Full inspection or sampling for China orders?
Use sampling to decide whether a batch meets agreed acceptance limits. Screen every unit for specific defects when missed faults would be costly or a known problem needs sorting out. Full screening still has limits: agree the checks, records and release decision. Cambridge China Bridge can coordinate this with its own staff in China.
Choose by the defect you need to catch
Sampling suits a batch acceptance decision where you can accept some risk of undetected defects. Full screening suits a defined, repeatable check, such as finding wrong labels, missing accessories or visible damage across the shipment. Consider it where a missed defect would cause expensive installation work, customer returns or disruption.
A new supplier or changed design should prompt a review of the inspection plan, rather than an automatic demand to check everything. Earlier production checks may catch a shared error before sorting becomes necessary. Our inspection-stage guide covers timing and sampling; here, the decision is which characteristics need checking on every unit.
Separate unit coverage from check coverage
Checking every unit does not mean checking every characteristic. A screen might inspect appearance and labels on every item while measuring dimensions or testing functions only on a sample. Ask for a written coverage list showing each characteristic, its method, whether it covers every unit or a sample, and what remains unchecked.
Neither method guarantees defect-free goods. Inspectors can miss faults, hidden defects may escape the chosen method, and handling after inspection can introduce damage. Destructive tests cannot leave the tested item saleable. Keep laboratory evidence separate from screening results; our report comparison explains what inspection reports can prove.
Agree defects before work starts
Give the factory and inspector the same specification revision, approved sample and illustrated defect list. Define critical, major and minor defects with product-specific examples. Describe viewing conditions for appearance checks, the measuring or test method, and how borderline findings are escalated. A vague instruction such as ‘good finish’ invites different judgements.
For sampling, agree the lot boundaries, random selection method, sample size and acceptance limits. Keep different models, colours or production batches identifiable so a good result does not conceal a problem elsewhere. For full screening, state which findings remove a unit from saleable stock and which require the whole batch to be held. An AQL pass does not mean every item is acceptable.
Make screening traceable
Name who carries out the screen and who verifies it. Agree access to unpacked goods, suitable lighting, working test equipment and enough time for the actual tasks. Have the inspector select sampled goods rather than accept a factory-prepared selection. For full screening, keep unchecked, passed, failed and reworked goods physically separate and clearly labelled.
Ask for records linking results to the order, product variant and carton or unit identity where practical. Reconcile inspected, passed, failed, reworked and uninspected quantities. Record defect photographs and any checks that could not be completed. After repacking, preserve the identity of the released goods so unchecked replacements cannot enter the shipment unnoticed.
Release the defined goods, not just the report
After a failed sample, agree whether to rework, screen for the identified fault or reject the affected lot. Do not repeatedly draw fresh samples simply to obtain a pass. Sorting removes detected defects; it does not explain why they occurred. Ask for corrective action and verification of reworked goods, including checks for damage introduced by the repair.
Name the buyer representative who can approve deviations, payment and shipment. Require a final record of the saleable quantity, excluded goods, outstanding checks and any agreed exceptions. A factory's completed screen should have a separate verification step before release. Use our balance-payment checklist for the wider payment decision.
Frequently asked questions
Is full inspection better than sampling?
It gives wider unit coverage for the specified checks, but can still miss faults. Choose it for defects that can be checked consistently and whose escape would be costly.
Can I combine full screening with AQL sampling?
Yes. Screen every unit for named defects and sample other characteristics. Record the coverage and acceptance criteria separately so a sampled function check is not presented as a check of every unit.
Should I screen every unit after a failed inspection?
Consider it if the failed defect can be reliably identified and removed. Agree the affected lot, sorting method, rework and verification before starting. Hold release while the disposition remains unresolved.
What should a full inspection report include?
The identified goods, checks and methods, coverage, passed and failed quantities, rework, photographs and exclusions. Keep the buyer's shipment approval separate from the inspector's findings.