Firstly on routine duties like welding, no amount of Quality Assurance processes will substitute for a final inspection regime. Apart from being the “proof of effective QA, it is a legal requirement.

Secondly, variances in training, skill and experience of personnel and even changes in external factors which impact on competent personnel mean that an independent assessor may be valuable in providing a sense-check on the process.

Finally and perhaps most importantly, inspection feeds into the management of change process. It identifies issues at the level of internal quality costs and prevents non-compliant (i’m tired of (non-conforming”) products being released to the external customer. Additionally, inspection provides input to the PDSA cycle. Effective study of inspection data produces the best opportunity for managed change and effective actions.