about what comes in - it's also about what goes out.

Pre-Shipment Inspection

Before shipping to customers, especially for:

• Large orders
• Critical customers
• Complex assembled items
• First-time products

Perform final inspection:

• Verify correct items picked
• Check condition (no damage during warehouse handling)
• Test function (if applicable)
• Verify completeness (all components included)
• Inspect packaging

Record this inspection so if customer later complains, you have documentation of condition when shipped.

Certificate of Quality

Some customers require certificates:

• Certificate of conformance (items meet specifications)
• Certificate of origin (items manufactured in specific location)
• Certificate of analysis (lab test results)
• Calibration certificates (for measurement equipment)

Generate these from quality control records and ship with goods.

Handling Quality Failures

When items fail quality control, you need clear processes.

Supplier Communication

First Failure:

• Document the issue clearly
• Provide evidence (photos, measurements, test results)
• Request corrective action
• Process return or claim discount

Repeated Failures:

• Escalate to supplier management
• Require corrective action plan
• Increase inspection stringency (inspect 100% instead of samples)
• Consider alternative suppliers
• Document everything for potential legal action

Internal Quality Issues

When items already in your stock are found defective:

Source Identification:

• Which lot/batch is affected?
• Who is the supplier?
• When was it received?
• What other items from same lot exist?

Segregation:

• Physically separate suspected items
• Flag in system as "Quarantine"
• Prevent from being issued
• Investigate

Disposition:

• Test all items from affected lot
• Return to supplier (if possible)
• Scrap (if cannot return)
• Accept for alternative use (if partially usable)
• Document total cost impact

Quality Metrics and Reporting

Quality control generates valuable data for improvement.

Supplier Quality Metrics

Track by supplier:

• Defect rate: Percentage of items failing inspection
• First-pass yield: Percentage passing inspection on first try
• Return rate: Percentage of receipts resulting in returns
• Response time: How quickly supplier addresses issues
• Corrective action effectiveness: Do their fixes work?

Use this data to:

• Rate suppliers
• Make sourcing decisions
• Negotiate better terms (good quality = better prices)
• Drive supplier improvement

Item Quality Metrics

Track by item:

• Failure modes: What kinds of defects occur?
• Failure frequency: How often does this item fail?
• Cost of quality: Inspection cost + failure cost
• Trend: Is quality improving or degrading?

Use this data to:

• Improve specifications
• Change suppliers
• Redesign items
• Adjust inspection intensity

Inspector Performance

Track by inspector:

• Consistency: Do different inspectors reach same conclusions?
• Speed: How long does inspection take?
• Accuracy: How often do customers report defects that passed inspection?

Use for:

• Training needs identification
• Process improvement
• Capacity planning

Automated vs. Manual Inspection

Manual Inspection

Traditional approach:

• Inspector physically examines items
• Uses measurement tools
• Records results in system
• Makes subjective judgments

Good For:

• Small batches
• Complex criteria
• Items where automated equipment doesn't exist
• Subjective quality factors (appearance, fit, feel)

Automated Inspection

Modern approach:

• Electronic equipment performs measurements
• Camera systems perform visual inspection
• Integration with NaMa ERP records results
• Consistent, fast, objective

Good For:

• Large batches
• Objective measurements
• High-volume operations
• Dangerous or difficult inspections

The WeightScalePreparationDoc is an example of automated integration - electronic scales feed weight data directly to the system.

Statistical Quality Control

For high-volume operations, inspect samples rather than 100%.

Sampling Plans

Define:

• Sample size: How many to inspect from each lot
• Acceptance criteria: How many defects allowed in sample
• Risk levels: Balance between inspection cost and defect risk

Example: "From each lot of 1000, inspect 50 random items. If more than 2 defects found, reject entire lot."

Control Charts

Over time, plot quality metrics:

• Are defect rates stable or trending?
• Are we within control limits?
• When do we need to intervene?

This shifts from reactive (inspect everything) to proactive (monitor and intervene when trends indicate problems).

Tips for Effective Quality Control

Common Questions

Q: Do we need to inspect everything from every supplier?

A: No. Use risk-based inspection. Proven suppliers with excellent history can have reduced inspection (or even skip-lot inspection). New or problematic suppliers get 100% inspection.

Q: What if inspection takes too long and delays production?

A: Balance risk vs. speed. Options:

• Increase inspection resources
• Use sampling instead of 100%
• Accept with provision (use but segregate in case issues found)
• Supplier certification (they do inspection, you audit)

Q: Can supplier inspection replace our inspection?

A: Depends on trust level. Some organizations:

• Accept supplier certificates initially
• Periodically audit supplier process
• Spot-check to verify
• Move to full acceptance if supplier proves consistent

Q: What percentage of defects is acceptable?

A: Depends on criticality:

• Safety items: Zero defects
• Critical components: Very low (0.1%)
• Standard items: Low but acceptable (1-2%)
• Non-critical supplies: Higher tolerance acceptable (5%)

Q: How do we balance quality control cost vs. defect cost?

A: Calculate:

• Inspection cost per unit
• Cost of defect reaching customer
• Probability of defect

If (cost of defect × probability) > inspection cost, inspect. Otherwise, accept the risk.

Integration Points

Quality control connects to:

Purchasing: Supplier quality scores inform purchasing decisions and negotiations.

Inventory: Items don't become available until passing QC. Failed items trigger returns.

Production: Manufacturing can't use materials that fail QC. Prevents defects from propagating.

Sales: Pre-shipment inspection prevents customer complaints. Certificates document quality for customers.

Accounting: Rejected items reduce inventory value. Returns credit accounts payable. Quality issues affect supplier negotiations.

Next Steps

Quality control is crucial but specialized. Now explore:

• Specialized Scenarios - How different industries handle quality uniquely
• Receiving Stock - Where quality control fits in receiving
• The Purchasing Journey - How quality affects supplier relationships