AQL (Acceptance Quality Limit)
Acceptance Quality Limit (AQL) establishes the threshold at which a batch of products can be accepted based on sampling results.
When a lot exceeds its AQL, the inspection team triggers Corrective and Preventive Actions to address the systemic causes of failure.
How AQL works in practice
Buyers select an AQL value for each defect category—critical, major, and minor—before the inspection. Inspectors then use sampling tables such as ANSI/ASQ Z1.4 to determine how many units to check and how many defects are allowed.
If the number of defects stays within the acceptable threshold, the lot passes. When defects exceed the limit, the lot is rejected or placed on hold for further review.
Why AQL matters for suppliers
AQL agreements align expectations between buyers and suppliers about tolerable risk. They also provide measurable targets for production and quality teams to monitor.
Suppliers often convert AQL values into Parts per million defect rates to report improvement trends across factories.
Applying AQL in KaizenQ
KaizenQ templates allow you to specify the AQL level per checkpoint. This ensures that every inspection report compares actual defects against the agreed thresholds, making approval decisions transparent.
- AQL defines how many defects are tolerable in a sampled lot.
- Exceeding AQL limits should trigger escalation and structured problem solving.
- Consistent AQL application keeps buyers and suppliers aligned on expectations.