Service Guide

Lower costs
Higher quality
Less risk

A PUBLICATION OF INTOUCH MANUFACTURING SERVICES

TABLE OF CONTENTS
About Us 3 Supplier Review 10
Comprehensive Supplier Reviews 11
Why Choose InTouch 4
Compliance Auditing and Consulting 12
Our Clients 5
QC Document Development 13
Product Inspection 6
Early and DUPRO Inspection 6 Product Certification and Testing 14
Final Inspection 7
Production Monitoring 7 Supplier Identification
Loading and Transportation Monitoring 8 and Product Sourcing Support 15

Industrial Inspection Services 9 Travel and Supplier Visit Services 16

COUNTRIES
SERVICED
IN ASIA

InTouch has grown its capabilities and expanded from

inspecting only in Mainland China, to now offering
quality control services in many other countries in Asia,
including: Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, the
Philippines, India, South Korea, Pakistan, Bangladesh,
Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia, and Taiwan.
ABOUT US
“Every day we go to the heart of the issue, be it on the production line, in the testing
lab or in the factory boardroom, so our clients can rest assured that they have the
finest QA support in Asia.”
InTouch Mission
To be an invaluable part of our customers’
supply chain and to foster better relationships
between buyers and suppliers by
providing solutions to quality and overseas
manufacturing issues through product
inspection and related quality control services.
Our focus as a company is simple: to function
as your “eyes and ears” in Asia-based factories
and support you with product inspection,
factory audit, lab testing and our expertise
in controlling the quality of your overseas
manufactured goods. InTouch is also sensitive
to your factory and vendor relationships. We
understand how to work with suppliers so that
they are quite comfortable with independent
inspections and even feel empowered by the
idea of working with an unbiased firm that
can help them communicate with their clients
and better understand their requirements.
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Furthermore, we live and breathe by our Code
of Ethics and maintain a level of integrity
that our customers will attest is the highest
in the industry. Our team consists of locals
and Westerners who live throughout Asia and
speak the local languages. As an employer,
InTouch strives to offer its team members
the very best working conditions in a growth-
focused environment with competitive
compensation and benefits.
Thank you for taking the time to review this
service guide. Please contact us anytime
to learn how we can start to improve your
quality control and overseas manufacturing.
– Andrew Reich,
Founder
and Managing Director
3
WHY CHOOSE INTOUCH
You’ll be protected
by high integrity practices
Bribery, confidentiality breaches and other integrity issues are major concerns for
most importers, which can lead to inaccurate reporting, quality problems, and even
brand liability. InTouch protects you from these problems with specific practices and
documentation, including:

Our strict Code of Ethics, which all of our
staff are trained to follow
Our Factory Integrity Declaration Form,
which we require inspectors and facto-
ry representatives to sign after every
service to provide clarity with regard to
any gifts, meals, transportation or other
favors the factory may have provided
Regularly rotating inspectors to prevent
inappropriately close relationships from
forming between inspectors and factory
staff
Inspection data obtained on-site is
carefully reviewed by our technical team
and your client manager

You’ll receive personalized service

from a dedicated, bilingual contact
You’ll be assigned an experienced client manager who acts as your full-time contact person in
Asia. Our client managers are all bilingual and readily available to answer any of your questions
or review reports by email, phone and Skype. Your CM can also accompany you on visits to your
supplier’s facility and discuss your expectations in person.

You’ll receive
swift, detailed reporting
A faster response helps you get a reliable presence in your supplier’s factory as soon as
possible. In as little as 24 hours from the time you request a booking, our professional
inspectors or auditors can be on-site and report back to you with data gathered firsthand.
You can quickly address any issues found without delaying production or shipping.
Following inspection, we’ll email you a detailed report promptly—for Mainland China,
generally within six hours of service completion—all at no additional cost.
Your audit or inspection report will contain high-resolution photos of any issues found and
other points of interest, so you have a clear understanding of the true situation at your
supplier’s factory and the quality and status of your shipment.

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OUR CLIENTS
“As a result of our partnership with InTouch, we no longer experience the delivery
of defective product in the U.S., late shipments from our suppliers, or the numerous
other problems that had troubled our overseas manufacturing.”
– Henry Lodge, President, Lodge Manufacturing
“InTouch worked hand-in-
hand with both our factories in
China and our staff in the U.S.,
developing detailed QC checklists
and ensuring production was being completed
according to both our specifications and FDA and
CPSC standards. InTouch has proved itself invaluable
to Lodge with its constant attention to quality issues in
the housewares industry.”
– Henry Lodge,
President, Lodge Manufacturing
As a family owned business,
Wine Enthusiast Companies
has provided accessories
and solutions for the wine
lifestyle since 1979. To ensure their customers
receive the highest quality wine refrigerators, racks
and cooling units, Wine Enthusiast has relied on
InTouch’s inspections in China since 2013. InTouch
inspectors regularly report on product appearance,
assembly and temperature readings, as well as
perform crucial on-site tests related to safety,
current leakage and functionality.
“The QA services we received
were truly a cut above those
of inspection companies we
had worked with before. Andrew ensured that our
manufacturing was closely monitored, production
schedules were accurate, and when there were issues in
the factory that they were clearly communicated to us in
a timely manner. The level of service we received from
the InTouch team was first-rate, and I look forward to
working with them again.”
– Simon Golledge,
Procurement Director, The Continuity Company
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As a supplier of medical
components and packag-
ing for pharmaceutical and
food use, MJS needs 100
percent assurance that the specifications of materi-
als and products purchased from overseas are met
without any deviation. Since 2009, MJS has relied on
InTouch as its QA partner in China. InTouch product
inspections subject MJS products to a rigorous
quality check that includes a full performance testing
regimen and materials verification.
Anderman Industrial Ceramics is a
leading distributor of refractory and
technical ceramics. As a family-owned
business established in the UK in
1947, Anderman has built its success
on high quality products. Since 2015,
InTouch has helped Anderman manage product
quality through conducting post-manufacture, pre-
shipment inspections in China and India. Critical
on-site checks include function testing, measuring
product dimensions, and verifying packaging
methods and materials.
Z Gallerie offers the latest in
furniture, art and home decor
at their 68 stores across
the United States and online. Since 2013, InTouch
has verified product requirements and quality on-site
at Z Gallerie’s suppliers in China and Vietnam. From
highly detailed wooden sanctuaries to painted and
laminated tables and chairs, Z Gallerie relies on InTouch
inspections to ensure production meets their quality
standards. InTouch inspectors measure dimensions,
check for irregularities in surface coating and structure
and perform on-site testing to identify quality defects.
5
PRODUCT INSPECTION
The most effective way of preventing last minute quality related delays is to inspect and
monitor the product early in the manufacturing process. By initiating a rigorous inspection
weeks or even months before your shipment is due, we can ensure that the quality and
timely delivery of your merchandise is never in jeopardy.

Early and DUPRO Inspection

During production (DUPRO) and early
production inspections not only check
the initial products coming off the line in
a manner consistent with our final pre-
shipment inspection techniques, but
also check and document the status of
raw materials, components, and partially
finished goods. You will receive a report
containing information about production
flow, equipment use, production capacity,
and any potential issues or bottlenecks —
all in an easy-to-understand format. After
reviewing the findings with you, we will
help you take any necessary corrective or
preventative actions, ensuring that next-
steps are understood and implemented
by factory management. Key elements of
DUPRO and early production inspection are:

Feature Check
Early knowledge of potential issues
and correction of a minor problem
before it turns into a major one — the
most effective way of ensuring prod-
uct quality and preventing last minute
delays
Rigorous inspection of the initial
finished product AND raw materials,
components, and partially finished
goods
Clear presentation of production
flow, equipment use and production
capacity
Assurance that necessary corrective
actions are well understood and will
be implemented by the factory
Reporting that gives you an in-depth
understanding of the manufacturing
process and increases the knowledge
base within your organization

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Final Inspection
Final, pre-shipment inspection lets you rest
assured that the goods you’re receiving
meet your expectations and that there will
be no unexpected quality issues once they
reach their destination. InTouch’s expert
team of local QC inspectors is dispatched
to the factory to inspect your merchandise
based on internationally recognized AQL
(ANSI / ASQ Z1.4-2003) standards. We
review your goods on-site through a variety
of industry standard tests and measures
in order to ensure that the material,
performance, function, and overall quality
meet your specifications.
Feature Check
Inspection initiated when 80–100
percent of the merchandise is complete
Goods inspected based on industry
standards
Thorough on-site testing of material,
performance and function as relates to
your product
Assurance, prior to shipment, that
goods meet quality expectations and
other requirements
Production Monitoring
If your supplier has failed multiple pre-
shipment inspections for the same recurring
defects, you may want to consider production
monitoring services from InTouch. Unlike
final inspections, production monitoring
does not take a random sample of a finished
order. Instead, your products are inspected at
multiple points on the assembly line before
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If you are unsure about which specifications
should be met, senior InTouch QA staff will
develop standards and documentation on
your behalf. Final inspections generally
occur when 80–100 percent of the goods are
finished at the factory, just prior to shipment.
You’ll receive a detailed inspection report
with photos, generally within 2-6 hours of
inspection, giving you an in-depth look at the
product, packaging, and testing performed.
At every step in the process, InTouch staff
are standing by to answer your questions
and engage the factory on your behalf to help
manage any quality or production issues. Key
elements of final inspection are:
packaging. When defects are identified, the
affected products are removed from the
line and separated in order to be reworked
in accordance with your quality standards.
Production monitoring allows you to
drastically reduce the amount of defective
items that are packaged and shipped–saving
you both time and money.
7
 Feature Check
InTouch technical team examines an Whether you decide to accept shipment,
approved sample of your product and re- request that certain defects be rectified,
cords all dimensions, product markings, or require reworking, InTouch will moni-
shipper carton markings, and functions tor and follow up on the factory’s imple-
Our technical team creates a comprehen- mentation of your decision
sive QC Checklist with your quality stan-
dards so that the critical aspects of your
product are inspected at the appropriate
points during each stage of production
We train our inspectors to identify and
communicate all defects found to your
supplier. These staff can be reporting
from the factory floor any time produc-
tion is running
Inspectors issue daily reports to you so
that you know the type and quantity of
defects found in your items before the
shipment ever leaves the factory

Loading and Transportation Monitoring

You may need added assurance that
your goods are protected from theft,
mishandling, and incorrect loading. InTouch
QA teams can go on-site at the factory, port,
or other third-party logistics areas to ensure
that your goods are properly loaded before
shipping. You receive detailed reporting of
the process with photos. We have monitored
the transport of everything from oversized
gas tanks for use in the petroleum industry
to cookware en route to Sweden. This
service is particularly valuable for those
shipping a product for the first time, or
when there are detailed loading criteria,
which, if not met, could result in serious
financial loss or damage to your reputation.
Key elements of loading and transportation
monitoring include:

Feature Check
Protection from theft, mishandling
or incorrect loading of goods
Assurance of proper loading and
packing assortment when goods are
being shipped directly to your own
customer

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INDUSTRIAL INSPECTION
SERVICES
Industrial projects present their own set
of unique quality challenges in the form of
scale, complexity, and strict time frames.
Industrial products often have a much greater
need to resist wear and tear than consumer
goods. They also often rely on highly precise
specifications in order to operate properly.
Whether your product is a wind turbine that
stands 100 feet tall or a steel propeller moving
a freighter along the ocean from 30 feet below
the surface, industrial products require quality
control inspection by skilled engineers.
InTouch’s industrial division teams are
composed of experienced professionals,
often with an engineering background, trained
to inspect a specific category of industrial
products. We’ll ensure you have the right team
for the job and that your industrial products are
carefully and thoroughly evaluated.
In addition to professional oversight of your
industrial goods via QC inspection, you might
also benefit from InTouch’s experience with the
following:
Supplier identification
Loading and transportation monitoring
Product testing, including function,
diagnostic, coating thickness, material
composition and others
Our technical specialists can also work with
you to develop new testing procedures and
quality standards to check your product based
on different conditions for operation.

Product Categories
Maritime equipment Industrial equipment
• Intermodal freight containers • Storage vessels
• Gantry cranes • Cranes
• Reach stackers • Metallurgical equipment
• Marine vessels
• Advanced corrosion services
Power & utilities Asia oil & gas
• Wind, hydro and nuclear turbines • Oil platforms
• Wind turbine blades • Drill pipes
• Steam generators • OCTG tubular systems
• Reactor vessels

“
One of our customers had been through multiple suppliers year after year
and had been let down with returns and rejections. With InTouch as our eyes
and ears on the ground, we retained that business for 5 years without one
single rejection or complaint.
– Nick Rivera,
Director of Operations, MMI Textiles

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SUPPLIER REVIEW
Often considered the last step in the sourcing process, a supplier review audit is vital to helping
you narrow your list of potential suppliers or ensure you’re working with the right one. An InTouch
supplier review will give you an up-close look into a manufacturer’s capabilities, organization,
management, and quality controls. Supplier reviews are audits based on internationally
recognized ISO 9001 standards, evaluating and rating the facility in accordance with nine
individual criteria and assessing such things as production equipment, capacity, quality control,
testing, social compliance, safety, material supply chain, infrastructure, organization, cleanliness,
business registration, and management.
We can customize evaluations to answer specific concerns you may have and look more closely
at areas of the factory that are particularly relevant to your project. A supplier review may also
include meetings with factory management to explain ideas or product concepts and obtain
feedback. Our reporting covers exactly what you need to know in order to make an informed
decision about using a particular supplier. InTouch staff review the findings in detail with your
team and assist you with any follow-up questions you may have. Supplier reviews include the
following key elements:

Feature Check
A detailed yet easy-to-understand
overview of your supplier’s
capabilities
Factory evaluation on the basis of
internationally accepted ISO 9001
standards and rated on a variety of
key criteria
Fully customizable evaluations
designed to answer specific
questions about a facility
InTouch findings reviewed in detail
with your team and assistance with
follow-up provided if needed

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Comprehensive Supplier Reviews
A basic supplier review can be a lower-
cost solution for importers that just want
a broad overview of their supplier’s facility.
Basic supplier reviews cover several areas,
including general supplier information,
necessary licenses, review of employee
relations and organizational structure, and
basic facilities and production equipment.
When you’re choosing among multiple poten-
tial suppliers to work with and need a more
in-depth report of a supplier’s true capabilities,
you’ll benefit more from InTouch’s comprehen-
sive supplier review. A comprehensive review
includes checks of several areas not included
in a basic review, including:
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Review of each production process
Review of quality management systems
(QMS)
Review of quality control at each
production process
Review of lab testing process
Review of HR recruitment and training
Review of engineering and design functions
A comprehensive review also includes
objective scoring and an overall facility
rating in the report to make it easy for you to
interpret results and any trouble areas.
11
COMPLIANCE AUDITING
AND CONSULTING
InTouch can help ensure that your suppliers’ practices, facilities, and paperwork meet the
requirements of governing bodies, major retailers, and other compliance frameworks. To
determine adherence to social compliance, quality, security, or environmental standards,
InTouch can go on-site to report on current conditions, and uncover any issues and
deficiencies. We also offer follow-up consulting to support the manufacturer with their
remediation efforts. InTouch employs auditors certified in a number of compliance
frameworks who can work on your behalf to:

Service Overview
Access the level of compliance at the
facility
Identify specific areas of concern and
deficiencies that need corrective action
Train factory management and staff to
ensure the proper implementation of
corrective action plans
Regularly call, email and communicate
with factory staff to ensure that
corrective actions are underway
Follow-up with future site visits to
reassess the level of compliance and
report on progress

Throughout the entire process, InTouch staff will be readily available to report back to you on
the status at the factory and to address your questions and concerns. Key auditing frame-
works of our compliance programs include:

Feature Check
Social compliance to meet
standards of major brands/retailers
or SA8000
Quality management system (QMS)
compliance with ISO 9001
Customs-Trade Partnership Against
Terrorism (C-TPAT)
Good manufacturing practices (GMP)
Environmental management system
(EMS) compliance with ISO 14001
British Retail Consortium (BRC)

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QC DOCUMENT
DEVELOPMENT
Do you feel like your sourcing operation is lacking identifiable and clearly communicated
quality requirements and testing standards? InTouch can provide you with the same
competitive advantage that we’ve been providing to major brands and importers for years
through detailed, yet easy-to-understand, product quality checklists. QC checklists are
integral to the sourcing process for companies that are focused on quality. Checklists
document the requirements and expectations for your merchandise in terms of product
materials, performance, safety, potential defects, and packaging. In addition, by creating
product specifications, you empower the factories you work with by clarifying your
expectations.
Having such documentation gives you the freedom to switch factories quickly, if
necessary, without feeling beholden to, or overly invested in any one manufacturing
partner. InTouch QC checklists also allow you to clearly communicate your product’s
strengths and capabilities within your organization with a high level of professionalism.
They also provide sales staff with a powerful tool for demonstrating your commitment to
quality to potential clients.

1. Section 5: On-site Tests

Check- Sample
No. Checkpoint Instruction Tolerance Result
point size

Apply a force to the item as shown in the below tables.

For thin flexible blades, always apply a force of 25N ± 1N
regardless of their length.
• A thin flexible blade e.g. slicing knife, is defined as a blade,
No crack,
which when each side in turn is forced down at an angle
break or
Knife of 45° on a plane until flat over 50% of its length, remains
permanent
1. Strength 2* undamaged and does not acquire a permanent set in
deformation
Test excess of 3°
of more than
Blade length Blade test force 50% of blade 3°
mm N strength

Up to 100 20±1
Figure 2:
> 100 30±1 Screening test for thin flexible blades

Blade Apply bending force in vertical position No evidence

2. Tip 2* (10 degree arc each side of vertical position, N/A to heavy of permanent
Check knives). deformation

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PRODUCT CERTIFICATION
AND TESTING
InTouch’s lab testing solutions provide due diligence to limit your company’s liability
risk and ensure that your products meet all legal and safety requirements. The result is
tangible documentation proving that your product has undergone comprehensive testing,
performs as expected, and is safe for the end user. We work exclusively with ISO-certified
labs and also perform in-house testing, covering a wide range of certifications and
standards, including ASTM, ANSI, UL, ETL, FDA, and CSA. The following are examples of
the kind of product testing we perform:

Service Overview
Food-grade material testing Kitchenware, housewares, and
cookware testing
Product performance and endurance
testing Product lifecycle and benchmark
Shock and transport testing testing

Product safety testing
Textile and fabric testing
Toy and child safety testing
Electrical testing
FCC, UL, CSA, CE, ISO, and other
product certifications
Testing protocols are customized based
on your product. Contact us for more
information.

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SUPPLIER IDENTIFICATION
AND PRODUCT SOURCING
SUPPORT
The ability to find the best suppliers and access them directly is what has distinguished
the global sourcing process for successful brands, importers and retailers. InTouch
gives you a competitive edge in the marketplace by helping you identify suitable and
professional manufacturers in China and Vietnam. The key to successful sourcing is
finding a supplier that is a good fit for your product category, volumes, R&D needs, price
structure, and logistical requirements.
On a project-by-project basis, InTouch assists you in identifying manufacturers in China or
Vietnam that match your needs. Our knowledgeable staff organize factory quotes, review
samples, check product specifications, and review factory-provided testing reports. Our
QA teams initiate product testing, develop quality guidelines (bilingual and signed off by
the factory) and visit the factory.

Service Overview
Search for qualified suppliers from on-
line databases, such as Global Sources
and Alibaba. We can also attend local
tradeshows on your behalf
Qualify potential suppliers by contacting
them directly with your product
requirements
Request and review product samples
from potential suppliers to check
adherence to you quality standards
Audit potential suppliers’ facilities
based on ISO 9001 to assess quality
management systems, production
capacity and other areas

Submit a report of potential suppliers

and their price quotes, rating suppliers
based on communication, reliability and
overall professionalism

Whether you’re a newcomer to sourcing

from Asia or an experienced buyer looking
to cut costs while improving quality, InTouch
provides you with a highly effective, low-
cost alternative to managing your own
local office and gives you the security of
knowing that experienced manufacturing
professionals are looking out for you 24/7.

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TRAVEL AND SUPPLIER
VISIT SERVICES
If you travel abroad with your trading agent, your trip might be organized according to their
preferences, rather than your own priorities. If you’d rather travel comfortably and eat on
your own terms, InTouch’s travel and supplier visit services can help. You’ll receive the
highest level of service and support for all your travel needs in Asia, including transportation,
accommodation, translators, personal assistants and more. A dedicated client manager
from InTouch can accompany you on factory visits to provide assistance and discuss quality
concerns in real-time. We arrange trips like these both for ourselves and for our clients on a
daily basis, so there’s no one more qualified than us to do it for you.

“
When I got your reports I was impressed with the level of detail—the point-by-
point breakdown with all the photos. We definitely saw a lower defect rate, lower
product returns and improved customer satisfaction.
– Victoria Brewer,
Director of Product Development, Betabrand

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Internet:
info@intouchquality.com
www.intouchquality.com

USA Contact:
PH: 443-485-6415
PH: 888-650-5020 (Toll-Free)

China Headquarters:
13T, 13th Floor, LvHua Building, No. 2 HuanLin St.
ShangMeiLin Area, Futian District, Shenzhen, China, 518049
深圳市福田区上梅林环林街2号绿化大厦13T
邮编：518049
PH: +86-755-89821413
FAX: +86-755-82860483