Inspect your goods in China yourself, or outsource the inspection?
Going to the factory yourself is reassuring. But a useful inspection takes a method, time and independence. Here is how to choose.
Inspecting yourself is possible if you know the product and the AQL method and can be at the factory on the right day. For 5,000 pieces, a sample of 200 pieces must be checked. Most importers therefore outsource routine inspection to a third party and keep their visits for the supplier relationship.
Three ways to check an order
Before shipping, someone has to check that the goods match what you ordered. There are three options, and they are not equal:
| Who inspects | Strengths | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| You or an employee | Knowledge of the product and the end customer; direct relationship with the factory | Travel, availability on the date set by production, language, method; you are both judge and party |
| The supplier’s quality department | On site all the time, at no extra cost | It checks its own production: when there is a problem, its interest is to ship |
| An independent third-party inspector | AQL method, a standardised and neutral report, available within days anywhere in Asia | Cost per inspection; your requirements must be passed on precisely |
What a serious inspection requires
Walking round the workshop and opening a few cartons is not an inspection. A check that lets you decide whether to ship requires:
- A representative sample: the sample size is calculated with AQL (ISO 2859-1). For an order of 5,000 pieces at inspection level II, 200 pieces must be examined, drawn at random from cartons chosen by the inspector, not by the factory.
- A reference: your specifications and the sample you approved, to compare colour, finish, dimensions and function.
- A checklist: quantities, appearance, dimensions and weight, on-site function and safety tests, markings, labels and packaging.
- A defect classification into critical, major and minor, and acceptance limits set before the inspection: 0 critical defects, and usually 2.5 for majors and 4.0 for minors.
- A report with photos and figures that you can put to the supplier.
Checking 200 pieces one by one, with measurements and tests, often takes the whole day. If you are travelling from Europe, add the journey, and the risk that production is not finished when you arrive.
The limits of inspection by the buyer
- The date is not yours to set. A final inspection only takes place once the order is finished and packed. If the factory runs a week late, your plane ticket is not worth much.
- Distance multiplies. Several suppliers in several provinces, or in Vietnam and India, means as many trips.
- Language and the relationship. Negotiating rework with the factory manager, face to face, in English, after a dinner they paid for: the pressure rarely works in the buyer’s favour.
- Neutrality. If the lot fails, the supplier can dispute your judgement. A report drawn up by a third party under rules written in advance carries more weight.
When to go to the factory yourself
Your presence remains valuable at certain moments, which are more about the supplier relationship than lot inspection:
- the first visit to a new supplier, to meet them and see the workshop (an initial factory evaluation by an auditor usefully completes that impression);
- product development and approval of the reference sample;
- the start of the first production of a technical product, where your engineer needs to settle details with the factory.
When to outsource to an independent inspector
Outsource routine inspection as soon as orders repeat, you have several suppliers or the factory is far from your usual travel. It is also the only realistic way to check every order before paying the balance.
At LPI Quality, the inspection is carried out by an inspector specialised in your type of product, with at least five years’ experience in quality control. We can be at your supplier within 48 hours, at the same all-inclusive rate anywhere in Asia, and the illustrated report reaches you within 24 hours. Inspectors never make decisions about production: you decide, based on the report.
The combination that works best: you go to the factory for the relationship and technical decisions, and a third party checks every lot with a consistent method. To choose that third party, see how to choose an inspection company in China. For the big picture, read our complete guide to quality control in China.
If you inspect yourself: the minimum checklist
- Calculate the sample size with the AQL simulator and note the acceptance limits before you leave.
- Take your specifications, the approved sample, a tape measure, scales and a camera.
- Choose the cartons to open yourself, from across the whole stack, and count the cartons.
- Record every defect, classify it and photograph it next to a size reference.
- Check markings, labels and packaging, not just the product.
- Write a dated report and send it to the supplier the same day.
Frequently asked questions
Isn’t the supplier’s quality department enough?
It is essential, but it checks its own production: in case of delay or defects, its interest is to ship. Ask for its inspection records, then have the lot checked by an independent third party. The difference between the two is explained in our guide quality assurance vs quality control.
How many pieces should I check myself?
The same number as an inspector: the sample size depends on the quantity ordered and the inspection level, under ISO 2859-1. For 5,000 pieces at level II, it is 200 pieces. The AQL simulator gives the sample and limits for any order.
Does an independent inspection report carry weight with the supplier?
Yes, if it rests on rules set in advance. Write the AQL, the reference sample and third-party inspection into the purchase order: a lot rejected on that basis is hard to dispute, and the supplier knows from the start that it will have to rework it.
Hand routine inspection to LPI
An inspector specialised in your product, at the factory within 48 hours, and an illustrated report within 24 hours.