Compliance & Quality

Quality is an important aspect of our business for both ourselves and our customers. We strive to work with the best suppliers we can (learn more about our raw materials and suppliers here) but that is only a small part of the quality of our finished product.

Our process includes the hand checking of every sock that leaves our factory. Our team in the work in progress division, lovingly check the quality, finish and technical specs of each sock ensuring that they are not only knitted without faults, but that they meet the same size finish to every sock of that style that has come before them. This ensures that your socks are in great condition and if you buy another pair of your favourite socks years down the line, they are still going to be the same fabulous quality as the originals you have grown to love.  This is very important to us as some of our longest standing styles have been made here for upwards of 20 years and some of our customers have been buying our styles for a lifetime. To complement our internal quality systems we made the decision to certify our processes so our company holds the  Q-Base Code: 2001 Telarc Registration for quality.

What does this mean for you?

The key elements of the current clauses of the code are:
 
Management of the quality system
The company must appoint one of its staff as the systems co-ordinator with overall responsibility and authority for quality assurance in the day to day work of the organisation. The systems coordinator is required to ensure that all staff follow the policies and procedures set out in the quality manual at all times. He or she is also responsible for monitoring and continually improving the quality management system. As the code does not require that the systems co-ordinator is a quality management professional, this role is often carried out by the chief executive or the owner/ manager of the sme.
 
Control of documents and records
Documents, including any method of recording or displaying information, are essential for ensuring the quality of products and services, and the proper operation of a company. Therefore, the company must have a system for uniquely identifying and controlling all its documents to ensure that only the current editions are in use and that no unauthorised changes are made. The system would also allow for the dissemination of relevant information to all who need it to ensure that essential processes are well understood and carried out accordingly.  
 
Customer needs
A major source of product or service problems stem from a lack of effective communication between the customer and supplier. Therefore, the company must review all contracts for the supply of goods or services to ensure that the customer needs or requirements are well understood and that the company has the capability to meet those needs. The same principles apply to any changes to an order, so that changes are well understood and communicated to all interested parties.  
 
Purchasing
The company must have a system for controlling the purchase of materials, components, and subcontract services. It must select suppliers and subcontractors on the basis of performance and not price alone. This is because critical materials must be optimal if they are not to reduce the quality of the company’s own goods or services. The company should also monitor the performance of suppliers and subcontractors, and check that the orders are delivered on time, in the correct quantities, and the correct specifications.  
 
Training and work instructions
Staff should be well trained for the work they do and if necessary should be provided with written instructions setting out how critical tasks are to be carried out. Instructions should include reference to any standards, codes and regulations, where applicable. A properly designed training programme will ensure that each person’s training needs are properly assessed and appropriate training is given. Further, the use of approved work instructions minimises variations and inconsistencies in the process.
 
Inspecting and control of substandard work
The company must have plans and procedures for the inspection of raw materials, components, work in progress, and finished products as well as plans for the calibration and verification of all measuring, testing and inspection equipment. The system must also allow for materials and products to be inspected as they flow through the production process to ensure that they can move to the next processing stage or are removed because they have been found to be substandard. The quality system should also include procedures for dealing with substandard products including procedures for their disposal.  
 
Continual improvements
The company must have a procedure for investigating any incidences of substandard product, customer complaints, or other quality failures to determine the root cause of the problem. Once the cause it determined, action must be taken to ensure that the same or similar problem does not reoccur. The key is finding a permanent solution for that problem. This often involves looking beyond the symptoms at the underlying factors contributing to the problem.