What is a Manufacturing Audit Checklist?

QC Checklists in Manufacturing: Top 5 Reasons Why They’re Critical

1. 
   Identify minor issues immediately. With a QC checklist, it is easier to pinpoint errors in manufacturing and resolve them before they turn into major issues. In addition, as quality inspectors often come from third-party service providers, comprehensive production audit checklists provide them with an easy reference so they can become more familiar with the manufacturing firm’s processes.
   
2. 
   Be more assured of product quality. Manufacturing quality assurance tools, such as the manufacturing audit checklist, help standardize processes and assure that every product that comes out of the line passes quality standards.
   
3. 
   Reduce the level of risk. Manufacturing checklists are critical quality control tools that help identify red flags from the onset, effectively reducing the risk of financial impact to the bottom line of the company, and most importantly, to customer satisfaction.
   
4. 
   Encourage the smart use of resources. Every move in manufacturing processes needs to be well-calculated to be cost-effective. QC checklists are effective instruments to help avoid false starts and ensure the most efficient use of resources and materials.
   
5. 
   Promote better manufacturer-supplier relationships. Manufacturing audit checklists encourage collaboration between the manufacturer and supplier as they both have to agree on the checklist items necessary to conduct an effective quality audit.
   

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  Unique identifier – Product ID, Stock Keeping Unit (SKU), serial number, etc.
  
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  Location on the production line
  
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  Visual inspection – the product’s overall appearance, size, color, and printing
  
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  Weight – within the acceptable range
  
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  Materials – product strength and durability
  
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  Operations – functionality according to specified requirements
  
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  Packaging – secureness and print clarity
  
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  Defect log – description, severity, and supporting documentation
  
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  Assessment – if the product is in an acceptable condition
  
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  Signature of the auditor
  

1. 
   Add inspection details – This is one of the most important details for the audit. As the document’s foundation, make sure to include the Product ID, Stock Keeping Unit (SKU), serial number, or any other form of specifiers that would help identify the products that were inspected.
   
2. 
   Inspect the products visually – Individually check the items for their size, color, weight, and materials to confirm that they look according to the predefined set of requirements and design.
   
3. 
   Test if the products are operating properly – In this step, auditors review the products operationally to verify that they are functioning as expected.
   
4. 
   Indicate if non-compliant measures are found – If there are any indicators in any of the areas of the checked products that seem to be non-compliant with the set requirements, specify them. This enables manufacturers to correct defects and prevent suffering financial loss.
   
5. 
   Check the product packaging – Inspect the products’ packaging by confirming that they are free from deformities, machine marks, scrapes, or smudges. Also, make sure that they are correctly colored, closed securely, and that the products fit perfectly into the packaging.
   
6. 
   Input product defects found – If there are definitive signs of product damages, log them into the manufacturing audit document. Describe the defect in detail and attach a photo or video evidence as a reference.
   
7. 
   Complete the manufacturing audit – Using the initial factors as supporting details, decide whether the products inspected were acceptable or unacceptable.