# 059: Best Practices for Quality Control on Overseas Production of Your Product

- Show: [Product Startup](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup)
- Published: 2021-01-05
- Length: 35m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2021-01-05-059-best-practices-for-quality-control-on-overseas-production-of-your-product
- Listen: https://productstartup.com/

## Summary

Sajag Agarwal, founder of Movley, explains how his e-commerce brand failed after scaling to $2 million due to 5-10% defect rates and 100% failure on some products, leading to massive warranty claims and business shutdown. He now runs a quality control company that uses data analytics and body cameras to ensure overseas production runs smoothly. Agarwal details three critical inspection stages—initial production check, during production inspection, and pre-shipment inspection—and emphasizes that hiring well-paid, bilingual inspectors is crucial for effective oversight. He argues that building a relationship with factories through face-to-face visits and rigorous, early-stage inspections protects the buyer's interests and improves long-term supplier prioritization.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2021-01-05-059-best-practices-for-quality-control-on-overseas-production-of-your-product#t=0) Introduction: Sajag Agarwal and the failure of his e-commerce brand
- [4:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2021-01-05-059-best-practices-for-quality-control-on-overseas-production-of-your-product#t=260) The pivot to quality control and the cost of defects
- [8:25](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2021-01-05-059-best-practices-for-quality-control-on-overseas-production-of-your-product#t=505) The three stages of production inspection: initial, during, and pre-shipment
- [12:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2021-01-05-059-best-practices-for-quality-control-on-overseas-production-of-your-product#t=724) Inspection costs and the value of high-quality, bilingual inspectors
- [17:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2021-01-05-059-best-practices-for-quality-control-on-overseas-production-of-your-product#t=1021) Using inspectors to bridge the gap between design and factory capabilities
- [21:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2021-01-05-059-best-practices-for-quality-control-on-overseas-production-of-your-product#t=1261) Building relationships with suppliers through early and consistent inspections
- [26:37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2021-01-05-059-best-practices-for-quality-control-on-overseas-production-of-your-product#t=1597) The importance of face-to-face factory visits and setting expectations
- [33:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2021-01-05-059-best-practices-for-quality-control-on-overseas-production-of-your-product#t=1984) Recap and introduction to Movley's tech-driven inspection platform

## Topics

- [Quality & yield](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/quality-and-yield)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Design for manufacturing & NPI](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/design-for-manufacturing)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Movley (company)
- Alibaba (other)
- Apple (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [S2 E8: Quality Engineering and Strategy for Hardware with Matt Lipsitz](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-builder-circle/2024-03-05-s2-e8-quality-engineering-and-strategy-for-hardware-with-matt-lipsitz) (The Builder Circle)
- [#172 - Ops Talk: 5 Things Brands Get Wrong](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2024-12-03-172-ops-talk-5-things-brands-get-wrong) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [Zero Defects in Manufacturing: A Deep Dive into Advanced AOI Solutions with Aaron Shelton from WIT](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2024-10-30-zero-defects-in-manufacturing-a-deep-dive-into-advanced-aoi-solutions-with-aaron) (EMS@C-LEVEL)
- [Overcoming Global Supply Chain Obstacles in Electronics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-10-29-overcoming-global-supply-chain-obstacles-in-electronics) (OnTrack)
- [S2 E9: Global Supply Chain Strategy with Ying Liu](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-builder-circle/2024-03-19-s2-e9-global-supply-chain-strategy-with-ying-liu) (The Builder Circle)

## Citing this page

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