TTS GLOBAL
Start with the decision
FRI is most useful before payment, release or shipment. It describes the sampled lot at the inspection time and is not a legal guarantee for every unit.
When FRI alone is not enough
For new factories, new products, long production cycles or high process risk, add pre-production or during-production control.
Prepare before booking
Provide order quantities, specifications, packaging/label files, approved references and defect-classification rules.
What to check in the evidence
Define the lot
Identify the order, models, colours, sizes and quantities presented for inspection. Record finished, packed and inaccessible quantities separately.
Why it matters
A result for the available goods cannot silently cover unfinished units or a different production batch.
Agree the sampling plan
Specify the sampling standard and edition, inspection level, normal/tightened/reduced status where applicable, and acceptance criteria by defect class.
Why it matters
Sample size and acceptance/rejection numbers come from the selected plan. AQL alone does not define the complete inspection.
Classify and count consistently
Agree examples of critical, major and minor defects. Record the unit, defect location and whether the counting basis is nonconforming units or nonconformities.
Why it matters
The same observation should not be classified differently by the factory, inspector and buyer. Safety issues also need their own escalation rule.
Keep checks separate
Distinguish sampled workmanship results, measurement results, functional checks, packing conformity and incomplete tests.
Why it matters
An acceptable workmanship count does not cancel a failed safety check, wrong barcode or missing mandatory label.
An illustrative scenario
A dimensional pattern needs more than a defect total.
Illustrative example: an apparel order contains several sizes. The sampled garments have acceptable sewing, but measurements from one size repeatedly fall outside the approved tolerance. The report should identify that size, the points measured, actual readings and the specification limits. The buyer can then ask the factory to isolate and recheck the affected size, instead of accepting the entire order because the overall appearance looks good.
Prepare these before the next step
- Purchase order, item quantities and factory contact.
- Specification, approved sample or reference photos.
- Packing artwork, required checks, acceptance criteria and shipment date.
Use the report to discuss defects with the supplier, request rework, seek further evidence or decide on shipment release. The buyer retains the commercial acceptance decision.
Sources & further reading
- ISO 2859-1 / AQL ↗
A reference for acceptance sampling by attributes. Confirm the contractual edition and the complete sampling plan.
- ANSI/ASQ Z1.4 ↗
An alternative buyer-specified sampling system; record its inspection regime and counting basis rather than treating different standards as automatically interchangeable.
Confirm product-specific scope and the applicable edition with TTS before making a compliance decision.