INSPECTION CONTROL / 01
Inspect the approved order, then preserve the decision trail.
Give the inspector the product definition you approved. Match the final report to that definition, the inspected lot and any open findings before recording your release decision.
Give the inspector the approved order
Identify the seller, inspection site, order revision, products and quantities. Provide current drawings, materials list, packaging artwork and the named approval sample. State which document controls any conflict.
Record any approved factory, material, component or specification change before booking. An inspector cannot reliably test an order reconstructed from sales messages or an unnamed sample.
Establish the named sample and approval decision before inspection →
Build the controlled purchase-order baseline first →
Preserve any earlier in-process findings and continuation decisions →
Confirm the lot is ready
Record the lot ID, ordered, completed and packed quantities, locations and excluded units. Agree a readiness threshold and require dated evidence before the inspector travels.
On arrival, the report should record what was available, where it was located and how the sample was selected. If the declared lot and visible lot differ, pause and obtain buyer instructions instead of changing the inspection basis without a record.
A result for one defined lot cannot be carried forward to another production run, replenishment, reworked lot or future shipment without a new decision.
Check competence and inspection scope
Agree who inspects, the methods, equipment, conflict controls, products and locations covered. ISO/IEC 17020:2026 covers inspection-body competence, impartiality and consistent operation.
Global ACI has assumed the former roles of IAF and ILAC since 1 January 2026. Find the responsible body in its accreditation directory, then verify the inspector’s current scope with that body. Accreditation does not guarantee every report or product.
Agree sampling and defect rules
Set the lot size, inspection level, sample size, selection method and acceptance or rejection numbers. Define critical, major and minor defects against the product specification, user risk and contract.
ISO 2859-1:2026 provides lot-by-lot acceptance-sampling schemes indexed by acceptance quality limit (AQL). Use the applicable licensed standard and qualified input to set the plan. AQL sampling supports a decision about a defined lot under that plan; it is not a 100% inspection or a promise that every unit conforms.
Turn requirements into site checks
List the relevant identity, quantity, material, dimension, workmanship, colour, assembly, function and safety checks. For each, name the method, tool, sample quantity, expected result, tolerance and required evidence.
Separate visual or functional inspection from laboratory testing and regulatory assessment. If a material, component or claim requires a certificate or test report, match that document to the legal holder, site, product, model and tested sample instead of asking the inspector to infer compliance.
Match certificates and test reports to the ordered product →
Check packaging and shipment documents
Compare packaging with approved artwork and packing instructions. Record the required barcodes, model and batch labels, warnings, origin markings, carton dimensions, weights, assortment, seals and transit protection.
List the commercial invoice, packing list, inspection record, test evidence, declarations, labels and other shipment documents the buyer expects. The inspector can record whether named items were presented and matched to the brief; the destination-market regulator or qualified adviser remains the authority for the buyer’s product, import and compliance obligations.
Trace findings through correction
For each finding, record the requirement, observed condition, defect class, product, sample count and photo or measurement evidence. Keep disputed and untestable items visible until the agreed review is complete.
For rejected or held work, record containment, proposed correction, affected quantity, root-cause or prevention action where material, responsible owner and due date. Define whether documentary review, targeted recheck or a new representative inspection is required. Supplier photos alone should not silently close an inspection hold point.
Record the buyer’s release decision
Compare the report with the brief, order revision and open findings. Record the reviewer, accepted corrections, remaining exceptions and exact action allowed: hold, correct, reinspect, release shipment or release a named payment milestone.
Do not release the final payment or shipment only because a report says “PASS”. Confirm the beneficiary and any changed payment instruction separately before money moves. Use the bank-account verification workflow →
Shipment release is not the same decision as contractual delivery or risk transfer. The ICC Incoterms® 2020 rules allocate specified costs, risks and obligations under the sale. An inspection result does not rewrite the agreed rule, named place or wider contract.
The WTO material covers government-mandated pre-shipment inspection. For a private commercial inspection, agree its scope and release authority in your own arrangements.
Keep the release inside the wider supplier decision record →
INSPECTION BRIEF / 02
Minimum fields to lock before the inspection is booked
| Control area | Lock before booking | Report should preserve | Hold when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Order baseline | Seller, factory, PO/specification revision, SKUs and approved sample | Exact references used and any conflict or missing document | The inspected goods cannot be tied to the approved revision |
| Lot readiness | Lot identity, quantity, completion threshold, locations and exclusions | Available quantity, location and sample-selection trail | The visible lot differs from the declared sample frame |
| Inspector scope | Body, personnel, methods, equipment, impartiality and accredited scope if required | Who attended, when, where and which methods were performed | Required competence, access or equipment is unavailable |
| Sampling | Plan, lot size, sample size, selection method and defect thresholds | Units selected, defects by class and decision calculation | The plan changes after results are visible without buyer approval |
| Product checks | Observable requirements, method, tolerance and evidence format | Measured or observed results against each requirement | A release-critical requirement was skipped or could not be tested |
| Pack and documents | Artwork, pack-out, labels, markings and named deliverables | Results, photos and documents presented at inspection time | A required marking, pack rule or document remains unresolved |
| Corrections | Nonconformity, containment, correction and reinspection rules | Open findings, supplier response and verification evidence | A promise or selective photo replaces the agreed close-out method |
| Release authority | Named buyer reviewer, permitted states and payment/shipment boundaries | Dated decision, exceptions, authorised action and evidence version | The report is being treated as automatic release authority |
RELEASE RECORD / 03
Close the inspection with an explicit buyer-owned state
| State | Minimum record | Permitted next action |
|---|---|---|
| Not ready | Lot or inspection prerequisites are incomplete or materially different | Do not inspect on a changed basis; reschedule or obtain written buyer direction |
| Inspected: review open | Report received, scope checked and findings entered in the exception register | Buyer reviews evidence; no automatic payment or shipment release |
| Hold for correction | Release-critical findings, affected quantity and correction owner recorded | Contain and correct the affected goods |
| Reinspection required | Close-out method, sample basis and corrected-lot identity approved | Perform the named reinspection before release review resumes |
| Released with record | Authorised reviewer, date, report version, closed exceptions and exact action captured | Release only the named lot, shipment or payment milestone |
A name does not establish inspection scope
Before accepting a report, match the provider’s legal identity and written scope. These name queries show why a familiar company-name ending is not enough.
| Name query | Returned count |
|---|---|
| 检测有限公司 (testing) | 5,000: display ceiling |
| 检验有限公司 (inspection) | 5,000: display ceiling |
| 认证有限公司 (certification) | 5,000: display ceiling |
| 公证行有限公司 (surveyor) | 740 |
| 验货有限公司 (goods inspection) | 653 |
| 第三方检测有限公司 (third-party testing) | 638 |
Three of these six queries reached 5,000; their true totals are unknown. The full eight-query study had five capped results. Neither set establishes which firms are accredited for your required work.
Name queries may overlap or omit providers using other names. No firm was assessed or recommended. Verify the current accredited scope when required, and agree the inspection methods and report recipient.
METHOD / 04
How this checklist was prepared
Official sources were reviewed on 5 September 2026. The eight steps and decision tables are Currawong’s practical synthesis; the source list explains what each reference supports.
We have not reviewed your supplier, product, order or inspection evidence. Use qualified product and destination-market input to set the actual requirements. This guide does not approve production, shipment, payment or compliance.
PRIMARY SOURCES / 05
Official sources used for this guide
Reviewed 5 September 2026. Recheck the applicable standard, scope and buyer requirements before making a production or release decision.
- ISO 2859-1:2026Official ISO record for lot-by-lot acceptance-sampling procedures indexed by AQL.
- ISO/IEC 17020:2026Official ISO record for requirements applying to the competence, impartiality and consistent operation of inspection bodies.
- Global ACI: AboutOfficial record of the organisation’s 1 January 2026 launch and assumption of the former IAF and ILAC roles.
- Global ACI: Recognised accreditation bodiesOfficial route for identifying recognised accreditation bodies and their economies and scopes.
- ICC: Incoterms® 2020Official ICC overview of rules allocating specified costs, risks and obligations in business-to-business sales.
- WTO: Pre-shipment inspectionOfficial WTO overview of government-contracted or mandated pre-shipment inspection and its quality, quantity and price checks.
COMMON QUESTIONS / 06
Keep the output inside the inspected scope
- Does an inspection “PASS” mean every unit is conforming?
- No. A report records the work performed and findings under a stated scope and sample plan. Review the lot, sampling basis, skipped checks and open exceptions before making a release decision.
- Is AQL the same as an acceptable percentage of defective goods?
- Do not use it as a simple promised defect percentage. Use the applicable acceptance-sampling standard and qualified input to define a plan and decision rule for a stated lot.
- Does an accredited inspection body prove my product is compliant?
- No. Accreditation relates to a stated inspection scope and competence framework. Product and destination-market compliance still require the applicable evidence and responsible decision-maker.
- Can supplier photos close a failed inspection?
- Only if the buyer’s pre-agreed close-out rule allows that evidence for the specific finding. Release-critical or representative-lot issues may require a targeted or full reinspection.
- Who should release the final payment?
- The buyer’s authorised reviewer should match the report, corrections, beneficiary and payment milestone, then record the exact authorised action. The inspector’s report is an input and never the payment authority.