Acceptable Quality Level (AQL)
What is AQL?
The term AQL stands for Acceptable Quality Level. It is one of the most used terms in the readymade
garments industry when it comes into consideration to quality. It should be noted here that, most of the
acceptance decisions of garment export order shipments are made based on AQL
based sampling plans. To ensure the right quality products, an AQL chart has to follow during
an inspection of apparel which varies from product to product, process to process, and even buyer to
buyer. Acceptable Quality Level (AQL) has great importance in the ready-made apparel business.
Acceptable Quality Level (AQL) refers to the maximum number of defective items that could be
considered acceptable during the random sampling of and inspection. It is expressed in a percentage
(%) number of average defective items where the average defective item is the multiple results of the
total number of defective items found during the inspection and the total number of items inspected.
The faults or defects which are found during the inspection are mainly classified into four categories:
1. Critical: Must be 100% accurate. There is no range.
2. Major defects: Normally 2.5%
3. Minor defects: Normally 4%
4. Slight: Normally 6.5%
Types of AQL System Followed in Apparel Industry:
There are a total of six types of AQL system followed in the garment manufacturing industry
which is pointed out below:
1. AQL-1.0%,
2. AQL-1.5%,
3. AQL-2.5%,
4. AQL-4.0%,
5. AQL-6.5%,
6. AQL-10%.
Why AQL (Accepted Quality Level) Important?
The AQL standards are useful because they can be utilized to find two crucial figures.
1. The number of units to be inspected in a shipment.
2. The number of defects that will result in a ‘fail’ outcome.
Acceptable Quality Level sampling chart(AQL chart) is used to randomly inspect
pieces for quality inspections in a garment factory. The chart tells us two things:
1. How many pieces are to be inspected out of a lot
2. How many defects in the inspected pieces will the make the lot as pass or fail the
inspection
To learn how to read an AQL sampling chart, you need to understand some terms
first:
1. Lot size: The actual Production or the size of the total production that needs to be
inspected.
2. Sample Size: The number of products that need to be inspected out of the Lot. This will
be found out by AQL sampling chart(refer image below).
3. Inspection level: Product quality requirement may vary from one product to another.
Therefore the severity of the inspection needs to be adjusted as well. The most common
inspection level is “General inspection level 2” so if it’s explicitly mentioned it means it is
general inspection level 2.
4. Level: The required quality level for that lot. if the buyer’s quality requirement is higher
the AQL will be set to lower. Generally the AQL for the garment industry is set to 2.5
AQL Chart for Apparel Industry:
Almost every factory recommends Suppliers use a tighter AQL in executing their internal audit.
Please see the AQL chart below-
This chart is a tool provided to help determine the sample lot. The effectiveness and efficiency
of a quality audit largely depend upon proper audit execution.
This means:
1. Correct selection of sampling lot.
2. Good random sample pick-up.
3. Accurate classification of defects.
What is traffic light system in garment industry?
The Traffic Light System in the garment industry is designed to mark problems found in the
production process that allow immediate action to be taken from all production processes that
have the potential to produce defective products. Traffic Light System can be used to do
quality control effectively.
Standard Sample Size: 5 pieces. Garment Inspection to be done after every two hours.
Color marking procedures: Circles will be filled with color
GREEN: If found No defect
YELLOW: If found 1 defect
RED: If found 2 defects
How to fill/use the format:
The above format is used for a single operator or workstation. A single sheet will keep the
record for the whole month for an operator. As a quality auditor, on the first day of the month,
you have to fill details such as Operator name, Operation name, Line number, Floor number,
and the name of the Month. Inspection instructions have been given on the format itself with
rating procedures. The format is displayed in two sections to cover 31 days (whole month).
Write the date in the cells of the top row. Each column contains 4 circles, represents four
inspections in a day.
After inspection fill the respective circle (date and number of inspection of the day) according
to the rating criteria. At the end of the day quality auditor has to sign the report on below the
circles.
