Lab testing can be a time-consuming part of production with brands and retailers often working with multiple labs that all require separate workflows. Inspectorio and QIMA are looking to make this process simpler for their clients with a native integration connecting their two platforms for lab test management.

Inspectorio is an AI-powered supply chain management platform working with brands, retailers, suppliers, and manufacturers on their production chain operations. They now work with over 40,000 retailers and suppliers internationally. Inspectorio already manages inspections, testing, and compliance, and this partnership with QIMA gives them access to a leading provider of compliance solutions for testing, inspection, and certification (TIC).

QIMA has a global laboratory network that spans Asia, Europe, and the Americas, covering softlines, hardlines, toys, and electronics. In the textile and apparel sector, QIMA works across every stage of production, from dyeing and cutting to sewing and packaging.

QIMA has prioritized their digital capabilities, and the company’s operations are built to connect to other systems through APIs. This allowed for a ready-to-deploy integration that required no custom development. Test results will be released through QIMA’s systems as structured data, so they arrive in Inspectorio ready to use.

Pierre-Nicolas Disser, CEO of Consumer Products at QIMA, said, “We believe that quality assurance should be both globally scalable and digitally connected. This collaboration is a reflection of our open ecosystem approach, enabling customers to integrate trusted testing expertise into the tools and workflows they already use while continuing to benefit from the technology, data and service capabilities that QIMA provides.”

With this integration, Inspectorio users will create a test request, and the order will be automatically placed in QIMA’s system. The product, purchase order, supplier, and test details will be included. The status updates will show up in real time as the testing progresses, and the final reports, certificates, and structured test results will appear automatically. This will trigger automated reporting, corrective action plans, and analytics. This system will allow customers to continue working with multiple labs while managing all the results in one place.

“Brands and retailers should not have to choose between lab optionality and operational simplicity. With QIMA, we have made that trade-off disappear. Booking a test is as simple as clicking a button, and everything flows back automatically into one connected quality program. This partnership is an extension of our continued focus on Inspectorio as a central hub of interoperability across data, services and software platforms for our customers,” said Chirag Patel, CEO of Inspectorio.

Lab testing has become more important in the manufacturing process as tighter regulations and demands for sustainability ramp up. Dr. Ming Lee, global technical lab testing services director at QIMA, has discussed how claims of biodegradable or recycled content require detailed testing to validate. Similarly, restrictions on substances like per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have also led to increased demand. Lab testing has become a tool allowing businesses to more proactively address the new challenges of supply chains.