Inspection Plans
Author, version, and manage inspection plan templates — specifying what to measure, how to sample, and what defect counts are acceptable.
Overview
An Inspection Plan is the template that tells inspectors exactly what to check on a product or part. It defines the sampling method, every characteristic to measure, the tool to use, and the accept/reject thresholds. Plans are versioned: editing a plan creates a new revision, while existing checklists still reference the revision they were created from.
4-Step Wizard
A guided builder walks through Basic Info → Sampling Plan → Characteristics → Defect Limits. Each step can be navigated back and forth before saving.
AQL or Fixed Sampling
Choose between a fixed sample size or ANSI/ASQ Z1.4 AQL-based sampling. For AQL plans, select the AQL level and lot size; accept/reject limits are calculated automatically.
Three Characteristic Types
Variable (min/max tolerance with measurement tool), Attribute (pass/fail condition), and Text (free-note field). Each characteristic carries a criticality level.
List & Grid Views
Toggle between a sortable table view and a card grid. The detail panel slides in to the right of the list when a plan is selected.
Quick Start — Create an Inspection Plan
- Open Quality Operations → Inspection Plans.
- Click Create Plan (top-right). The 4-step wizard opens.
- Step 1 — Basic Info: Enter the Plan Name, the Product Name, and select the inspection Type (Incoming / In-Process / Final).
- Step 2 — Sampling Plan: Choose Fixed Size (enter a sample count) or AQL Table (select AQL level and lot size). Set Accept Limit (Ac) and Reject Limit (Re).
- Step 3 — Characteristics: Click Add for each characteristic. Enter a name, select Variable / Attribute / Text, fill in the spec limits or pass condition, and assign a criticality (Critical / Major / Minor). Each characteristic now includes a Criticality selector (Critical / Major / Minor) and a Unit field (e.g., mm, g, °C) alongside the specification limits. Variable characteristics show Min/Max/Unit fields; attribute characteristics show a Pass Condition text field.
- Step 4 — Defect Limits: Enter the maximum allowed defect counts per criticality level. Critical is typically 0.
- Click Save Plan. The plan appears in the list with Status = Active.
Name Convention
Use a naming scheme like [ProductName] [Type] Rev[N] (e.g. "Brake Pad Final Rev3") to make plans easy to find in the search bar. The system tracks the revision number internally, but a descriptive name helps on the shop floor.
Inspection Types
| Type | When Used | Typical Sampling |
|---|---|---|
| Incoming | Raw materials or components received from suppliers | AQL-based (lot size varies by supplier shipment) |
| In-Process | Mid-operation checks at a specific routing step | Fixed small sample (e.g. 5 pieces per hour) |
| Final | Finished goods before shipment or warehouse receipt | AQL-based against the full production lot |
Characteristic Types
| Type | Specification | Checklist Input | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Variable | Min value, Max value, Unit, Tool | Numeric measurement; auto-flags out-of-spec in red | Thickness 10.0–10.5 mm (Micrometer) |
| Attribute | Pass condition description | Single-click Pass / Fail button pair | Surface finish — no scratches > 0.5 mm |
| Text | — | Open text note field | Inspector observations during setup |
Criticality Levels
Every characteristic is tagged with one of three criticality levels, which determines how a failed measurement contributes to the overall lot decision:
| Level | Meaning | Typical Defect Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Critical | Safety or regulatory impact — one failure rejects the lot | 0 (zero tolerance) |
| Major | Functional impact — customer will likely notice | 1–2 |
| Minor | Cosmetic impact — does not affect function | 3–5 |
AQL Sampling
When the sampling type is set to AQL Table, the plan stores the selected AQL level, lot size, and pre-calculated sample size and accept/reject limits. TotalApp supports AQL levels from 0.065 through 6.5 per ANSI/ASQ Z1.4.
Accept vs Reject Limits
The Accept Limit (Ac) is the maximum number of defects found in the sample that still allows the lot to pass. The Reject Limit (Re) is the minimum number that forces rejection. There is no middle ground — a lot is either accepted or rejected based on the defect count in the sample.
Auto-Calculation Hint
In Step 2 of the wizard, when AQL Table mode is selected, an informational hint appears confirming that the sample size is derived from the ANSI/ASQ Z1.4 table based on your chosen AQL level and lot size — no manual calculation required.
Plan Detail View
Click any plan in the list to open its detail panel on the right side. The panel shows:
- Sampling Plan card — type, sample size, accept/reject limits.
- Characteristics list — each characteristic with its criticality badge, spec range or pass condition, and measurement tool.
- Defect Limits panel — the three criticality limits displayed as large numbers for easy reading.
- Activate/Deactivate button — sets the plan to Inactive. The Activate/Deactivate toggle switches the plan's status. Inactive plans are hidden from the Start Inspection dropdown but remain accessible in the plans list (shown with reduced opacity). You can reactivate an inactive plan at any time.
Deactivation Is Not Deletion
Deactivating a plan sets its isActive flag to false. Existing checklists that reference it keep their revision link intact. The plan data is never permanently deleted.
Editing an Existing Plan
Click the Edit Plan button in the detail panel to re-open the 4-step wizard pre-filled with all current plan settings. You can modify any step — Basic Info, Sampling Plan, Characteristics, or Defect Limits — and save to create a new plan revision. Checklists that were already recorded retain their reference to the original revision.
Revision Tracking
Each time you save an edited plan, the revision number increments automatically. This ensures that historical inspection records always reference the exact plan specification that was in use at the time of inspection.
AI Assistant
Inspection Plans includes a right-edge AI Assistant panel that reviews your current plan list — name, product, type, revision, active status, sampling size, characteristic count, and defect limits — and answers natural-language questions about it.
Coverage Review
Flags products or inspection types with no active plan, or plans with zero characteristics defined.
Sampling Plan Review
Flags unusually small sample sizes for critical products, or sampling that's inconsistent across similar plans.
Defect Limit Analysis
Highlights plans with unusually loose or tight critical/major/minor limits compared to the rest of the set.
Plan Authoring Help
Describe a product and its critical dimensions in plain language and get a proposed inspection plan structure (characteristics, sampling type, defect limits) you can create.
Save Assistant Answers as Reports
Any assistant response can be saved directly to My Reports with one click, so a coverage review or draft plan doesn't have to be re-generated later.