Reliable QC requires more than just going through a checklist

Before Factored Quality, the Plufl team worked with a QC provider in China. They got the job done — but seemed narrowly focused on following a checklist for specs. The process felt “almost sterile,” explains Noah Silverman, Co-Founder of Plufl, when what they really needed was someone to test quality from the perspective of potential users. 

The Plufl is so popular due to its pure coziness. So, you need to center the quality inspection around the overall customer experience, not just quantitative measurements. The goods passed on paper, but the ultimate product experience didn’t live up to the team’s standards. 

While user feedback was mainly positive, the team at Plufl had their sights set on expansion. They feared what these production pain points might look like at scale.

“As an early business still defining the ins and outs of our product, our previous providers felt impersonal, inflexible, and unable to look at our goods from a more holistic POV — beyond this measurement or that minor detail.”

Factored Quality translates unique needs to experts on the ground

In Noah’s words, “It was phenomenal from the start to work closely with Factored Quality.” At a glance, the FQ solution was impactful for two reasons: the team and the tech. 

1. FQ learns everything about your product needs

Plufl partnered closely with FQ’s teams in the U.S. and EU, assuring seamless comms and a built-in understanding of industry terms and what American consumers tend to love. 

As a result, our two teams came up with a reliable and effective workflow. 

1. The Plufl team establishes what is important to the product — setting both quantitative and qualitative standards. 
2. FQ effectively communicates this to the teams on the ground: Plufl’s manufacturers and agents conducting inspections on the line. 
3. The agents implement those new standards, ensuring a consistent Plufl experience. 

2. The FQ platform is easy & intuitive for young brands

Noah admits that, as a very early-stage brand, Plufl had minimal experience with QC. Even then, they found FQ’s software “super easy to use — like QC booking for dummies,” Noah emphasizes. 

He also notes our platform’s flexibility for users, allowing brands to provide specific notes, photos, and videos. This is especially valuable for, again, products like Plufl with unique standards that can’t be broken down into numbers.

“The Factored Quality team understands our product, our market, and what our consumers look for. They’re just amazing at taking our information, condensing it, and delivering it to the agents on the ground in a way they can work with. They accurately reflect our nuanced expectations for the product.”

Since partnering up with FQ, the Plufl team puts the same amount of time into QC as they did with past providers. The difference is they now get so much more out of it: in terms of hands-on support and inspections, nuanced feedback, and reliable end products. 

Overall, working with Factored Quality has helped Plufl dramatically increase the scope and ROI of their Quality Control work. Take a look at some of the metric outcomes: 

• 20% decrease in defective products needing to be replaced
• 17% reduction in returns and refunds

"The team at Factored Quality really stepped in and has been super helpful. I dedicate the same amount of time to QC as I did before, but what we get out of it is much stronger.”

Plufl plans to expand into retail and Amazon or similar online marketplaces. Of course, that level of scale means new rigorous standards for product quality in larger, faster outputs. 

With many changes and iterations (and perhaps even new product launches) on the horizon, Noah and his team are amped to have Factored Quality supporting their QC. He highlights, “FQ isn’t a faceless agency. They’ve invested in getting to know the Plufl brand and product.” 

Moving forward, Factored Quality will serve as a single source of truth for everything QC.