A final random inspection, usually shortened to FRI, is a check of finished textile goods carried out when at least 80 percent of the order is packed and ready for shipment. An inspector draws a random sample across the cartons, checks it against your specification, and issues a pass or fail report before the goods leave the factory. For a purchasing manager overseas, it is the last point at which a problem can be caught while the supplier still holds the goods and you still hold the balance payment. Once a container is sealed and on the water, your options narrow to claims and discounts.
How the sample is drawn
The inspector works from the packed quantity, not from a pile the supplier has set aside. Cartons are selected at random from across the lot, including cartons from the bottom of stacks and from different production days, so that the sample reflects the whole order rather than the best of it. Sample sizes usually follow ISO 2859-1, the standard behind AQL sampling, which sets the number of pieces to inspect based on the lot size and the inspection level you choose.
Many garment and home textile buyers specify general inspection level II with an AQL of 2.5 for major defects and 4.0 for minor defects, though tighter levels are common for premium lines. Critical defects, such as broken needles or safety failures, are typically set at zero. These figures belong in your purchase order so that the supplier knows the standard before production starts.
What the inspector checks
- Quantity: carton count and pieces per carton against the packing list, with any shortfall noted.
- Workmanship: stitching, seams, loose threads, stains, holes, shading between pieces and print or embroidery quality.
- Measurements: a set of pieces measured against the size specification and tolerance table for each size.
- Packing: polybags, folding, hangers, inner cartons, carton strength and markings, all against the approved packing instructions.
- Labels: main label, care label, size label, fibre content, country of origin and any barcode or price ticket, read against the approved artwork.
- Function and appearance: zips, buttons, snaps, colour against the approved lab dip or sealed sample, and any required field tests such as a rubbing test for colour fastness.
Reading the report
A good report states the sampling plan, the number of defects found by category, photographs of each defect type, measurement tables and the final result. A fail does not always mean rejection. It usually means that the supplier must sort or rework the lot and present it again, and your contract should say who pays for the re-inspection. A pass is not a guarantee either, because a sample at AQL 2.5 still allows a small proportion of defective pieces, which is why the AQL you choose should match what your customers will tolerate.
Timing matters. Book the inspection as soon as the supplier gives a packing completion date, and make the balance payment conditional on the report, so that the result has weight. If the inspection is done before 80 percent is packed, the sample is not representative and the supplier can quietly repack the weakest cartons later.
How we handle it
At Creston & Co we arrange inline checks and the final random inspection ourselves, with photographed reports sent to you before the balance is released. We seal counter-samples on both sides at approval so that the inspector has a physical reference, and we supervise loading with seal photographs. If you would like to talk through an inspection plan for a current order, we offer a free 20-minute sourcing review.