Before SVI set up an in-house testing lab, we found that 95% of shipment delays were due to testing failures. Over time, it became clear that it was too risky to trust that the factory products would be able to pass all testing in the production stage. Time and time again, we would end up being notified that the product couldn’t pass the 3rd lab testing while the PO was in production. Whenever this event happens, it delays the delivery time and results in reproduction costs and shipment delay fines from the clients.
To improve the shipment delays caused by testing failures, SVI has continued to invest in our in-house testing lab since 2010, optimizing the testing control process. We successfully reduced the shipment delay rate caused by testing failures -- from 95% to less than 1%.
Through SVI’s many years of experience, we have compiled four crucial steps to guarantee that your product will be able to pass 3rd lab testing smoothly and without any delays.
1) When sourcing factories, tell them your testing requirements and protocols, so factories can take it into consideration when sourcing raw materials. If you don’t know the testing requirements and protocols, check with SVI experts or third party labs such as Intertek, BV, and SGS. This is the first step to ensure no surprise price increases due to testing requirements later.
2) Do sample testing in the product development stage. Normally, it will take 7-10 days for testing, which is typically performed in the sample development and approval stage to save time. It won’t be too late to find the solution for testing failure problems and you can have confidence moving forward with production.
3) Do material testing before mass production. The material for samples and products won’t be exactly the same in every case. It is a necessary step to test raw materials before mass production to ensure there are no surprises in the end.
4) Test production samples before sending out the final samples to 3rd party labs for testing. Production samples are equal to what will be shipped to the customer, including the packaging and the product. Testing regulations are not only to the product but also to the packaging. If you don’t want to find mistakes after printing the packaging, it is better to do testing for the product with packaging in advance.
Big retailers will have their inspectors randomly draw samples during the inline inspection to be sent directly to 3rd party labs for testing. By implementing our four secure steps above, we no longer need to worry about the testing failure surprises in production that result in shipment delays.
SVI’s in-house testing lab is fully certified with CNAS and CPSC, which allows us to help our clients manage and control product testing for each new project. We also track the testing status of all existing items and do renewal testing to guarantee safe and on-time delivery. If you have more questions about testing or want to get more info on how to control each step, Contact Us Now.