Quality and Inspection Policy

Before an order is placed with a supplier, we work with you to agree a written specification. Production does not begin against an unapproved or verbal specification.

• Materials, dimensions, tolerances and finish.
• Packaging, labelling and any required markings.
• Any applicable Australian standard identified for the product category.
• The agreed AQL (acceptable quality level) or inspection basis for that order.

For most orders we arrange a pre-production sample for your approval before the full run starts. Once you approve a sample, it becomes the reference, sometimes called the golden sample, that later production and inspection are checked against, alongside the written specification.

Where agreed for an order, we or an inspection agency acting for us carry out in-line checks during production, comparing output at that point against the golden sample and specification, so issues can be caught and corrected before the full run is complete rather than only at the end.

Before goods are dispatched, we arrange a pre-shipment inspection on a sampling basis using recognised AQL standards, unless 100% inspection has been agreed and quoted for that order. The AQL level applied is set with you based on the product's risk profile and use, for example, a tighter AQL for safety-relevant components than for general merchandise. Sampling reduces, but does not eliminate, the risk that some units differ from the sample.

If a lot fails the agreed AQL or shows a critical defect, we hold dispatch and raise it with the supplier for rework, sorting or replacement before the goods are shipped. Whether a failed lot is dispatched, reworked or rejected is a decision we make with you, based on the inspection report.

Inspection reports include photographs of the sampled units, any defects found, packaging and labelling, so you can see the basis for the pass or fail decision rather than relying on a summary alone.

For each order we keep the approved specification, sample approval record, in-line check notes where applicable, and the pre-shipment inspection report, as part of the job record in the Open Dock platform.