In-line Quality Checks

An in-line check is the kind of inspection that catches a problem before it scales. The first 20 garments off a stitching line look fine; the 21st has the wrong topstitch tension. You want to know on the 21st, not the 421st.

That's what in-line checks are for. The inspector takes a sample at an operation boundary — Cutting → Stitching, Stitching → Wash, Wash → Finishing — and confirms the batch is still in spec. If something is drifting, the batch pauses, the problem is fixed at the source, and only then does production resume.

When in-line checks happen

In-line checks are stage-based, not schedule-based. They happen when work hands off between operations, not at fixed clock times. A few common stages:

• After Cutting, before Stitching — verify cut dimensions, piece count, fabric direction. Cheapest place to catch a bad cut.
• Early in Stitching — first-piece inspection. Confirm seam construction, thread tension, color matching on the first finished garments off the line.
• Mid-Stitching — sample mid-run. Catches drift before the whole batch carries the same flaw.
• After Wash — verify shrinkage came in within tolerance, color is consistent, no chemical residue.
• After Embroidery / Print — placement, color, registration.

How often you sample depends on the batch size and the brand's tolerance, but as a rough rule: more frequent on a new style, less frequent once a style has been running for a few weeks without issues.

Using it from the App

The Quality App is the dominant path for in-line checks because inspectors are on the floor, not at a desk.

The flow on a tablet:

1. Open the App, tap In-line.
2. Pick the Production Batch (or scan its barcode).
3. Pick the Inspection Stage — the operation being checked.
4. The app pre-populates lot size from the Batch quantity. Enter sample size.
5. Walk the sample. For each QC Parameter in the template: tap Pass / Fail / N/A, enter a measurement if it's a measurement parameter.
6. For any defect found, tap Add Defect, pick the defect category, severity (Critical / Major / Minor), and (typically) snap a photo right there.
7. Complete the inspection. The App posts the result, the dashboards update, alerts trigger if thresholds are breached.

The whole thing takes a few minutes per check. The data lands instantly back on the Desk for the quality manager to see.

Image: The Quality App In-line view showing a sample inspection mid-completion, with parameter readings tapped and one Major defect added with a photo attached.

Using it from the Desk

For inspections done at a fixed station (a QC table with a laptop) or for retroactive entries (an inspector forgot to log a check), the Desk is the right tool.

From the QC Inspection list, click + Add QC Inspection. The form is the same as the App, just laid out for a keyboard and mouse:

• Pick the Inspection Stage linking to the operation.
• Pick the Production Batch.
• Fill in Context (lot size, sample size, shift).
• Add Parameter Readings rows directly into the child table.
• Add Defects Found rows the same way; attach photos by drag-and-drop.
• Save, then Submit when complete.

Most factories use the Desk for in-line in two specific scenarios: training new inspectors (the screen is easier to coach on) and bulk-recording inspections from a paper audit that's being migrated into GarmentFlow.

When an in-line check fails

A Rejected or Hold for Review result on an in-line check is the moment quality earns its keep. The right immediate actions:

1. Pause the operation. The batch shouldn't keep running while a problem is being investigated.
2. Look at the photos and the defect categories. Is it a setup issue (one machine drifting) or a systemic issue (whole batch wrong)?
3. Decide rework vs continue. Some defects are repairable in place; others mean the partially-produced batch has to go back.
4. Log the resolution as a comment on the QC Inspection or a follow-up inspection at the same stage.

Don't continue production "and check again at the next stage." That's how a flaw becomes a brand returns case.

What to do next

Final quality checks pick up where in-line leaves off — the gate before garments leave for shipping. See Final quality checks.