Choosing the Right Inspection Approach When our quality director asked me to evaluate inspection automation options for our new production line, I initially assumed AI was the obvious answer. Three months and several vendor demos later, I learned that inspection technology choices aren't one-size-fits-all. Sometimes traditional methods still make sense. Sometimes hybrid approaches win. Understanding when to use what can save you six figures in misallocated capital. This comparison draws from real implementation experience across different inspection challenges. I'll compare manual inspection, rules-based machine vision, and AI-Driven Visual Inspection across the dimensions that actually matter for quality professionals: accuracy, flexibility, cost, and integration with existing TQM systems. Manual Visual Inspection: Still Relevant?…