No product or installation is perfect. In the real world – a good manufacturer or supplier does everything possible to achieve perfection, but it doesn’t always happen. “Making it right” is a major focus of every good company. The thing that keeps company managers awake at night is the possibility that something didn’t go right and the customer just became frustrated and angry and didn’t say anything, but just decided to never call or use that source again!
This is where quality control, inspection and attractive and adequate packaging come to the forefront. Consider the following example of quality inspection and its’ real cost to the company as provided and printed with the permission of Smiths-Heiman Product Inspection Division and Tellico Harbor Consulting. Assuming a high volume product sale and distribution:
· For every “nuisance” or “irritant” complaint received, there may be 50,000 similar incidents out in the marketplace.
· For every health concern complaint received, there may be 1,000 more out there.
· For every actual injury complaint, there may be 2 more unreported.
Based on the seriousness of the complaint, a customer is not likely to buy your product again in the following estimated percentage of probability:
· Perceived poor value – 2% loss.
· Health Concern – 10% loss
· Injury concern – 25% loss
· Actual injury reported – 50% loss.
So – what is the solution to this potential problem ? Perhaps an answer is in the equipment used to inspect your product before shipping. The steps may be:
· Analyze where complaints are coming from.
· Calculate what the cost may be to the company in potential lost sales.
· Choose a technology that can solve the most identified problems.
X-ray systems may be the answer since this technology is :
· Estimated to reduce complaints by 33 to 50%
· Able to improve packaging system uptime by 1 to 5%
· Able to inspect for previously undetectable contaminants
· Estimated to reduce capital costs by replacing check weighers and metal detectors previously used in production lines.
