I recently visited a garment factory in Haiphong for a client. The “Golden Sample” (the perfect prototype) looked amazing.
But when I checked the production line, 20% of the zippers were sewn on backwards.
1. The “Golden Sample” Fallacy Vietnamese factories are eager to please. They will hand-craft a perfect sample to get your business.
- The Mistake: Western buyers assume the production run will match the sample perfectly.
- The Reality: Mass production is done by different workers, on different machines, at 10x the speed.
2. You Need AQL (Acceptable Quality Limit) As a developer, you know you can’t fix every bug. You need a tolerance level. In manufacturing, this is called AQL.
- Standard AQL 2.5: This means in a batch of 1,000 units, you accept that ~25 might have minor defects.
- Action: You must write this into your contract. “If defect rate > 2.5%, the factory must re-work the entire batch at their cost.”
3. Third-Party Inspections (PSI) Never trust the factory’s internal QC. They are paid by the boss to say “OK.”
- The Solution: Hire a Third-Party Inspection agency for a Pre-Shipment Inspection (PSI).
- Cost: ~$250 – $300 USD per man-day.
- Value: If they find a problem before the goods ship, you have leverage. If the goods arrive in California with defects, you have zero leverage.
Conclusion: Spending $300 on an inspector to check a $30,000 order is the best insurance policy you can buy.
Need a reliable QC inspector in the North? Check my [Resources] page.
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