Many China sourcing quality disputes begin before production because sample approval was informal, incomplete or not linked to inspection criteria.
Approving appearance only
A sample photo can hide dimensional, material and packaging differences.
- Measure the critical tolerances
- Record the sample revision
- Compare packaging and labels
Not checking production source
Some samples are made by a sample room or outside workshop rather than the production line.
- Ask where the sample was made
- Confirm production process
- Use a pilot run where risk is high
No inspection translation
The approved sample should become inspection criteria, not just a memory.
- Add sample references to QC checklist
- Define major and minor defects
- Keep exceptions written