Quality Control
Your eyes on the factory floor.
A NovaLink inspector checks your order at the factory, as your representative — photos, measurements, pass or fail on every checkpoint. From $250 per man-day, all-inclusive.
On a NovaLink mission, your report reaches you before the balance is due. On a standalone inspection booked before your supplier balance is due, the report still reaches you first — so you decide before you pay.
What you get
What an inspection buys you
01
Your representative on site
The inspector is paid by you and reports to you alone. Findings reach your inbox first — you decide what happens next.
02
Evidence, not opinions
Every checkpoint is photographed and scored pass or fail against a checklist you approved before the visit.
03
Report deadline on your Proforma
Your inspection service fee is refunded if NovaLink misses the report deadline confirmed on your Proforma — excluding supplier-access delays, incomplete information, client changes, force majeure, or delays outside NovaLink's control.
Five inspection types
The right check at the right moment
Four stage inspections cover an order from first components to the sealed container, plus continuous production monitoring for high-volume runs. Most clients book the pre-shipment inspection; larger orders combine two or more.
| Inspection | When it happens | What is checked | Typical timing in your order |
|---|---|---|---|
Pre-production PPI | Before mass production starts | Raw materials and components, first finished pieces against your specification, line readiness | Right after your deposit, before the lines run |
During production DUPRO | When 20–50% of units are finished | Units pulled from the line against the approved sample, workmanship, pace against your deadline | Mid-production — early enough to correct, late enough to judge |
Pre-shipment PSI | When 100% is produced and at least 80% is packed | AQL sample drawn from sealed cartons: function, workmanship, measurements, labeling, packaging | Before the balance, before anything leaves the factory |
Container loading CLS | On loading day | Quantity loaded against the packing list, carton condition, container condition, seal number photographed | The day your goods leave |
Production monitoring PM | Continuous, across the run | A full-time inspector on the floor with daily reporting and corrective-action follow-up | High-volume or high-risk orders, start to finish |
Every inspection type is billed at the same all-inclusive man-day rate. Combine them freely — each visit produces its own report.
AQL in plain language
How pass or fail is decided — before anyone argues
AQL (Acceptable Quality Limit) is the international sampling standard, ISO 2859-1. It fixes three numbers before the visit: how many pieces are inspected, how many major defects the sample may contain, and how many minor. Pass or fail is arithmetic, not opinion.
The one rule to remember
Acceptance numbers apply to the inspected sample — never to the full lot. "10 major defects accepted" means 10 in the 200 pieces inspected, not 10 in 5,000.
“For a 5,000-unit lot at General Inspection Level II, the standard sample is 200 pieces. With AQL 2.5 major / 4.0 minor, the lot is accepted if the inspected sample contains no more than 10 major defects and no more than 14 minor defects.”
Three real lots — Level II, AQL 2.5 major / 4.0 minor
Lot
500
units
50 of 500 pieces inspected
10% of the lot
- Code letter
- H
- Critical defects accepted (AQL 0)
- 0
- Major defects accepted in the sample
- 3
- Minor defects accepted in the sample
- 5
Lot
5,000
units
200 of 5,000 pieces inspected
4% of the lot
- Code letter
- L
- Critical defects accepted (AQL 0)
- 0
- Major defects accepted in the sample
- 10
- Minor defects accepted in the sample
- 14
Lot
50,000
units
500 of 50,000 pieces inspected
1% of the lot
- Code letter
- N
- Critical defects accepted (AQL 0)
- 0
- Major defects accepted in the sample
- 21
- Minor defects accepted in the sample
- 21
A third class sits above these: critical defects — a safety hazard or legal non-compliance — carry AQL 0, zero tolerance. Any critical defect fails the lot, whatever the major and minor counts.
At or below these counts, the lot passes. One more, it fails. The plan is agreed in writing before the visit.
The report
Anatomy of an inspection report
Every report follows the same structure, so your third order reads like your first. Here is what lands in your inbox, fast.
- 01
Order summary & sampling plan
Product, PO reference, lot size, the AQL plan applied — the rules of the game, restated on page one.
- 02
Checkpoint results
Each agreed checkpoint scored pass or fail. No gray zones.
- 03
Defect log, classified
Every defect photographed, counted, and classified critical, major or minor against the AQL limits.
- 04
Measurements against spec
Dimensions, weights, and functional values measured and listed next to your tolerances.
- 05
Packaging & marking
Cartons, inner packing, labels, barcodes, shipping marks — checked against your packing requirements.
- 06
Verdict and next step
Pass, fail, or hold — with the inspector's note on what to do about it.
Critical, major or minor — what the classification means
Critical defect
A safety hazard or legal non-compliance — zero tolerance (AQL 0). One critical defect fails the whole lot. Example: an electrical short, or a banned substance.
Major defect
Affects function, safety, or salability — a defect your customer would return. Example: a unit that does not switch on.
Minor defect
A deviation that does not stop normal use. Example: a light scratch on a non-visible face.
Inspection report
NL-QC-2418
Sample 200 pcs · Code L · AQL 0 / 2.5 / 4.0
- Function testPASS
- WorkmanshipPASS
- MeasurementsPASS
- Labeling & barcodesPASS
- Packing & cartonsPASS
Critical: 0 found · 0 accepted
Major: 4 found · 10 accepted
Minor: 9 found · 14 accepted
Every checkpoint is photographed — the evidence travels with the report.
Sample report — your version carries your product, your checkpoints, and your photos.
Man-days
How man-days are calculated
One man-day is one inspector, one factory, one full day. The count follows the sampling math — and you approve it before anyone is booked.
Lot size sets the sample
Level II sampling fixes how many pieces must be inspected. Bigger lot, bigger sample.
Each SKU is its own sample
Three colorways are three sample pulls. More SKUs, more inspection time.
Complexity sets the pace
A function test takes longer than a visual check. Technical products need more time per piece.
| Lot size (single SKU) | AQL sample (Level II) | Typical man-days |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,200 units | 80 pcs | 1 |
| Up to 10,000 units | 200 pcs | 1 |
| Up to 35,000 units | 315 pcs | 2 |
| Up to 150,000 units | 500 pcs | 2–3 |
Estimate — we confirm every cost with you before your final quote.
Travel inside Guangdong is included
The day rate is all-inclusive for factories in Guangdong — no mileage lines, no hotel lines. For factories beyond Guangdong, travel is quoted as one visible line before you confirm.
You approve the count first
The man-day count is written on your quote before anyone is booked. What you sign is what you pay.
Payment protection
The report is in your hands before the balance is due
When quality control is part of your mission, the payment sequence is written into your Proforma. The balance moves only after you have read the report.
- 01
Deposit
You sign the Proforma and pay the 30% deposit. Production is funded.
- 02
Production
The factory produces. On larger orders, a during-production check catches drift early.
- 03
Inspection day
An inspector spends the day on the factory floor as your representative — checkpoint by checkpoint.
- 04
Report in your hands
You read pass or fail on every checkpoint, with photo evidence, soon after the visit.
- 05
Then the balance
You release the 70% balance only after reading the report. What you sign is what you pay.
Only the Proforma is final.
Booking a standalone inspection?
Book the inspection before your supplier’s balance is due. Your report reaches you first, so you decide from evidence — your payment timing stays governed by your contract with the supplier.
Payment safety
Every NovaLink payment instruction must match the company invoice or approved payment link. If anything differs, verify it with NovaLink on WhatsApp before paying.
Pricing
One rate, nothing hidden
Every inspection type is billed at the same man-day rate. The price you approve on the quote is the price on the invoice.
from $250/ man-day, all-inclusive
The man-day includes
- +The inspector's full day on the factory floor, as your representative
- +Travel within Guangdong
- +An AQL sampling plan agreed in writing before the visit
- +The report with photos and pass/fail per checkpoint — to a deadline confirmed on your Proforma
Missions under $700 are invoiced and paid through a secure payment link before the visit. Final payment instructions are always confirmed on your Proforma Invoice or approved payment link.
FAQ
Quality control, answered
Your eyes on the factory floor.
One product, one destination, a written answer within 24h on business days. Then decide with facts in hand.
Import from China with costs you can verify.