In SAP QM, a sampling procedure defines how the sample size is determined for an inspection characteristic and can also carry valuation-related logic. It is used with inspection planning so the system can translate a quality requirement into a practical amount of inspection work.
Why sampling exists
Inspecting every unit can be unnecessary, expensive or destructive. Sampling gives the quality team a controlled way to inspect a representative quantity while retaining a repeatable rule for how that quantity was chosen.
Where it fits
A sampling procedure is not the inspection plan itself. The inspection plan organizes operations and characteristics; the sampling procedure supplies the sampling rule used for a characteristic. The resulting inspection is then executed in an inspection lot.
What consultants should clarify
Ask what is being inspected, whether inspection is destructive, how lot size changes, what level of risk is acceptable and how acceptance should be evaluated. A technically valid sample rule can still be a poor business control if those questions are ignored.