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Quality inspection checklist
A quality inspection checklist is the form an inspector fills in to record what was checked on a part or a lot and whether it passed. This one has three parts. First, a record of measured characteristics: the limits from the drawing, the gauge, up to ten readings per characteristic and a pass or fail for each. Second, 18 visual and functional checks covering fit, finish, labels and packaging. Third, the decision for the lot (accept, rework, scrap or hold for the material review board), the count of pieces with a fail, the first pass yield and a link to a nonconformance report. The Excel version marks any reading outside its limits in red, works out the results and the yield, and keeps a lot summary. It suits in-process and final inspection alike; for a supplier's incoming lots there is a separate incoming inspection checklist.
Free to use: print it, copy it and edit it for your team. Enter your name and work email once to download.
Header fields for part, revision, lot and inspector above a table of characteristics with lower and upper limits, gauge, ten reading columns and a pass or fail result.Measured characteristics, 10 readings18 visual and functional checksPiece result and first pass yieldDecision: accept, rework, scrap or holdLink to a nonconformance reportLot summaryWorked example
When to use it
When to use a quality inspection checklist
- For in-process or final inspection of a part where the inspection plan names the characteristics, the gauges and the sample size.
- When inspectors record readings on scrap paper or in their heads and nobody can reconstruct what was checked later.
- When you want one form that covers the measured characteristics, the visual checks and the decision for the lot.
- To track first pass yield by lot and see which lots were accepted, reworked, scrapped or held.
- Not for a sampling plan that sets the sample size from the lot size; use an acceptance sampling plan to choose that first.
How to fill it in
- 1
Fill in the header from the inspection plan
Part name and number, drawing revision, lot, lot size, stage, your name, the date and the sample plan. Check that each gauge is the one the plan names and that it is in calibration.
- 2
Write the limits for each characteristic
Copy the lower and upper limits from the drawing with the unit, and name the gauge or method. One line for each characteristic the plan calls for.
- 3
Measure each piece and write the readings
Measure every characteristic on each piece in the sample and write the reading, not just a tick. A reading outside the limits is a fail and is circled.
- 4
Do the visual and functional checks
Go down the 18 checks against the drawing, the approved sample and the defect limits. Mark Pass, Fail or N/A, note how many pieces show a fail, and take a photo of anything unclear.
- 5
Count the result
A piece fails if any reading or any check on it fails. Count the pieces inspected and the pieces with a fail. First pass yield is the pieces with no fail divided by the pieces inspected.
- 6
Decide, report and sign
Mark accept, rework, scrap or hold. A hold goes to the material review board and keeps the lot apart. Raise a nonconformance report for any fail and sign the sheet.
What's on the checklist
The 18 visual and functional checks
Four groups: fit and function, finish and appearance, labels and marking, and packaging and quantity. On the sheet each check is Pass, Fail or N/A, with the number of pieces affected and a note; page 1 records the measured characteristics.
Fit and function
Does it assemble and work?
- 1Part fits the gauge or the mating part without force
- 2Moving parts move freely through their full travel
- 3Threads are clean and start by hand, and pass the thread gauge
- 4Part passes the functional test or the check fixture
- 5Part is complete: no missing features, holes or components
Finish and appearance
Compare with the approved sample and the defect limits
- 6No cracks, chips or burrs on edges and surfaces
- 7No scratches, dents or marks beyond the limit sample
- 8Colour and surface finish match the approved sample
- 9No rust, stains or contamination
- 10Plating, paint or coating is even, with no bare spots
Labels and marking
Is it identified correctly?
- 11Part number, revision and date code are present and correct
- 12Label or marking is legible and in the right place
- 13Barcode or serial number scans, where one is used
- 14Special markings required by the drawing are present
Packaging and quantity
Will it arrive as it left?
- 15Quantity in the box matches the label and the paperwork
- 16Parts are protected and separated as the packing instruction says
- 17Packaging is clean and undamaged, and labelled for the right part
- 18Lot or batch number on the box matches the inspection record
A filled-in example
Illustrative, not a benchmarkAn example (illustrative): final inspection of 50 pump housings in lot 2214, with 10 housings measured. All names and numbers are made up.
- Six characteristics are measured on each of the 10 housings: main bore, overall length, flange thickness, hole position, surface roughness and weight.
- The main bore reads above its upper limit of 25.021 on housings 6 and 9 (25.024 and 25.027). The other five characteristics pass on every piece.
- In the visual checks, one label is smeared on housing 3. Everything else passes.
- Housings 3, 6 and 9 each have a fail, so 3 of 10 pieces fail and the first pass yield for the sample is 70%.
- The lot is held for the material review board and a nonconformance report is raised.
The lot summary after a month of eight lots shows 5 accepted, 1 reworked, 1 scrapped and 1 held, and a first pass yield of 90% across the 90 pieces inspected.
Common mistakes
Ticking instead of measuring
A tick says it passed, not by how much. Write the reading so a drift towards the limit shows up before parts fail.
Using the wrong drawing revision
Limits copied from an old revision pass parts that are wrong. Write the revision on the sheet and check it against the released drawing.
Measuring with a gauge that is not in calibration
A gauge past its calibration date makes every reading doubtful. Check the date before the first piece.
Fixing the part and not recording the fail
Reworking a failed piece on the spot hides the problem and keeps the yield looking good. Record the fail first, then rework.
Releasing a held lot without the decision
A lot on hold stays apart until whoever owns the decision signs. A verbal OK leaves no record and no one accountable.
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 quality issues are logged as tags, ranked in the QA Matrix and traced to their root cause, and digital instructions and checklists with number limits, required photos and signatures build quality into every task.
See it in a 45-minute demoIn the lean glossary
FAQ
Quality inspection checklist: common questions
The part, drawing revision and lot, the characteristics to measure with their limits and gauges, the readings, the visual and functional checks, the decision for the lot and the inspector's sign-off. This template has all of these.
In-process inspection checks parts during production so problems are caught early and close to their cause. Final inspection checks the finished product before it ships. The same record works for both; you note the stage in the header.
Use the sample size in your inspection plan or sampling plan. This record has room for ten pieces per sheet; continue on a second sheet for a larger sample. An acceptance sampling plan sets the sample size from the lot size.
It is the share of pieces that pass every check the first time, with no rework. Divide the pieces with no fail by the pieces inspected. On a sample it is a result for the sample, not a forecast for the whole lot.
MRB is the material review board. A lot held for the board is kept apart, and the board decides whether to accept it as is, rework it, return it or scrap it. The inspector records the finding and does not decide alone.
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- Hansei reflection sheet (lessons learned)A written look back at one finished project, event or launch: goals against results in numbers, causes rather than blame, lessons to keep or change, and where else they apply.
- Safety cross calendarA month drawn as the green cross, colored each day by the most serious safety event, with totals and days since the last injury.
- Daily kaizen routine boardA team's 10 to 15 minute daily routine at the board: one problem from each person, small fixes with one owner, counted every week.
- Weekly maintenance schedule templateNext week's maintenance jobs, scheduled only when ready, loaded against each craft's hours by day, with schedule compliance and break-ins at week end.
- 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.
- Logistics and customer service pillar 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from the current-state map to pull on one model value stream, 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.
- Critical spare parts list and stocking levelsAssets ranked by consequence, each part classed and given a stocking policy, and min and max worked out from usage and lead time, with the downtime each stock-out would cost.
- 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.
- Plan for every part (PFEP) templateOne row per part: supplier, pack, container, usage, lead time and locations, with ABC classes, market and line kanban counts and a lineside space check.
- 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.
- Reorder point and safety stock sheet (many parts)Safety stock, reorder point, order quantity and an order list for up to 500 parts, worked out from each part's own demand and lead time history.
- 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.