Case Study: Developing a Multi-Stage Inspection and Multidimensional Product Identification System

Author: Richárd Barbalics, Project Manager, Miell Quality Ltd.

Initial Situation

A quality deviation identified at one of our partner’s facilities revealed that an incorrect label had been affixed to the product.

Following the identification of the issue, the first priority was to organise a comprehensive inspection of all affected products. The objective was clear: to determine whether each product carried the correct or incorrect label and to ensure that inspected items could be clearly segregated according to their conformity status.

Accordingly, Miell Quality commenced the inspection of the affected raw materials, semi-finished products and finished goods, while implementing clear identification and marking procedures based on product conformity status.

However, the project did not end with the initial inspection phase.

Additional Inspection Requirements

Following the initial inspection, two further inspections were required to assess two additional quality defect types, with each inspection carried out at a separate point in time on products that had already been inspected and marked.

This introduced a new level of complexity.

During the initial inspection, it had been sufficient to distinguish between products with compliant and non-compliant labelling. With the introduction of further inspections, however, it also became necessary to track whether each product had been:

  • inspected for labelling conformity;
  • inspected for the first additional defect type;
  • inspected for the second additional defect type.

In other words, a simple pass/fail marking system no longer provided sufficient information.

The Solution: A Multidimensional Product Identification System

Miell Quality therefore further developed the original marking system to accommodate the expanded inspection requirements.

The revised system had to provide more than the outcome of a single inspection. It needed to clearly identify the status of multiple independent quality inspections for each individual product.

The system was designed to track product status across three separate inspection dimensions:

1. Label inspection – inspected / non-conforming

2. First additional defect type – inspected / non-conforming

3. Second additional defect type – inspected / non-conforming

This approach ensured that the results of the individual inspection stages remained distinct and that the complete inspection status of each product could be tracked throughout the process.

Managing Inventory at Different Inspection Stages

An additional challenge was that not all products were at the same stage of the process when the system was implemented.

The inventory included raw materials that had already been inspected, manufactured products that had undergone inspection, batches prepared for dispatch, and stock that had not yet been inspected.

Consequently, establishing a single inspection checkpoint was not sufficient.

Inspections had to be organised at different stages of the process, depending on the individual product’s position in the production and logistics workflow.

The objective was to maintain clear and reliable inspection status identification as products moved from one process stage to the next.

The complete inspection status of each individual product became traceable.

The multidimensional identification system made it possible to determine not only whether a product was compliant or non-compliant, but also which inspections had already been completed and which examinations were still outstanding.

This was particularly important for dispatch operations, as only products for which all required inspections had been completed and their status clearly established could be released for delivery to the customer.

To ensure that only products inspected for all three relevant defect types were dispatched, a dedicated product identification system was implemented. The solution was subsequently incorporated into the label inspection process as well.

Results

The project transformed an initially simple pass/fail marking approach, designed to address a single defect type, into a traceable inspection system capable of managing multiple quality criteria simultaneously.

As a result:

  • Inspected products could be clearly distinguished from non-conforming products.
  • The status of all three quality inspections could be tracked independently.
  • Inventory at different inspection stages could be managed more effectively.
  • Individual product inspection status could be monitored remotely.
  • The risk of dispatching products that had not undergone all required inspections could be reduced in a cost-effective manner.

Miell Quality: Tailored Solutions for Complex Quality Challenges

The project’s primary achievement was not simply the inspection of the affected products, but the development of a product identification and traceability system capable of managing multiple independent quality requirements simultaneously.

Throughout the project, Miell Quality adapted the system to accommodate evolving inspection requirements. This transformed the original basic status-marking approach into a multidimensional solution supporting the entire inspection process.

The result: clear product status identification, comprehensive traceability and enhanced reliability throughout the dispatch process.