Audits at the Retail Level: Product Quality Focus

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Questions and Answers

What is the primary focus of audits at the retail level?

Product Distribution

Product Quality (correct)

Product Quantity

Product Price

What is the purpose of a preliminary meeting in product quality audits?

To establish an audit protocol (correct)

To conduct the audit

To compare products to competitors

To analyze sensory characteristics

Who should attend the preliminary meeting for product quality audits?

All company employees

Only QA auditors

Representatives from Marketing, Process Operations, and Product Development (correct)

Only Marketing and Sales representatives

What is the purpose of comparing the quality of the company's product to that of competitive brands?

To identify areas for product improvement Signup and view all the answers

What is included in an audit protocol?

All of the above, plus time schedules Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of a product quality audit?

To determine the quality of the company's product Signup and view all the answers

What is the definition of a product quality audit?

A process of inspecting a sample that has previously been inspected and accepted, to determine its quality performance at the retail level Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of comparing the quality of the company's product to that of the same product in previous years?

To identify areas for product improvement over time Signup and view all the answers

What is a key consideration when selecting a sampling characteristic?

The needs of the company Signup and view all the answers

Why is it important to include a list of competitive brands in the audit?

To compare the company's product to competitors Signup and view all the answers

What information should be included in the sampling matrix?

Sample number, city of origin, and date of receipt Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of instructions for field agents?

To ensure proper pick-up of samples Signup and view all the answers

What should be considered when selecting cities for product sampling?

The national distribution of the product Signup and view all the answers

Why is it important to consider the sampling proportion in product sampling?

To reflect the plant's production and container sizes Signup and view all the answers

How many 8 oz bottles should be collected per city?

5 Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the reference sample in the sensory evaluation?

To represent the satisfactory grade at the time of production Signup and view all the answers

How many reference samples are needed for 200 audit samples?

30-40 Signup and view all the answers

What is the responsibility of the QC manager after finishing the analytical work?

To submit the results to the QA auditor Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the analytical testing?

To ensure the quality control of the product Signup and view all the answers

Where should the reference samples be placed after collection?

Under refrigerated conditions Signup and view all the answers

Who relies on the results obtained from the analytical work?

The QA auditor Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of the QC personnel in charge of the audit?

To carry out the analytical testing Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Audits at the Retail Level

Focus on product quality, inspecting a sample that has previously been inspected and accepted by normal inspection methods to determine the degree of compliance to established requirements and its quality performance at the retail level.

Objectives of a Product Quality Audit

Determine the quality of the company's product available to the consumer.
Compare the results to the limits of the company's quality control (QC) specifications.
Compare the quality of the company's product to the quality of competitive brands.
Compare the quality of the company's product to that of the same product in previous years.
Compare the quality of the product manufactured by the company's different plants.

Product Quality Audits at the Retail Level

Audit should be planned through a preliminary meeting to be held by the QA auditor.
Audit protocol should be established during the preliminary meeting, including:
- Audit objectives
- Sampling plan
- Analytical tests to be performed
- Sensory characteristics to be analyzed
- Time schedules
Preliminary meeting should be attended by representatives from marketing/sales, process operations, product development, sensory evaluation, packaging, and QC/statistics.

Things to Consider When Doing Product Sampling

Sampling characteristics appropriate to the needs of the company.
List of competitive brands to be included in the audit for comparison.
Cities where the company and competitor brand products will be purchased (to reflect national distribution).
Sampling proportion that will reflect plant's production and container sizes.
Pick-up dates of samples.
Sampling matrix and label matrix of samples.

Sensory Evaluation of Samples

Compare sample to representative reference product taken from the same population or sampling lot.
Reference sample – qualified as satisfactory grade at the time of production.
1 reference sample for every 5-6 audit samples.
Place all reference samples under refrigerated conditions until selection and actual testing are initiated.

Analytical Testing

Samples will be analyzed according to the required methods for quality control.
The auditor relies on the results obtained from the analysis carried out by the QC personnel in charge of the audit.
The QC manager should submit the results obtained for each product characteristic, for each sample, to the QA auditor, certifying the authenticity of the results and indicating any off-data, explaining reasons for errors, etc.

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Description

This quiz focuses on the process of audits at the retail level, specifically on product quality. It covers the definition and purpose of audits in ensuring compliance with established requirements and quality performance.