Quality requirements should be agreed before production. A quotation that says “certificate available” may not define issuer, standard, traceability or inspection scope. State the evidence required for each line item.
Inspection plan inputs
- Applicable material and product standards, including editions
- Dimensions, tolerances, surface and visual acceptance criteria
- Heat, batch or lot identification and traceability requirements
- Required test reports, material certificates and document language
- Witness points, third-party inspection and release conditions
Review documents against the order
Check that grade, dimensions, quantity, heat or batch identifiers and supplier entity match the purchase documents. Confirm who issues each report, whether inspection occurs before dispatch, and how nonconformities are handled.
Project and destination requirements
Regulated projects may require approvals or inspection procedures beyond a standard material certificate. The buyer and responsible engineer should define those requirements and confirm that the supplier can meet them before the order is placed.
Include the inspection scope in the RFQ and purchase order rather than relying on assumptions after production.