OVERVIEW OF CRITICAL FACTORS DEEMED ESSENTIAL FOR THE SUCCESSFUL INSTALLATION AND OPERATION OF ON-LINE ELECTRO-OPTICAL FLAW DETECTION SYSTEMS. SUPPORTED BY SUCCESSFUL AND NONSUCCESSFUL PERSONAL EXPERIENCES WITH LASER SCANNING AND WEB INSPECTION SYSTEMS. IN PRESENTATION ARE: THE NEED FOR A DYNAMIC INTERACTION BETWEEN SURFACE QUALITY, FLAWS, AND LIGHT INTENSITY; OUTLINE OF MINIMUM INGREDIENTS FOR A PRACTICAL INSPECTION SYSTEM; CORRELATION BETWEEN INSPECTION ON METALS AND TEXTILES; ALGORITHMS TO FUNCTION LIKE THE HUMAN EYE; FLEXIBLE STRUCTURE OF MAP READOUTS; NEW SUBCULTURE OF THINKING REQUIRED FOR SUCCESSFUL AUTOMATED VISUAL INSPECTION AND THE EFFORTLESS INCREASE OF PRODUCT QUALITY WHICH INEVITABLY FOLLOWS.