KENYA · GUIDE 0869 · EDITION 4.2

Ceramic mug making in Kenya: Operations and Quality Checks

Deliver the agreed result consistently

Define mugs by usable capacity, handle comfort, surface finish, and intended food contact, arranging competent verification rather than assuming decorative ceramic materials suit drinking vessels.

The operating sequence for this offer is:

Specify mug size, handle and intended food-contact use, consulting applicable requirements and competent pottery and glaze advice before production.
Form and fire controlled samples through a competent kiln process, keeping clay, glaze and batch information linked to each test run.
Inspect cracks, sharp glaze defects and stability, verify food-contact suitability, and release only pieces meeting the agreed specification.

Put acceptance into the job record

No cracks or sharp glaze defects; food-contact suitability verified

Inspect complete fired samples for cracks, handle attachment, stability, and glaze defects, using appropriate verified requirements before accepting claims about food contact or cleaning performance.

Inspect at the point where a correction is still possible, then again at handover. Record rejected or incomplete output separately from accepted output. A completed task is not automatically an accepted task, and an invoice does not establish that the customer received the right result.

Measure real capacity

Time preparation, the main operation, transport, cleaning, approvals and correction as applicable. The slowest stage determines how much you can promise. Where two orders need the same person, space or equipment at the same time, resolve the conflict before confirming both deadlines. An additional enquiry should not erase a commitment already made.

Operating checkpoint	Evidence for this business
Before starting	Define mugs by usable capacity, handle comfort, surface finish, and intended food contact, arranging competent verification rather than assuming decorative ceramic materials suit drinking vessels.
During delivery	Form and fire controlled samples through a competent kiln process, keeping clay, glaze and batch information linked to each test run.
At acceptance	Inspect complete fired samples for cracks, handle attachment, stability, and glaze defects, using appropriate verified requirements before accepting claims about food contact or cleaning performance.
At the pilot review	Keep clay and glaze references, sample dimensions, firing outcomes, defects, competent verification results, packing damage, and user feedback about holding and pouring from the mug.

Keep a correction and escalation rule

When inputs, access, specifications or customer instructions change, pause the affected work and confirm the effect on time and cost. Do not quietly lower the acceptance standard to avoid a delayed delivery. Keep rework caused by your error distinct from a customer-requested change of scope and agree the remedy clearly.

An appealing unfired shape may produce inconsistent handles or glaze defects after firing, so accepting orders from an unfinished sample can undermine delivery promises substantially.

Retain the minimum records needed to investigate a complaint without disclosing unrelated personal information. Use measured delivery and actual acceptance as the basis for expanding capacity, rather than the maximum theoretical output of a tool or production line.

Operating control points for this exact offer

Sequence	Work method	Release checkpoint
1	Work with a qualified studio to select a known clay, compatible liner glaze and their supported firing process. Record product codes and supplier instructions.	An AP craft-material label or a glaze described as food safe does not by itself validate your finished mug.
2	Prepare a measured clay bar and slab/handle connection samples, and have the studio fire them through the intended schedule. Record actual shrinkage and surface results.	Use those results to revise the wet pattern; do not assume a universal shrinkage percentage.
3	Roll slabs with thickness guides, cut the draft wall and base, then join and compress using the studio’s clay-specific method. Fit handles at compatible moisture stages and smooth rims.	Look for trapped seams, thin bases and handle cracks before drying; do not repair a structural crack with glaze.
4	Identify every piece, dry under the studio’s process and submit with the chosen glaze/application record. The qualified operator controls kiln loading, firing and cooling.	No invented temperature or generic cone instruction replaces the clay, glaze and kiln documentation.
5	Inspect for cracks, sharp feet, unstable bases and glaze faults; measure actual capacity consistently. Arrange the required finished-product assessment/testing before approving drinking use.	Do not claim dishwasher, microwave or thermal-shock performance from one successful fill with water.

Do not substitute a tick for an observation: record the count, measurement, approved sample or evidence reference used at each checkpoint. Mark unresolved work as held and identify who can approve the recheck.

Diagnose a failure before repeating it

Observed symptom to investigate	Check the cause	Proposed response
Handle cracks at the join	Inspect moisture timing, attachment method and shrinkage specimens with the potter.	Reject the affected mug and revise the joining/drying process; glaze is not a structural adhesive.
Glaze develops pinholes or crazing	Compare application, clay/glaze codes and firing record.	Hold food-use release and have the studio assess compatibility and testing requirements.
Mug rocks on the counter	Check the foot and base on a flat reference surface.	Have the studio correct or reject the piece, preserving a safe smooth foot and avoiding unsupported durability claims.

These are diagnostic prompts, not proof of the cause in a real incident. Separate suspect output, record any correction and repeat the relevant acceptance check. Link rejected units, rework time, replacement materials, customer credits and collection delays to the actual job result.