CHANGE PATH / 01
Record the change and who can approve it
Keep the approved version and proposed change together. Both sides should be able to see what may proceed, what remains on hold and why.
Identify the version now in use
Record the seller, site, product or SKU and purchase-order number. List the current drawing or specification, approved sample, packaging artwork and quality-plan version. Include the agreed delivery terms. Give the change request an ID and name the quantities or lots it may affect.
Set the original controlled product definition before comparing any proposed change →
ISO 10007:2017 provides configuration-management guidance across a product or service lifecycle. This checklist uses that general control idea to organise buyer evidence. It does not claim that a supplier follows, is certified to or complies with ISO 10007.
Put the original instruction and revision hierarchy into the purchase order →
Classify what would actually change
Group changes by what they affect: product or materials; dimensions, tools or process; packaging or labels; factory or key sub-supplier. Record changes to quantity, timing and delivery route too. List the certificates, reports or inspection evidence that need review. Explain any “no impact” finding.
Mark the proposed effective point: prototype, first production output, a named lot, a dated shipment, or all future orders. If the supplier cannot identify the affected scope, use a hold state instead of allowing the new version to enter production by assumption.
Issue one reviewable change notice
Ask for the old and new document IDs and versions. Record the reason, start date or lot, affected orders, supplier owner and supporting files. Date the notice and ask the supplier to confirm receipt. Keep it separate from price requests and progress updates so the approval has a clear scope.
Record open questions instead of converting them to a pass: whether the approved sample still represents the product, whether test or certificate coverage changes, whether a quality-plan checkpoint must repeat, and whether price or delivery commitments must be revised.
Keep record identifiers in your baseline
Keep certificate numbers, holders, sites, scope and expiry dates alongside the approved revision. You can then compare a later record with the evidence you approved.
Our 21–22 August 2026 queries covered 45 company candidates selected from an NHTSA manufacturer list. The table counts returned records. It did not measure supplier notifications, certificate validity or changes during an order.
| Dimension | Companies with records | Median returned items where present |
|---|---|---|
| Registered change records | 41 of 45 | 20+ (page limit) |
| Administrative licences | 40 of 45 | 5.5 |
| Qualification certificates | 36 of 45 | 8 |
| Historical shareholders | 33 of 45 | 2 |
The query returned administrative-licence records for 40 companies and certificate records for 36. A returned item still needs its holder, scope and current status checked with the issuer.
See the sample selection and lookup limitations. This is not a representative sample of Chinese suppliers. Counts reflect provider returns; change records were capped at 20 items per response.
Review the impact before deciding
Check the proposed version against your product, contract and destination requirements. Decide whether to recheck the sample, drawing, bill of materials or packaging proof. Review any affected tests, inspection methods and quality-plan checks. Include price, delivery point and shipment documents.
The ISO committee guidance for ISO 10013:2021 explains the value of retaining documented information to support process operation. Here, the useful record is the evidence and decision trail for this change—not a claim that any particular form, platform or file hierarchy is mandatory.
Recheck whether the approved sample still represents the proposed version →
Map changed evidence to the existing quality-control checkpoints →
Record who approved what
Name the buyer who can decide. Choose a state from the table below. For approval, record the new version, scope, evidence, conditions and date. Say exactly which work may continue.
Supplier acknowledgement confirms receipt of the decision; it does not replace buyer authority. A blanket “approved” label should not silently approve a different material, another factory, new artwork, an additional lot or a later shipment.
Check the new version when first used
At the next hold point, check the product, site, packaging and evidence against the approved version. Keep the original files and the change record. A new filename does not resolve an open difference.
Use the defined inspection or evidence event for the specific decision. A change approval does not automatically release production, shipment, payment, contractual delivery or destination-market compliance.
Use an in-process checkpoint for a continue, correct, reinspect or hold decision →
CONTROL TABLE / 02
What to put in the change notice
| Control area | Record before a decision | Evidence to compare | Hold when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current baseline | Order, seller, site, product, document IDs and current revisions | PO, approved sample, specification and quality plan | The version now controlling work cannot be identified |
| Proposed difference | Exact before/after field, reason and proposed effective point | Supplier notice, drawings, materials, photos or process records | The proposal is only described in an informal message |
| Affected scope | Orders, lots, products, factory sites and destination assumptions | Production plan, shipment schedule and order quantities | The supplier cannot name what may already be affected |
| Evidence impact | Sample, test, certificate, inspection, packaging and document questions | Current evidence and proposed replacement evidence | Existing evidence does not clearly cover the new version |
| Commercial impact | Price, timing, delivery point and payment implications | Approved quotation, PO and written commercial change | A revised invoice or promise silently changes the order |
| Buyer decision | Authorised role, state, conditions, date and new revision | Written decision and supplier acknowledgement | No authorised buyer decision exists for affected work |
| First verification | Next checkpoint, method, owner and release condition | First-piece, in-process, reinspection or document-review result | The new version cannot be tied to a defined evidence event |
DECISION STATES / 03
Show whether the change is approved
| State | Minimum record | Permitted next action |
|---|---|---|
| Information requested | Current or proposed version, evidence or affected scope remains unclear | Provide the named information only; do not treat the change as approved |
| Under review | Notice and impact questions logged; buyer decision is pending | Hold affected work unless a separate written instruction permits limited work |
| Rejected | Buyer decision and the reason recorded | Continue only the existing approved baseline or propose a new notice |
| Approved with conditions | New revision, limited scope, evidence and conditions named | Perform only the stated work and complete the named checkpoint |
| Approved new revision | Authorised buyer, new baseline and effective point recorded | Use the new version only for the approved scope, then verify it |
| Hold | Reason, affected lots, containment and escalation owner visible | Do not continue affected work until a new buyer-owned decision is recorded |
METHOD / 04
How this checklist was prepared
Currawong’s China-side verification desk checked the official sources below on 2 August 2026. ISO 10007 supports the configuration-management framing across a lifecycle, and ISO 10013 supports retaining documented information to operate processes. The six checks, table and decision states are our buyer-evidence synthesis.
We did not inspect any reader’s supplier, product, contract, order, factory, sample, technical file, destination rules or shipment. This is general evidence-organising guidance and never legal advice, a contract clause, regulatory interpretation, supplier approval, certification, quality guarantee or production/shipment release.
PRIMARY SOURCES / 05
Official sources used for this guide
Links and page content were checked on 2 August 2026. Re-open relevant source material and obtain product-, contract- and jurisdiction-specific advice before a material decision.
- ISO 10007:2017 Official ISO record for configuration-management guidance applicable to products and services across their lifecycle; used here only for the general controlled-baseline and change-status framing.
- ISO 10013:2021: Guidance for documented information Official ISO committee note describing guidance on retaining documented information to support process operation; used here only for the value of a traceable evidence and decision record.
COMMON QUESTIONS / 06
Keep the change record inside its decision boundary
- Does a supplier need buyer approval for every operational detail?
- Set the notice and approval rules in your contract, order and quality plan. There is no single rule for every supplier. Record which changes need your approval.
- Can a chat message approve a change?
- Only if your agreed process allows it. The message must show who approved which version, scope and conditions. Keep a separate change record for material changes.
- Does an approved change prove the updated product is compliant or acceptable?
- No. It only records a decision about a defined change. Product testing, inspection, contractual acceptance and destination-market requirements need their own applicable evidence and review.
- What if production has already started before the supplier gives notice?
- Identify which work may be affected and keep the existing evidence. Record what you could not check. Decide whether to hold, contain, review or reinspect the work; do not treat the change as already approved.
If a supplier changes a material or price after deposit, compare the proposal with the dated order and record your decision. A change notice alone does not settle a contractual dispute.