When you buy on FOB terms, the goods become your responsibility once they are loaded on board at the origin port. That makes inspection before loading the most important quality step: it is your last chance to fix problems cheaply. A good quality plan is not complicated. It has a written standard, a sample that sets the benchmark, and checks at a few key points.
1. Write the standard down
Quality is easier to enforce when it is written. Your tech pack already holds measurements, fabric and trims. Add the standards that decide whether a garment passes: allowed measurement tolerances, stitch quality, colour matching, labelling, and how to classify defects as minor, major or critical.
2. Approve samples before production
Do not release production until you have approved a pre-production sample made in the real fabric and trims. Check fit, workmanship and details against your tech pack. This approved sample becomes the benchmark every inspector and factory worker refers to, so keep one with you and one at the factory.
3. Check materials early
Many problems start before sewing begins. Check fabric and trims when they arrive at the factory: colour, weight, hand feel, shrinkage and any lab tests your product needs. Catching a wrong fabric at this stage is far cheaper than discovering it in finished garments.
4. Inspect inline, during production
An inline inspection happens while production is running, usually once a good share of garments is sewn. It shows whether the factory is following the approved sample and gives time to correct a repeated problem, such as an uneven hem or a wrong label position, before it spreads across the whole order.
5. Inspect finished goods before loading
A final inspection checks the finished, packed goods before they leave the factory. Inspectors usually use an AQL sampling plan: they check a random sample of garments from the order and compare the number of defects found with the limits you set for minor and major defects. If the sample fails, the factory sorts and repairs the goods and the inspection is repeated.
Because FOB hands the goods to you at the port of loading, the final inspection is the natural handover check. Passing it means you are accepting goods you have verified, not goods you hope are right.
6. Check the details that cause returns
- Measurements across sizes, not only the sample size.
- Zippers, snaps and drawcords that must work smoothly every time.
- Seams on jackets and swimwear, which take the most stress.
- Labels and packing, including care labels, country of origin and fibre content required for US sale.
7. Keep records and learn
Keep every inspection report with photos. After each order, note what went wrong and tell the factory before the next order. Over time, the repeated problems disappear and inspections become shorter.
Who does the inspections?
Brands can hire an independent inspection company, send their own team, or work with a sourcing partner who manages inspections on the ground. What matters is that someone independent of the factory checks the goods against your written standard before they ship.
Work with Dragon Charm
Dragon Charm follows production and arranges inspections for orders across Bangladesh, China and Pakistan, then sends you the results before the goods ship. To discuss your product, get in touch. You may also like our jacket and outerwear sourcing guide and our guide to private label swimwear.