Pre-shipment inspection, (also spelled preshipment inspection) or PSI, is a part of supply chain management and an important quality control method for checking the quality of goods clients buy from suppliers.
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PSI ensures that production complies with specifications of the buyer and/or the terms of a purchase order or letter of credit. A final random inspection (FRI), checks finished products when at least 80% of an order has been produced and export-packed. Samples are selected at random, according to standards and procedures.
Pre-shipment inspection can diminish risks inherent to Internet commerce like phishing and fraud.
Process
The pre-shipment inspection can be agreed upon between a buyer, a supplier, and a bank, and it can be used to initiate payment for a letter of credit. A PSI can be performed at different stages before shipment, such as checking the total amount of goods and packing, controlling the quality or consistency of goods, checking of all documentation, as for example test reports, packaging list, or verification of compliance with standards of the destination country like ASME, CE mark and import duties.
Inspection companies
There are two types of PSI companies:
A higher form of the PSI is called expediting, in which the dates of delivery and the production are included in the control.
PSI and corruption charges
The Worldbank recommends pre-shipment inspections as a means to fight corruption especially in developing countries. Some countries, like Botswana, require PSIs for all goods entering the country in order to fight corruption. In these cases the PSI must be performed by the company designated by the country.