AQL

The acceptable quality limit (AQL) is the worst tolerable process average (mean) in
percentage or ratio that is still considered acceptable; that is, it is at an acceptable
quality level.

The AQL is the maximum percent defective that, for the purpose of sampling inspection,
can be considered satisfactory as a process average. AQL is a designated value of
percent defective that the customer indicates will be accepted most of the time by the
acceptance sampling procedures to be used. Example when a customer designates
some specific value of AQL for a certain defect or group of defects he indicates to the
supplier that his acceptance sampling plan will accept the great majority of the lots or
batches that the supplier submits provided the process average level of percent
defective in these lots or batches is no greater than the designated value of AQL.

The AQL is generally expressed in percent the AQLs most widely used in apparel
industry are 2.5, 4.0, 6.5 and 10.0 depending on the price and item. Example for low
price items AQLs of 6.5 and 10.0 maybe quite appropriate. However for higher priced
item AQL of 2.5 and 4.0 may be appropriate.
Lot or Batch Size
2 to 8
9 to 15
16 to 25
26 to 50
51 to 90
Table1. Sample Size Code Letters

Sampl
e Size
Code
Letter

Sampl
e Size

Sample Size Code Letter

A
B
C
D
E

Acceptable Quality Level

2.5
Ac
A
2
0
B
3
0
C
5
0
D
8
0
E
13
1
Table2. Sampling Plan

4.0
Re
1
1
1
1
2

Ac
0
0
0
1
1

6.5
Re
1
1
1
2
2

Ac
0
0
0
1
2

10.0
Re
1
1
1
2
3

Ac
1
1
1
2
3

Re
2
2
2
3
4

In the apparel business, before accepting the finished goods from the manufacturer
buyer do inspection of goods. As whole lot of goods inspection is not viable, also not
advisable, inspection is done on sampling basis. In inspection how much percentage of
defective pieces will be accepted depends on acceptable quality level. In the following
table a sampling plan is given for final shipment inspection. The AQL level varies
process to process, product to product and even buyer to buyer.

How to Read AQL table?

Lot or Batch size: This means total how many pieces inspector is going to check
or inspect. (i.e. if you have been offered a shipment of 60 pieces order quantity,

the batch size of this shipment will fall under 51 to 90 pieces (Code-E)
Sample size Code letter: This code is indicative a range of batch size. (Code 'A'

means your lot size range is from 2 pieces to 8 pieces.

Sample size: It means that how many pieces will be picked up for inspection from

the total offered pieces (Batch).

Ac (Accepted): The number in this column denotes that if the inspector finds up

to that many defective pieces the shipment will be accepted by buyer.

Re (Rejected): On the other hand number in this column denotes that if the
inspector finds that much defective pieces or more than the listed number, the
shipment will be rejected (or asked to the manufacturer for 100% inspection and
re-offer for final inspection) by buyer.

Example: Suppose you have been offered a shipment of 60 pieces for inspection.
Select the range from table, it is 51-90. Now from table you have to select number of
sample you are going to actually inspect. According the above table you will select 13
pieces out of 60 pieces. Now assume that you are inspecting at 2.5 AQL. So, after
inspecting all 13 pieces if you find 1 defective piece will accept the shipment. And if you
find 2 or more than 2 defective pieces in 13 samples you will reject that shipment.

AQL EXPORT GARMENT SECTOR

AQL is one of the most frequently used terms when it comes to quality in the apparel
export industry as most of the acceptance decisions of the apparel shipments for the

export market are made on the basis of AQL based sampling plans. In any business
process, before accepting the finished goods from the manufacturer buyer do inspection
of goods. It is so much important in export garment sector, because foreign buyers are
so much concern about product quality. They give AQL on the product to the
manufacturer. Buyers do inspection of goods as random process. If AQL pass that
means goods are in acceptable quality level he gives certificate to ship the goods. The
AQL level varies process to process, product to product and even buyer to buyer. In the
following table a sampling plan is given for final shipment inspection.

Acceptance Quality Level (AQL) refers to the maximum number of defective items that
could be considered accepted during the random sampling of and inspection. The
defects that are found during inspection are classified into 3 categories:
1. Critical: Must be 100% accurate. There is no range.
2. Major: Normally 2.5%
3. Minor : Normally 4%
Sampling Method:
1. Single Sampling method
2. Double Sampling method
3.

Multiple Sampling method

AQL Requirements Based on the Products:

In general cases the buyer will determine which sampling plan and what AQL to
adopt. There are three types of sampling plans: i.e. single, double and multiple sampling
plans. Each sampling plan can be performed at three levels, i.e. normal, tightened and
reduced, depending on inspection requirements and quality of the products. The
apparel industry mainly uses single sampling plans for the acceptance decisions.
However, a few buyers also use double sampling procedure. In single sample based on
AQL table you randomly draw a sample consisting of specified number of garments
from a lot. The sample plan also provides the number maximum allowed defective
pieces. If the defective pieces are less than allowed number the lot is accepted and if
the number of defective pieces is greater than allowed the lot is rejected. It must always
lead to acceptance of lots containing lower defective level than AQL and must reject all
the lots that contain more defective products than AQL. But this is not possible, as the
acceptance decision is made only on the basis of small sample drawn from the lot and it
carries a risk of making a wrong judgment.

Single sampling plan - Normal inspection:

Assurance an AQL of 2.5 % and a lot size of 1200 garments and the sample size is 80
garments. If the number of defective garments found are 5 the total lot is "Acceptable"
suppose if the defective garments found is 6, the total lot is "Reject/ Re-Check".
Double sampling plan - Normal Inspection:
Assurance an AQL 4.0% and a lot size is 1200 garments and the sample size is 80
garments. If the Number of defective garments found is 7, the total lot is "Acceptable"
suppose if the defective garments found is 8 the total lot is "Reject/ Re-Check".

For Example:

Total garments (lot Size) 1200 garments

Sample size (selected for inspection) 80 garments

AQL 2.5 / 4.0

If the major defective found is 5 and minor defective found is 7 the total garments is
"Acceptable". If the defective exceed (Above 5 major and 7 Minor), the total garments is
Reject / Re-check.

What AQL is not?

Having known what is AQL? How does it work? How to succeed in AQL based
inspections? It is equally important to know, what AQL is not:

A permit to ship defective goods to the tune of agreed AQL level: AQL 4.0 does
not mean that supplier has a right to send up to 4% defective merchandise to
customer /buyer.

A guarantee that all shipments passed as per AQL plan will definitely contain
lower percent defective than the specified AQL. There is also no guarantee that
lots with higher percentage defective will not pass on AQL inspection.

An indicator of the quality level achieved by a manufacturer. Let us assume that

the average rate of defective garments in a manufacturer's shipment is 6%, but
the AQL used by buyer for final inspection is 2.5. It is possible that the
manufacturer may resort to 100% inspection of the merchandise to weed out the
defective garments so that the shipment can pass the final inspection by the
buyer at AQL 2.5.

AVERAGE OUTGOING QUALITY

AOQ - Average Outgoing Quality

The expected average quality of all products, including all accepted lots, plus all
rejected lots that have been sorted 100% and have had all defective units
replaced
Will always be less than the submitted quality
AOQ = P a * p ( 1 n/N )
AOQL is the maximum value of AOQ

In most sampling plans, when a lot is rejected, the entire lot is inspected and all of the
defective items are replaced. Use of this replacement technique improves the average
outgoing quality in terms of percent defective. In fact, given (1) any sampling plan that
replaces all defective items encountered and (2) the true incoming percent defective for
the lot, it is possible to determine the average outgoing quality (AOQ) in percent
defective.
AOQ = (Pd) (Pa) (N-n) /N, where:
Pd = true percent defective of the lot
Pa = probability of accepting the lot
N = number of items in the lot
n = number of items in the sample

AOQL - Average Outgoing Quality Limit

The AOQL of a sampling plan is maximum value on the AOQ curve. It is applicable for
defective units, defects per unit, and defects per quantity. It is expressed as either a
defective rate (fraction defective, percent defective, dpm) or as a defect rate (defects
per unit, defects per 100 units, dpm). The AOQ curve gives the average outgoing quality
(left axis) as a function of the incoming quality (bottom axis). The AOQL is the maximum

or worst possible defective or defect rate for the average outgoing quality. Regardless of
the incoming quality, the defective or defect rate going to the customer should be no
greater than the AOQL over an extended period of time. Individual lots might be worst
than the AOQL but over the long run, the quality should not be worse than the
AOQL.The AOQ curve and AOQL assume rejected lots are 100% inspected, and is only
applicable to this situation. They also assume the inspection is reasonably effective at
removing defectives or defects (90% effective or more).