Quality Control in Vietnam Guide: What to Check, When to Check It, and What Could Go Wrong

Quality control in Vietnam follows the same basic framework used everywhere: define your standards before production starts, inspect at multiple stages, and use AQL sampling to decide whether your finished goods pass or fail. The difference is in the details. Vietnam's inspection infrastructure is thinner than China's, most QC firms are concentrated in a handful of cities, and communication gaps between buyers and factories lead to misunderstandings that don't surface until production is already underway.

This guide covers the four types of inspections, how AQL sampling works in practice, how to classify defects, which third-party QC firms operate in Vietnam, and the problems we run into most often after more than a decade of managing production in Vietnamese factories.

Yep! That’s wood!

Why QC in Vietnam Works Differently Than in China

Vietnam is one of the fastest-growing manufacturing destinations in the world, producing competitive textiles, furniture, footwear, and consumer goods across a wide range of price points. But the quality control ecosystem has not kept up with production capacity.

In southern China, you can book a third-party inspector for almost any product category on a few days' notice. In Vietnam, most QC companies operate out of Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. If your factory is in Binh Duong, Dong Nai, Long An, or a northern province like Thanh Hoa or Hai Phong, the inspector may need to travel, which adds scheduling time and sometimes a travel surcharge.

The upside is that Vietnamese factories are generally more open to in-process inspections. In China, I have had factories push back on inline checks or try to rush inspectors through the floor. In Vietnam, most factories treat inspections as a normal part of production, especially when framed as a partnership. Telling a factory, "We want to catch problems early so we can fix them together," goes much further than showing up with a clipboard and a pass/fail attitude.

The Four Types of Inspections

Quality control is not a single event at the end of production. It is a series of checkpoints, each catching a different kind of problem.

Pre-Production Inspection (PPI)

This happens before the factory starts manufacturing. The goal is to verify that the factory has everything it needs to produce your order correctly: raw materials that match your approved sample, the correct patterns, molds, or templates, and a clear understanding of labeling, packaging, and compliance requirements.

A pre-production check takes a few hours and can prevent weeks of rework. In Vietnam, this step matters more than most buyers realize because material substitution is surprisingly common, particularly with wood and textile products. I have seen factories swap in a different wood species, fabric blend, or hardware grade without telling the buyer. It is rarely intentional deception. The factory found a supplier with better availability or pricing and assumed the substitute was close enough. If you do not verify materials before production begins, you will find out when thousands of units arrive with the wrong grain pattern, fabric weight, or finish.

During Production Inspection (DUPRO)

This is the inspection most first-time importers skip, and it is the most valuable one. It happens when roughly 20% to 30% of the order is complete.

At this point, enough units have been produced that you can compare the work against your approved sample. If something is off (wrong color, inconsistent stitching, dimensions outside tolerance), you catch it early enough to correct without scrapping the batch. The fix at 20% completion is a conversation. At 100% completion, it is a loss.

One thing I have learned the hard way in Vietnam: because of the common English-language gaps in Vietnamese factories, spec misunderstandings tend to surface during production rather than during quoting. A factory may have said "yes" to your detailed specification, but their interpretation of a specific measurement or finish detail differs from yours. The inline check is where those gaps become visible. If you are not there in person, make sure your inspector is comparing against your approved physical sample, not just a spec sheet. Written specs can be misread when English is not the factory's first language.

We had a client sourcing wooden shelving units. The factory substituted a slightly different wood species to save costs. Our inline check caught it at about 20% production. The fix was a conversation and a material swap. If we had waited for the final inspection, 2,000 units would have shipped with the wrong wood grain and color.

Pre-Shipment Inspection (PSI)

The pre-shipment inspection is the most common quality check. It happens when production is 80% to 100% complete. An inspector visits the factory, pulls a random sample from the finished goods using AQL sampling tables, and checks the sample against your specifications.

A standard PSI covers quantity verification against the purchase order, visual and functional quality compared to the approved sample, packaging and labeling accuracy (barcodes, shipping marks, regulatory labels), and carton dimensions and weights for freight planning.

Only after the PSI passes should you release your final payment. This is your last line of defense before goods go into a container.

Container Loading Supervision (CLS)

This one is optional but worth considering for high-value orders. An inspector is present at the factory when goods are loaded into the shipping container to verify that the correct number of cartons are loaded, that nothing is damaged or wet, that the container is clean and in good condition, and that loading is done properly to prevent shifting during transit.

We do not use CLS on every order, but it has saved clients from shorted shipments and water-damaged goods on more than one occasion.

How AQL Sampling Works

AQL stands for Acceptable Quality Limit. It is a standardized method (defined by ISO 2859-1) that tells you how many units to pull from a production lot, how to check them, and how many defects are acceptable before you reject the batch.

AQL does not mean you are accepting defective products. It means you are using a statistically sound sampling plan rather than checking every unit, which would be impractical and cost-prohibitive for most orders.

The Basics

Here is how it works in practice. You start with your total order quantity (the "lot size"). Using the AQL tables, you find the corresponding sample size, which is the number of units the inspector pulls at random from the finished goods. Then you set a defect threshold: how many defective units can be found in that sample before the whole batch fails.

The default inspection level for most consumer products is General Level II. You do not need to memorize the tables. Your inspection company or sourcing partner will handle the math. But you do need to understand the concept well enough to set your own standards.

Defect Types and Typical Limits

Not all defects are equal. Inspectors classify them into three categories, and each one gets its own pass/fail threshold.

Critical defects make the product unsafe, non-functional, or non-compliant with regulations. A children's product with a choking hazard, an electrical item that could shock someone, or a structural failure that makes the product unusable. The acceptable limit for critical defects is always zero.

Major defects affect the product's function or appearance enough that a customer would likely return it. A garment with a broken zipper, furniture with a visible crack, or a missing component. A typical AQL setting for major defects is 2.5%, meaning that if more than a certain number of units in the sample have major defects, the batch fails.

Minor defects are cosmetic issues that do not affect function or safety but fall outside spec. Slight color variation, a small scratch on a non-visible surface, or a minor stitching imperfection. A typical AQL setting for minor defects is 4.0%.

These are standard starting points. You can tighten them for premium products or loosen them slightly for commodity items. The important thing is to set them in writing before production starts and share them with both the factory and your inspector.

Quick Example

Say you have an order of 4,000 units. At General Level II, the inspector pulls a sample of 200 units. If you have set AQL 2.5 for major defects, the batch passes if 10 or fewer major defects are found and fails if 11 or more turn up.

For a deeper look at AQL and other sourcing and procurement terminology, we have a full glossary that covers the key definitions.

Where Things Go Wrong in Vietnam

After managing thousands of production runs here, the same problems keep recurring. Knowing what to watch for makes them preventable.

Material Substitution

This is the single most common issue, especially with wood products, textiles, and hardware. A factory swaps in a cheaper or more available material without telling you. They usually do not see it as dishonest; they see it as solving a supply problem. The fix is a thorough pre-production inspection that verifies raw materials against your approved sample before anything gets cut.

Spec Misunderstandings

Language barriers cause this more than carelessness does. A factory confirms your spec during the quoting phase, but interprets a specific detail differently than you intended. I have seen this happen with dimensions, finish types, color shades, and tolerances. The DUPRO catches it. Written specs alone are not enough. Always provide a physically approved sample and tell your inspector to compare it directly.

Quality Drift

A factory produces excellent samples and a strong first batch, then lets quality slide as the run continues. Workers get fatigued, supervisors shift attention to other orders, or the factory rushes to hit a deadline. This is exactly what inline inspections are designed to catch before it compounds across the entire order.

Packaging and Labeling Mistakes

Wrong barcodes, incorrect country-of-origin labels, missing regulatory markings, or cartons packed in the wrong configuration. These errors cause customs holds, retailer chargebacks, and Amazon listing suspensions. They are easy to prevent if you include packaging and labeling verification in your PSI checklist.

Cutting Corners Under Time Pressure

When a factory falls behind schedule, quality is the first thing that suffers. If you sense the timeline is slipping, do not agree to compress the QC schedule. A late shipment is manageable. A container of defective goods is not.

Third-Party Inspection Companies in Vietnam

If you do not have your own team on the ground, hire a third-party inspection firm. A single inspection day typically runs $250 to $400, depending on the provider and location. Compare that to the cost of receiving a container full of problems.

Here are the major firms with established operations in Vietnam:

QIMA has strong coverage in southern Vietnam, offers online booking and fast turnaround, and delivers same-day reports. A good option for general consumer products at competitive prices.

SGS is the largest global inspection firm with offices in both Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. Widest range of services, including lab testing and certification, but generally more expensive.

Bureau Veritas is particularly strong in textiles and consumer goods, with multiple offices across Vietnam. Solid choice for apparel sourcing and soft goods.

Intertek offers good coverage for technical products, lab testing, and compliance certifications.

TUV is the go-to for products requiring European compliance, CE marking, or technical safety certification.

When booking an inspector, specify your product type and request someone with relevant experience. A textile inspector should not be checking your furniture order. Also, request that the report include photographs, not just pass/fail checkboxes. Photos let you see the actual product condition and make informed decisions from wherever you are.

One note from experience: not all inspectors in Vietnam speak fluent English, and product category expertise varies widely. Confirm both language capability and relevant experience when you book.

Putting a QC Plan Together

A quality control plan does not need to be complicated, but it must be in place before production starts.

Start with a detailed product spec. Dimensions with tolerances, materials with specific grades, colors with Pantone references or physical swatches, functional requirements, and finish standards. If your spec leaves room for interpretation, the factory will interpret it. Our product sourcing guide covers how to build effective spec documents as part of the sourcing process.

Create or approve a production sample. This is the physical reference against which all inspections will be measured. Mark it clearly, store it properly, and make sure both the factory and your inspection team have access to it.

Set your AQL limits for critical, major, and minor defects. Write them down and share them with the factory and your QC provider before production starts.

Schedule your inspections in advance. Do not wait for the factory to tell you goods are ready. Build the PPI, DUPRO, and PSI into the production timeline from the beginning.

Establish clear terms. The factory should understand that the final payment depends on passing the PSI and that a failed inspection means corrective action before re-inspection. That creates accountability on both sides.

Doing QC Yourself vs. Getting Help

Managing quality control from overseas is doable, but it takes either a reliable third-party firm or a sourcing partner with a team on the ground.

If you have manufacturing experience, are comfortable reading inspection reports, and have the time to coordinate directly with QC firms, you can manage it yourself. You will need to book inspectors, communicate your spec, review reports, and handle any disputes. Understanding what a sourcing company does can help you figure out whether you need that layer of support.

If you are new to importing, do not have local contacts, or want one team to manage both the factory relationship and inspections, a sourcing partner with in-house QC makes the process significantly smoother. The same team that vetted the factory and negotiated your order is also the team checking production quality, which creates a level of continuity that standalone inspection firms cannot match.

Quality Control Is Not Optional

Almost every quality disaster I have seen over the past decade traces back to one of three things: the spec was not clear enough, nobody checked the goods during production, or the buyer pushed the factory into a price that forced corners to be cut. The fix in all three cases is the same: build checks into the process at multiple points, communicate your standards clearly, and never skip the inline inspection.

Vietnam's factories are capable of producing excellent goods across a wide range of product categories. The quality of what you receive depends less on the country and more on the systems you put around production. Get QC right, and Vietnam becomes one of the best manufacturing partners you will find.

Work with Cosmo Sourcing on Your Next Vietnam Order

Cosmo Sourcing has been managing production and quality control in Vietnam since 2014. We have helped over 4,000 clients source more than 10,000 products, and our team in Ho Chi Minh City handles inline inspections and pre-shipment checks directly at the factory. No scheduling delays, no language barriers, no guesswork.

We operate on a flat-fee model with no commissions or markups on factory quotes. You get original pricing, full factory contact details, and direct introductions. We typically collect 2 to 6 quotes from vetted factories for each project so you can compare options with full transparency.

If you are planning a production run in Vietnam and want quality control built into the process from the start, reach out to our team.

Email: info@cosmosourcing.com Contact page: cosmosourcing.com/contact-us