Frequently Asked Questions

The quality of production overseas doesn't always meet expectations, which can result in customer rejections or product recalls. Therefore, it's crucial to have someone supervise the production process to prevent defective goods from being shipped. While you could visit the production site yourself, it's expensive and time-consuming. Alternatively, you might consider having the supplier handle quality control, but often the job isn't done professionally, or the supplier is too closely tied to the factory to provide you with unbiased and thorough feedback. 

Benefits of third-party quality inspection services

→ Identify issues early on and minimize rework costs down the line. Early detection also helps prevent potential shipping delays.
→ Ensure that the final bulk product quality meets customer expectations.
→ Collaborating with third-party inspection services often cuts down on travel expenses, internal resource allocation, and provides an unbiased evaluation.

At various stages of production as required, assigned inspectors will visit the factory to randomly select cartons or products based on an agreed sample size and Acceptable Quality Limit (AQL). A thorough inspection will be carried out according to the customer's purchase order, product specifications (tech packs), sample comments, approved samples, and our internal inspection checklist tailored for different product types. Subsequently, a comprehensive report (get our Sample Reports) with detailed illustrations will be provided to customers to help them understand the quality status and make informed decisions.

Different checklists will be applied based on the specific products being inspected. However, a typical inspection, such as garment inspection, will typically include the following areas:

•  Production/packing status and quantities verification
•  Design construction, color, embroidery and printing conformity against tech packs, PP comments, approved samples
•  Workmanship which include symmetry, cleanness, stitching & sewing, fabric fault, inside lining, color effect/consistency, and embroidery & print quality, etc.
•  Size measurements, color fastness check, seam strength test, fabric GSM, barcode check, etc.
•  Fasteners and accessories check
•  Product labeling and marking
•  Packing, assortment and shipping marks
•  Customers' special attention points

It will be customers who will make the decision to approve or reject the shipment. Following the inspection, a comprehensive report with detailed illustrations will be provided to you. Reviewing the report will enable you to determine whether to approve or reject the shipment, or request further modifications until quality standards are met. A re-inspection can then be considered with the aim of checking the required changes have actually taken place. It's important to note that a failed inspection report does not automatically render the batch completely unacceptable, as this can depend on various business factors such as pricing, target clientele, contract terms, etc.

For instance, it is not rare that clients provide outdated specifications, which can result in report failures due to discrepancies between the specifications and the actual products. Therefore, we recommend that customers carefully review the report before making a decision.

Take a look at our Sample Reports

An audit is a snapshot in time of a factory’s conditions or processes. An inspection is an examination of a raw material, component, or finished product for conformance to specifications.

AQL stands for ‘Acceptance Quality Limit’, and is defined in ISO 2859-1 as the “quality level that is the worst tolerable. 

It is not economical or time-efficient to inspect 100% of the purchased quantity, unless the quantity is very small. The AQL inspection is a statistically valid representative sampling inspection that has proven to yield similar results to 100% inspections.

There are two essential concepts associated with AQL: sampling plan which determines how many pieces should be randomly inspected from a certain lot; AQL levels which defines how many Critical, Major and Minor defects can be considered as acceptable based on the selected sample size.  

What sampling plan and AQL level suits your order?

Sampling plan is normally determined based on the following factors: budget, order value, risk level (e.g. new supplier, new product), shipping window, etc. For consumer products, the MAJORITY of inspections follows General Inspection Level-II.  

AQL levels range from 0.065 to 6.5. The larger the AQL level, the more lenient the inspection. For customers with little knowledge, here are mostly commonly used AQLs for reference:

- Critical: 0, Major: 2.5, Minor: 4.0 for inspection of garments, textiles, furniture, houseware, sporting goods, gifts, toys, etc.

- Critical: 0, Major 1.5, Minor 4.0 for inspection of consumer electronics and household appliance, etc. See more detailed explanations in Understanding Sampling Method and AQL in Random Product Inspection