Incoming Materials Inspection Checklist

Pull the PO from the ERP (NetSuite, Epicor, or Dynamics) and reconcile each line on the packing list to a PO line — part number, rev, quantity, UOM. Over-shipments and substitute part numbers are common gotchas; flag both rather than silently receiving.

Confirm the supplier provided the cert type required by the PO — CoC, mill test report, or AS9102 first article. Check that the heat or lot number on the cert matches the material tag, the alloy or grade matches the print, and the cert is signed.

Enter the lot or heat numbers verbatim from the material tag — these flow downstream into traveler records and are how the plant responds to a customer recall. Do not paraphrase or shorten.

Cross-check the rev on the supplier's tag and cert against the current released rev in PLM (SolidWorks PDM, Arena, Windchill). A superseded rev arriving after an ECN release is a frequent cause of mixed inventory on the floor.

Adhesives, sealants, prepreg, resins, and certain fasteners (loctited, plated) carry expiration dates. Reject anything where remaining shelf life is shorter than the planned consumption window.

Crushed corners, water staining, broken bands, and re-taped seams are signs to flag before signing the BOL. If carrier damage is visible, note it on the delivery receipt before the driver leaves — freight claims are very hard to win without that note.

Capture wide and close-up images of any damaged packaging, foreign material, oxidation, or visible defects. Photos attach to the receiving record and become evidence for supplier corrective action and freight claims.

ESD bags for sensitive electronics, VCI paper or oil for ferrous bar stock, end caps on tubing, desiccant for hygroscopic materials. Improper packaging is a supplier scorecard item even if the material itself passes inspection.

Apply a yellow hold tag and stage in the designated incoming-quarantine area until QC inspection clears the lot. Material must not enter active stock locations until released — a common shortcut that breaks traceability.

Full count for low-volume / high-value parts; weigh-count is acceptable for fasteners and similar bulk hardware when calibrated tare weights are on file. Reconcile any variance with the buyer before disposition.

Sample size per ANSI/ASQ Z1.4 at the inspection level on the part's incoming inspection record — typically Level II for new parts, Reduced for stable PPAP'd suppliers. Use calibrated gauges only; red-tag and replace any past-due gauge before measuring.

For stainless, nickel, titanium, and other alloy-critical material, verify grade with the XRF gun before release. Mixed bar stock between 304 and 316, or carbon and stainless, is a recurring supplier mistake — and a serious in-service failure risk on pressure parts.

Enter the disposition for this lot. Pass releases the material to stock; Pass with deviation routes to MRB for engineering review with the lot still usable; Fail triggers an NCR and segregation. Attach measurement records to the receiving inspection report regardless of outcome.

Create the non-conformance record in ETQ, MasterControl, Qualio, or whichever QMS the plant runs. Include lot numbers, defect description, sample size, defect quantity, photos from receiving, and the cert reference. NCRs without dispositions within the SLA escalate to the QM.

Replace the yellow quarantine tag with a red MRB tag and physically move the lot to the MRB cage. Tagging without physical segregation is how non-conforming material ends up on the floor when the cage is full.

The buyer contacts the supplier with the NCR for return authorization, replacement, or credit, and decides whether to issue an SCAR (supplier corrective action request). Repeat offenders should be flagged on the next supplier scorecard review.

Engineering and quality decide: use-as-is with deviation, rework in-house, return to supplier, or scrap. The disposition closes the NCR loop and updates the lot's status in ERP.

Post the receipt against the PO line, confirm received quantity, and attach the receiving inspection report and certs. Three-way match (PO / receipt / invoice) depends on this entry being accurate.

Replace the yellow quarantine tag with a green release tag and put the lot to its primary stock bin. Confirm the bin location in the WMS so MRP can see the material as available for upcoming work orders.

Flip the lot status from Quarantine to Available in ERP. Notify the production planner if the lot was on a hot list — buyers and planners frequently chase incoming material for jobs already past due.