- What is the main quality in your product?
- It's just quality.
Product quality control is one of the key factors for successful management of any production or warehouse process. It helps minimize the number of defects, optimize internal operations, and increase customer satisfaction. With the growing demands for product quality, companies are forced to implement effective management systems that allow monitoring and controlling quality at all stages of working with goods.
Odoo offers powerful tools for organizing quality control, providing integration with other business processes. The quality control module in Odoo helps not only to promptly detect non-conformities but also to automate their resolution, significantly reducing potential losses and increasing productivity. With flexible settings, companies can adapt the system to their unique requirements, creating control points and tests to check products at different stages—from receiving and production to shipping to customers.
Here are two examples of how quality control in Odoo is applied in practice for different types of products:
Quality Control in Electronics Manufacturing A company producing smartphones uses the Odoo quality control module to check products at every stage of assembly. For instance:
- At the stage of assembling the motherboard, a control point is set for checking the quality of soldering the microchips. Workers conduct visual inspections and also use test devices to check the functionality of the components.
- Later, at the stage of final smartphone assembly, a control point is created to check the correct installation of the screen and the functionality of all buttons and ports. If defects are identified, the device is sent for rework or rejected.
- At the end of the process, before packaging and shipping to the customer, a final quality check is conducted, where the external condition of the device, the absence of scratches or defects, and the functionality of all features are verified.
Quality Control in the Food Industry A company producing dairy products uses the quality control system in Odoo to check products at every stage of production and storage. For instance:
- Upon receiving milk from suppliers, a control point is automatically created for testing the quality of the raw material. Specialists check for impurities and conduct tests for fat content and acidity. If the parameters do not meet the set standards, the batch of raw materials can be rejected and returned to the supplier.
- During the production of yogurt, at the pasteurization stage, a control point is set to check the pasteurization temperature and the acidity level of the product. If these parameters fall outside the set limits, the product is not allowed to proceed to the next stage of production.
- Before sending the finished yogurt to the warehouse, its expiration dates and storage conditions are checked. If non-conformity is found, the product may be marked as defective and not allowed for sale.
Odoo’s quality control configuration capabilities allow effective management of product inspection processes at different stages of warehouse and production activities. These functions help minimize defects, improve production processes, and meet customer demands. Let’s take a look at the main setup features and quality control processes in Odoo.
1. Setting up the Quality Control System in Odoo
Quality Module Odoo provides a separate "Quality" module that can be integrated with the inventory and production modules. This module allows managing quality at different stages of product handling or production, including goods receipt, production processes, and shipment.
Main setup elements:
- Quality Control Points:
- Quality control points are used to create and define at which stages a quality check is required. These points can be linked to operations, specific products, or stages of the process (e.g., goods receipt, production process, shipping).
- Control points are configured based on various criteria—product, warehouse, operation, and conditions.
- Quality Tests:
- The system allows creating various tests to check quality. These can be simple checks (e.g., visual inspection) or more complex tests using precise parameters (e.g., checking temperature, size, or other physical characteristics).
- Automatic checks can be configured for specific parameters, or manual data entry by employees may be required.
- Quality Checks:
- For each control point, a check can be set up that is triggered automatically when the corresponding operation (e.g., receipt or assembly) is performed. These checks may be mandatory to complete the relevant operations.
- Rejects and Non-Conformance Setup:
- The system allows setting up procedures in cases where the product does not meet quality standards. This may include logging a reject, scrapping a batch, or sending it for re-inspection.
- Quality Statistics and Metrics:
- Odoo allows tracking key quality indicators (KPIs), analyzing defects and rejections, which helps improve processes and reduce defects.
Examples of control points:
- Goods Receipt: Checking the quality of goods received from suppliers.
- Production Stages: Checking quality at various stages of the production process.
- Shipment: Checking before shipping to the customer to ensure the product meets the requirements.
2. Quality Control Process
Quality control stages: Quality control can be performed at different stages of the logistics and production chain:
- Incoming Quality Control:
- When goods arrive at the warehouse from a supplier, a control point is automatically created based on quality settings.
- The quality check may include verifying the quantity, packaging integrity, expiration dates, or other parameters defined at the control point.
- If the goods fail the quality check, they can be moved to the reject zone or returned to the supplier depending on the company’s policy.
- In-Process Quality Control:
- In the production process, control points can be created at various stages (e.g., after assembling certain units or before final assembly).
- Odoo allows intermediate checks during production stages to ensure the quality of intermediate components before the process is completed.
- If the product fails the test, it can be marked for rework or reprocessing.
- Outgoing Quality Control:
- Before shipping goods to the customer, a quality control check can be set up to ensure the product meets all requirements and specifications.
- Outgoing quality control helps prevent the shipment of defective goods and avoid returns from customers.
Defect Handling Procedure:
- Non-Conformance Report (NCR):
- If a non-conformance is found, a Non-Conformance Report (NCR) is created, detailing the problem, its causes, and possible solutions.
- Reject Handling:
- If a product fails the quality check, it can be sent for rework, reprocessing, or scrapped. The system allows keeping track of such cases and taking appropriate actions.
- Root Cause Analysis:
- Odoo supports the ability to conduct root cause analysis to improve processes and reduce non-conformities in the future.
3. Quality Notifications and Reports
Odoo provides tools for monitoring and analyzing product quality data:
- Quality Notifications: The system can send notifications when non-conformities are detected, requiring the attention of managers or other responsible persons.
- Quality Reports: Reports on inspection results, non-conformance incidents, and defects are automatically generated and can be used for process improvement.
- Quality Dashboards: Odoo provides visual dashboards displaying key quality indicators (e.g., the number of checks, rejection rate, the number of scrapped items, etc.).
4. Integration with Other Odoo Modules
Quality control in Odoo is closely integrated with other modules, allowing automation of many processes:
- Inventory: Quality control during goods receipt and shipment.
- Manufacturing: Embedding control points into production routes to check quality at each production stage.
- Purchasing: Evaluating the quality of goods from suppliers with the possibility of blocking further purchases from unreliable suppliers.
- Sales: Ensuring that customers receive products only after they have successfully passed quality checks.
Conclusion
The quality control module in Odoo offers a wide range of features for managing quality at all stages: from goods receipt to production and shipment. The system allows setting control points, automating inspection processes, managing non-conformance incidents, and analyzing data to improve quality. Integration with other Odoo modules ensures complete transparency and control at all levels of the supply chain and production.
The main benefits of the Odoo quality control system (quality control system):
- Reduction of defects: With quality checks at each stage of the process, companies can quickly identify and eliminate defects, reducing the likelihood of unsatisfactory products.
- Improved production efficiency: Automated checks and controls help reduce manual labor, thereby increasing production speed and productivity.
- Enhanced customer satisfaction: Quality checks before product shipment help ensure that only high-quality products that meet all specifications are delivered to customers.
- Integrated management: The Odoo quality control system is fully integrated with other modules (inventory, manufacturing, purchasing, sales), enabling companies to efficiently manage all processes in a unified environment.
The Odoo system offers extensive customization options to meet the requirements and characteristics of various industries, providing complete control over quality management from goods receipt to final product shipment.