Deciding whether to perform inspections in-house or to hire contract service providers is not solely a question of upfront investment versus long-term need. For some suppliers, a third-party contract service can also provide assurance that parts have been inspected and approved by an unbiased party.
In cases when a manufacturer has a 100% inspection requirement, contractors can also provide next-level tools that are not commonly found on an everyday shop floor or lab—even part makers with robust inspection departments and a variety of CMMs and other tools may not have their own computed tomography scanner at the ready.