Quality policy — how we run QA on every program
A branded merch program is a quality story, not a production story. The recipient does not see the decorator, the freight carrier or the SAT compliance trail; they see the item that arrives in their hands, and they judge the brand by that item. This page documents the QA process we run on every program, the standards we measure against, and the issue-resolution path when something does not meet the brief.
The principle behind the policy
Three principles define the QA process. The first is that quality is measured at every stage, not just at the end. A program that passes a final inspection but failed two in-process checks has consumed rework time that should have been prevented upstream; the cost of that rework is paid by the schedule, not by the QA budget. The second is that quality standards are written down, shared with the production team, and signed off by the buyer before production starts. A program that runs to "the decorator's standard" is a program that runs to no standard at all. The third is that the issue-resolution path is a one-page document, not a process to be invented at the time of the issue. When something goes wrong, the buyer should not be negotiating the response — they should be reading it.
These three principles shape the QA process described below. The process is not unique to us — most production houses run some version of it. What we publish here is the specific standard, the specific measurement, and the specific response time that Corp-Merch Mexico commits to in 2026.
The four QA stages
Stage 1 — Incoming inspection
Every blank lot is inspected on arrival against the buyer's spec: fabric weight and hand-feel for apparel, dimensions and capacity for drinkware, colour match for the Pantone reference. AQL 2.5 sampling on lots above 500 pieces; 100 per cent inspection on lots below.
Stage 2 — In-process checks
At the 10 per cent and 50 per cent marks of the production run, decoration is checked against the artwork: alignment, registration, ink density, curing temperature, embroidery thread tension. A defect at this stage triggers a hold and a re-check before the run continues.
Stage 3 — Pre-shipment audit
Final inspection on the packed goods against the buyer's spec and the packing list. AQL 1.5 sampling on lots above 500 pieces; 100 per cent inspection on lots below. Serialised unit IDs recorded for traceability.
Stage 4 — Post-delivery reconciliation
The delivered-vs-roster report is reconciled with the buyer's office within five business days of delivery. Any defects reported after delivery are processed through the issue-resolution path with replacement units shipped from local stock.
Chapter 1 — Standards and measurement
Quality is not a feeling — it is a measurement. For each item type we maintain a written standard that specifies the dimensions, the tolerances, the colour reference, the decoration method and the QA sampling rate. For apparel, the standard references the ISO 3635 size-chart tolerances and the buyer's Pantone codes. For drinkware, the standard references the nominal capacity, the wall thickness and the dishwasher-cycle rating. For packaging, the standard references the dimensions, the print resolution and the substrate weight.
The standard is shared with the buyer's office before production starts and signed off as part of the PO. If the buyer's office changes the spec mid-program, the change is documented as a revision; if the change affects the decoration method, the unit cost or the lead time, the change is reflected in a revised PO before production continues.
Chapter 2 — NOM and USMCA compliance
For programs that require NOM compliance — toys, electronics and food-contact items — the QA process includes a documentation check alongside the physical inspection. The NOM standard is specified on the CFDI 4.0 as a productos classification line; the physical inspection verifies that the goods carry the NOM mark and the care/origin labelling required by NOM-004-SCFI-2006 for textiles, NOM-015-SCFI-2007 for toys and NOM-251-SSA1-2009 for food-contact items.
For USMCA programs, the QA process verifies country-of-origin labelling on every unit: the "Made in Mexico" mark or the equivalent, the fibre-content statement and the care instructions in English (or bilingual ES/EN where the buyer specifies). The chain-of-custody record is maintained in parallel, so that the goods can be traced from the blank supplier through to the buyer's warehouse.
Chapter 3 — Issue resolution
The issue-resolution path is the part of the QA policy that gets read most. It has three steps. First, the buyer reports the issue to [email protected] with the program reference, the issue type and the unit count. We acknowledge within 24 hours. Second, the issue is triaged against the standard: is the defect within tolerance, outside tolerance, or a spec change that was not captured in the PO? The triage determines whether the response is a replacement, a rework or a credit note.
Third, the response is delivered within five business days of the triage. Replacements are shipped from local stock where the issue is reproducible; credit notes are issued against the CFDI 4.0 trail with the complemento de pagos line completed. We file a copy of the issue and the response in the program archive, so that the same defect is prevented on the next program for the same buyer.
Chapter 4 — Continuous improvement
Every program closes with a QA review: a 30-minute call between the account manager, the production lead and the buyer's office to review the issues that surfaced during the program, the response time on each, and the changes that will prevent the issue on the next program. The output of the review is a one-page improvement memo, filed in the program archive.
For buyers running recurring programs, the QA review is part of the framework agreement: a quarterly review covers the issues across all programs in the quarter, the response-time trend, and the changes to the standard for the next quarter. The framework agreement is updated annually.
FAQ — quality policy
What is the AQL sampling rate?
AQL 2.5 on incoming inspection for lots above 500 pieces; AQL 1.5 on pre-shipment audit for lots above 500 pieces. 100 per cent inspection for lots below 500 pieces and for premium engraved or leather goods.
How fast do you acknowledge a quality complaint?
Within 24 hours of receipt at [email protected]. Triage and response inside five business days of acknowledgement.
Do you replace defective units?
Yes — replacements are shipped from local stock where the issue is reproducible. The CFDI trail is adjusted with the corresponding credit note and complemento de pagos line.
Do you maintain a chain-of-custody record?
Yes — every unit carries a serialised ID that traces the blank supplier, the decorator and the freight leg. The record is filed in the program archive and is available on request.
Can buyers audit the QA process on-site?
Yes — on-site audits are welcomed for buyers running recurring programs. We coordinate the audit through the account manager; the production lead and the QA lead attend.
Corp-Merch Mexico is an independent production house for branded merchandise and corporate gifts. This page describes the QA process we run on every program. It is not a substitute for a buyer-specific quality agreement; buyers with specific quality requirements should validate them with their own quality team.
Talk to QA
Send us the program details and the quality standard you need to meet — and we will reply with a QA plan, a sampling-rate proposal and the issue-resolution path inside one business hour, Monday through Friday.