How to Read a Pre-Shipment Inspection Report
Published by Aeonix Trade.
Read a pre-shipment report from the sample block downward, and treat the word "pass" as the last line, not the first. The report decides the lot against the spec in the contract, on the sample it names. It does not decide every unopened unit, and it does not replace a conformity file. Before you release a balance, point at 4 blocks in the PDF: the lot and the sampling plan, the measurements against the approved spec, every pending line, and only then the pass or fail. The table below is an illustrative example. The AQL cell, the defect counts, and the millimetres are assumptions, not a real inspection and not a number from a standard.
Send the approved spec and the report if you want the pending lines listed before the balance is released.
Illustrative report, annotated
| Block | Illustrative assumption | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Sampling plan | Lot 400 cartons. Single sample of 20. Plan name left as "contract plan A". | The lot on the packing list is this lot. The plan name matches the contract. A blank plan means the pass has no sum. |
| AQL cell | The cell shows "2.5" as an assumption, not as a standard. | The contract, not this article, names the plan and the accept and reject numbers. Do not treat 2.5 as a permitted defect percentage. |
| Defect classes | Critical 0, major 1, minor 3, all assumed. | Each class is the class written in the spec. A count without a class is not a decision. |
| Measurements | Length 198 mm against a 200 mm spec on two units, assumed. | Compare with the approved sample. A red row needs rework, a signed concession, or a fail. |
| Pending barcode | Inner barcode does not match the approved file, assumed. | A pending line stays open until someone closes it in writing. A tidy carton photo does not close it. |
| Pass or fail line | Cover page says Pass. | Read this last. It covers only the lines that are actually closed. |
Where to go next in the file
How the visit was scoped is on the pre-shipment inspection checklist. What an AQL indexes, and why it is not a defect allowance, is on the AQL page. Whether a closed report is a safety certificate is a different question, on when a PSI pass is not a safety certificate.
What buyers ask
The cover says pass and one line says pending. Which wins?
The pending line. Decide it in writing before you pay. The pass describes what was closed.
Can I compute an accept number from the percentage in the AQL cell?
Not from this page. The accept and reject numbers belong to the plan named in the contract. The 2.5 in the table above is an illustrative assumption, not a table from a standard.
Attach the report to the RFQ if the open rows should be listed against the balance.
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