Understanding man-day (MD) calculation is essential for budgeting your quality control program. At TTSQC, we price inspections per man-day because it reflects the actual work required, not just a flat fee that might overcharge simple jobs or underfund complex ones.
What Is a Man-Day?
A man-day represents one qualified inspector working one full day (typically 8 hours including travel). It's the industry standard unit for QC services because it accounts for the real-world complexity of product inspection.
How MD Is Calculated
The basic formula is: MD = (Sample Size × Time Per Unit + Setup Time + Travel Time) / 8 hours
For example, inspecting 200 garments at 1.5 minutes per unit = 5 hours of inspection time. Add 1 hour setup (reviewing specs, preparing equipment) and 1 hour travel = 7 hours total = 0.875 MD, rounded to 1 MD.
Factors Affecting MD
Product complexity: Electronics with functional testing take 3-5 minutes per unit. Simple garments take 1-2 minutes. Furniture with assembly verification can take 15-20 minutes per piece.
SKU count: Multiple SKUs require separate sampling and separate spec reviews. A shipment with 5 SKUs takes approximately 1.5x the MD of a single-SKU shipment.
Inspection type: IPC (Initial Production Check) takes less time than FRI (Final Random Inspection) because quantities are smaller. DUPRO (During Production) is intermediate.
Location: Remote factories require more travel time. Factory clusters in Guangdong allow 2 inspections per day; scattered factories in inland provinces might require full travel days.
Global Pricing Reference
China: $199/MD | Vietnam: $249/MD | India: $229/MD | Bangladesh: $239/MD | Pakistan: $219/MD | Turkey: $279/MD | Mexico: $299/MD