For manufacturers, quality control should be a sales MVP

For companies that produce goods of any kind, there is a clear connection between quality control and sales volume. Engineers and technical teams focused on QC processes on the factory floor may not always recognize this relationship. Sales professionals presenting sophisticated pitches to high value prospects may overlook it as well. Still, the connection is real and undeniable. Consistently well made products help increase revenue, while defects push both current customers and potential buyers toward competitors.

A Practical Resource for Manufacturing Startups

This resource offers a concise and practical overview of quality control. It is especially useful for manufacturing startups, converters, and fabricators. It also helps manufacturing understand how critical QC is to company success and their professional growth.

Defining Quality Control vs. Quality Assurance

The phrase is often used broadly and can mean different things depending on who you ask. This resource takes care to clearly define quality control and explain how it differs from quality assurance, another essential manufacturing discipline. At its core, quality control is focused on preventing defective products from reaching customers. That single objective sits behind every inspection, test, report, and review that falls under the QC umbrella. Once this definition is clearly understood, the link between quality control and sales becomes obvious.

The True Cost of Product Defects

Product defects carry significant costs across many areas of a business. When customers receive flawed products, the consequences can be serious. In the best case scenario, defects are caught upon delivery, limiting the damage to returns, replacements, and administrative costs.

Even those situations, however, are minor compared to what can happen when defects go unnoticed and products are put into use. If a faulty product leads to financial losses, injuries, or worse, the resulting legal action and reputational damage can be severe enough to threaten the survival of even large manufacturers.

Building a Reputation Through Quality Control

On the other hand, strong standards help build a reputation for reliability and excellence. High quality products attract new prospects, generate referrals, encourage repeat orders, justify premium pricing, and force competitors to look elsewhere for opportunities. For these reasons, quality should be viewed as one of the most valuable functions in any manufacturing organization. To learn more about how to improve it in your organization, please continue reading the graphic below from Marotta Controls, a provider of control actuation systems.