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AQL sampling plan template
An AQL sampling plan tells an inspector how many pieces to check from a lot and how many defects the lot can have and still be accepted. AQL stands for acceptable quality limit: the defect rate that a lot can have and still be accepted most of the time. In a single sampling plan you take a random sample of a set size, count the defects, and accept the lot if the count is at or below the accept number or reject it if the count reaches the reject number. This template has a one-page guide for choosing the sample size from the lot size and the inspection level, a table of accept and reject numbers for the common AQL values, an inspection record for critical, major and minor defects, and a worked example. The Excel version looks up the plan for you, decides accept or reject in a log, and summarises lots by supplier. The plans are calculated for this template and are close to, not copies of, the tables in published sampling standards; if your contract names a standard, use its tables.
Free to use: print it, copy it and edit it for your team. Enter your name and work email once to download.
A table of sample sizes by lot size band and inspection level I, II and III, beside numbered steps for choosing a plan and a table of critical, major and minor defect classes.Sample size by lot size and levelAccept and reject numbers for 11 AQLsCritical, major and minor classesInspection recordLookup in ExcelAccept or reject decision logSummary by supplierWorked example
When to use it
When to use an AQL sampling plan
- For incoming inspection of purchased parts when checking every piece costs too much or would damage the parts.
- For final inspection of a lot before it ships, when 100% inspection is not practical.
- To record the sample size, the defects found by class and the decision for each lot in one place.
- To show a supplier how many lots were accepted and rejected over a month.
- Not when a contract names a sampling standard and its tables: use that standard's tables for those lots.
How to fill it in
- 1
Class the defects
Decide what counts as critical, major and minor for the part. Critical defects could hurt someone or break a requirement and reject the lot on sight. Major defects stop the part working. Minor ones do not affect use.
- 2
Choose the AQL and the inspection level
Give major and minor defects an AQL each. Use inspection level II unless there is a reason not to: level I when the supplier's record is good, level III when a miss is costly or the record is poor.
- 3
Read the sample size
Look up the lot size and the level in the sample size table. If the lot is no bigger than the sample, inspect every piece.
- 4
Read the accept and reject numbers
In the accept and reject table, find the row for the sample size and the column for each AQL. The reject number is one more than the accept number.
- 5
Draw the sample and count the defects
Take the sample at random across the whole lot, not from the top box, and inspect every piece in it. Tally the defects by class.
- 6
Decide and record
The lot is accepted only if every class is at or below its accept number. Otherwise reject it, choose a disposition and raise a report to the supplier.
A filled-in example
Illustrative, not a benchmarkAn example (illustrative): a lot of 3,000 connectors from a made-up supplier, inspected at general level II with a major AQL of 1.0 and a minor AQL of 2.5.
- A lot of 3,000 falls in the 1,901 to 4,700 band, so level II gives a sample of 125 connectors.
- For a sample of 125, the major plan at AQL 1.0 accepts up to 3 defects and rejects at 4. The minor plan at AQL 2.5 accepts up to 6 and rejects at 7. Any critical defect rejects the lot.
- The inspector finds 0 critical, 4 major (three loose crimps and a bent pin) and 2 minor (scuffed housings).
- Four majors reach the reject number, so the lot is rejected on majors even though it passes on minors.
The lot is returned to the supplier and a corrective action request is made. Over the month, 12 lots were inspected from five suppliers: 8 accepted and 4 rejected.
Common mistakes
Treating the AQL as a target
An AQL of 1.0 does not mean 1% defects is fine. It means a lot at that rate is accepted most of the time. A lot at the AQL still has defects in it.
Sampling from the top of the pile
A sample from the most convenient boxes tells you about those boxes. Draw it across the whole lot and across all the containers.
Fixing the count to pass the lot
Re-inspecting a rejected lot until it passes defeats the plan. If you doubt the decision, use a larger sample or escalate it, and record what you did.
Using one AQL for every kind of defect
Critical, major and minor defects need different limits. Setting a single AQL lets a serious defect hide among cosmetic ones.
Using these plans when a contract names a standard
These plans are calculated for this template. If a customer or contract names a published sampling standard, use that standard's tables for those lots.
Download the template
Free to use: print it, copy it and edit it for your team. Enter your name and work email once to download.
Run this template in LeanSuite
In LeanSuite, when an inspector flags a defect the batch is quarantined and a SCAR with photos goes to Quality and Procurement, and the SCAR's lifecycle, including the days the supplier took to respond, feeds the supplier's scorecard.
See it in a 45-minute demoIn the lean glossary
FAQ
AQL sampling plan template: common questions
AQL stands for acceptable quality limit. It is the defect rate that a lot can have and still be accepted most of the time under a sampling plan. It is not a target for quality and not a promise that parts are good.
From the lot size and the inspection level. Larger lots get larger samples, and level III uses a bigger sample than level II for the same lot. This template gives a table for levels I, II and III; if your contract names a standard, use its table.
A critical defect could hurt someone or break a legal or safety requirement. A major defect stops the part working or makes it unusable. A minor defect is a departure that does not affect function or use. Each class gets its own limit.
The accept number is the most defects you can find in the sample and still accept the lot for that class. The reject number is the count at which you reject it. In a single sampling plan the reject number is the accept number plus one.
No. The plans are calculated for this template from the binomial distribution and are close to, but not copies of, published sampling tables. If a customer or contract names a standard, use that standard's tables for those lots.
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- Operational excellence assessment templateThe ten principles of operational excellence as 30 behaviors and practices you can see, scored 1 to 5 by several people, with the spread, the three lowest principles and an action plan.
- Scrum meeting agenda templateTimed agendas for the five scrum meetings, a sprint planning sheet, a retrospective sheet, and an Excel sprint backlog with a burndown.
- Toyota Production System (TPS) house templateThe TPS house for one plant or value stream: roof, two pillars and foundation, with what you do today, the evidence, a status and the next step for each element.
- EPEI and batch size calculatorHow often each part can come round on a shared machine (EPEI) and how big each batch must be, from demand, cycle times and changeovers, now and after SMED.
- People, process, technology (PPT) assessmentCheck one change before go-live: 18 people, process and technology statements scored 1 to 4 by the people who will use it, the lowest element and the actions.
- Process capacity sheet templateEach machine in a part's routing with manual, auto and tool change time, its capacity per shift, and the step that limits the cell against demand.
- Team charter templateA one-page charter for a standing team: purpose, scope, roles, the KPIs it owns, which decisions it makes itself, norms and cadence.
- Chaku-chaku line plannerPlan a load-load cell: time each machine, load and walk, check that every machine is ready when the operator comes back, compare the cell cycle with takt and size the crew.
- Standard operating procedure (SOP) templateA full SOP in the hierarchical step format, from purpose and scope to the steps, records, revision history and approvals, with review checks and an SOP register.
- Process improvement method selectorEight questions about one problem, an example rule that suggests a method and a matrix of nine methods: when each fits, the usual team and time, and the template to start with.
- Safety pillar 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from the incident pyramid to safety standards on one model area, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- Autonomous maintenance 90-day model area planAM steps 0 to 3 on one model machine in 13 weeks, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves for months 4 to 12.
- Professional maintenance (PM) 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from breakdown analysis to a running PM calendar on one model machine, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- Environment and energy pillar 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from waste and energy maps to area standards on one model area, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- Focused improvement 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from the loss Pareto to standardized fixes on one model line, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- People development pillar 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from the skills matrix to trained cover on critical tasks in one model area, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- Early equipment management 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from lessons on current machines to a tracked start-up on one model equipment project, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- Cost deployment pillar 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from the loss map to costed, ranked projects in one model area, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- Moving from Excel to one system checklistA 34-point checklist and a file inventory for moving trackers from spreadsheets to one system: keep, move, connect or retire, clean, pilot, run both, retire.
- Prioritization matrix templateScore up to 20 improvement ideas on weighted criteria, rank them, test the ranking with equal weights and place each one on an effort and benefit grid.
- Cost per unit worksheet (manufacturing cost per good unit)One product's cost per good unit by materials, labor, machine and overhead, the gap to target, and which cost lever is worth most a year.
- Digital manufacturing readiness assessmentScore 24 statements on process, technology and people from 0 to 4, check the balance between them and rank the gaps by what matters in your plant.
- Manufacturing KPI dashboard templateWeekly plant numbers in, 14 KPIs out: OEE and its parts, first pass yield, scrap, on-time delivery, recordable rate, cost and absence, each against a target.
- RCM worksheet (failure mode and task selection)Failure modes classed as hidden, safety, operational or non-operational, then a task chosen for each: condition-based, discard, failure-finding, redesign or run to failure.
- Training matrix template with expiry datesPeople by required trainings with expiry dates, OK, due, expired and missing flags, compliance by person and area, cover per training and a renewal list.
- Downtime reason codes template26 starter codes mapped to the six big losses, a log with drop-downs, a Pareto by code and by loss, and a code card for the line.
- Kaizen event preparation checklistEverything that has to be ready before a kaizen event and done after it: 44 items with owners and due dates from 6 weeks before day 1 to 30 days after, five go or no-go gates and a day-by-day agenda.
- Tier 2 meeting agenda and escalation sheetA 15-minute tier 2 agenda in ten timed blocks, fixed roles and rules, escalation triggers with time limits, and a log that ages every escalation and sends the answer back down.
- Forklift operator training and evaluation recordPer-operator training and evaluation record, a register with three-year due dates and refresher triggers, and a weighted practical evaluation scoresheet.
- REBA worksheet (Rapid Entire Body Assessment)Score up to six postures with REBA: body-part drop-downs, Tables A, B and C as lookups, final score and action level, and a before and after comparison.
- ISO 45001 internal audit checklist44 audit questions for the plant floor in 16 safety topics, each with its ISO 45001:2018 clause, the evidence to look for and the sample to take, plus 12 worker interview prompts, a findings log and a summary by clause.
- Changeover matrix templateA from-to matrix of changeover minutes with the clean each transition needs (allergen, colour, format), and a weekly planner that totals the order and suggests a shorter one.
- Overhead crane inspection checklist: frequent and periodic34 crane checks tied to OSHA 1910.179: an operator's pre-shift card, frequent and periodic inspections with signed records, a deficiency and tag-out log, and a register of next due dates.
- Maintenance job plan templateOne job planned on one sheet: steps and craft hours, parts checked against stock, tools, lockout and permits, documents, a ready check for the schedule, and technician feedback.
- Video time study filming checklistA pre-shoot checklist and shot log for filming a time study on video: camera, light, people, settings, power and review.
- OSHA compliance calendar (general industry)37 recurring federal OSHA duties with the paragraph, interval, owner, next due date and an overdue flag, plus a 12-month view and counts by owner.
- TRIR and DART rate trackerMonthly hours, OSHA 300 case counts and near misses in; rolling 12-month TRIR and DART rate, a case budget against your target and a trend chart out.
- Energy use and EnPI trackerMonthly electricity, gas and fuel in one unit, a 12-month regression baseline, expected against actual energy for each month, an EnPI ratio, the running saving and the tests that say whether the model can be trusted.
- FIFO lane sizing sheetThe maximum for a FIFO lane from the stop it must cover, in whole containers, with length, refill and wait checks for up to eight lanes.
- Pugh matrix templateCompare up to 8 concepts with a datum as better, same or worse on up to 12 criteria, flag must-haves, and carry the strongest into a second round.
- Machine guarding inspection sheetA machine register with due dates and a status per machine, 21 checks tied to OSHA 1910.212, .219 and .147, a guard opening check against Table O-10, and an action log.
- Condition monitoring route sheetA route of measuring points with baselines, alert and alarm limits, a check interval from the P-F interval, readings with rising and overdue flags, and an exceptions list worst first.
- Fire extinguisher inspection logOne row for every portable extinguisher: hydro test interval from OSHA Table L-1, annual and 6-year due dates, a 12-month check grid and open issues.
- Quad chart templateA project on one page in four boxes: idea and owner, problem, approach, and cost, schedule and result.
- Toolbox talk topics (52 weekly topics)52 weekly toolbox talk topics, each with a one-line key message and a discussion question, and a tracker for the year.
- Loss tree worksheetBreak one big loss number into area, line, machine, loss type and cause, and stop at the cause a team can fix.
- Equipment register templateOne row per asset, with hierarchy, criticality, PM strategy and owner, and a check that flags what is missing.
- Machine history record templateOne record per machine: components and their life, every breakdown and repair with cost, MTBF and MTTR, and a repair-or-extend check.
- Compressed air leak survey logWalk sheet, printable leak tags and a tracker that puts an annual cost on every leak and follows it to a verified fix.
- Project savings validation checklistThe gate between a project's claim and a reported saving: 20 checks, a claims register and a six-month sustainment check.
- Life cycle cost analysis templateCompare up to three machines over ten years: price, energy, upkeep, failures and down time, discounted to present value.
- Equipment design review checklistGate reviews for a new machine before order, before build and before start-up, with a safety buy-off and a problems journal.
- Emergency action plan templateA written emergency plan for a plant: site facts, roles and backups, warden coverage, scenario steps and a drill record.
- Preliminary hazard analysis (PHA) worksheetFind and score the hazards of a new line, machine or process before design is fixed, then choose controls and re-score.
- Risk register templateOne scored list of operational risks with owners, actions and dates, a heat map and a review log.
- Hot work permit templateA hot work permit with a precautions checklist, fire watch record and close-out, plus an Excel permit log.
- Confined space entry permit templateA confined space entry permit with checks, an air test log, an entry log and cancellation, plus an Excel register.
- Energy loss matrix templateSeven types of energy loss by six energy sources with a cost in each cell, an action plan and an idle-period shutdown checklist.
- Management safety tour formA leader's scheduled safety walk: observation form, operator interview, tally, actions, rota and a tour log with a dashboard.
- Hazard prediction worksheetA pre-task worksheet: score what could go wrong at each step of a job, add a countermeasure and score again.
- Chemical inventory and SDS register templateA register of every chemical on site with its hazard class, safety data sheet and label, and a check that incompatible products are kept apart.
- Safety committee meeting minutes templateMinutes for a safety committee: attendance, nine agenda items, an action log that carries open actions forward, and monthly numbers.
- Environmental compliance audit checklistAn internal environmental audit: 37 questions with what to look for, a findings log with classes and a score by section.
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A shift handover sheet, a red tag log, a changeover checklist for one machine: if your team uses it on the floor, ask.