State the dispatch question
Decide whether the sample is intended to verify product identity, repeat an agreed analytical check or compare application response. These questions require different evidence. A qualification sample taken months earlier is not automatically a sample of the shipment awaiting release.
Identify the order, proposed code and relevant lot or lots. If the shipment includes several batches, agree the sampling scope rather than assuming one small container certifies every package. Preserve the limits of representativeness.
Agree collection and custody
Define who collects the material, how the sample is labelled and how it reaches the testing party. If witnessing or independent collection is required, agree the role and scope explicitly. A photograph of a container does not prove the entire sampling chain.
Follow suitable product handling and storage instructions. Use the retained-sample record to keep opening, transfer and condition visible so later comparison does not rely on memory.
Specify the comparison method
For an analytical check, use the agreed method, units and acceptance basis. For an application comparison, identify the feed, stock preparation and required separator outcome. A favorable result from unrelated test conditions may not answer the dispatch question.
Resolve method differences with measurement reconciliation before assigning pass or fail. Do not treat a product-family typical value as the batch acceptance limit unless that is the explicit agreement.
Record the release decision
State which evidence has been reviewed, which lot is released and any unresolved limitation. Agree how the result connects with the final shipment documents. A sample result should not silently authorize replacing the identified lot before dispatch.
Keep a retained portion only under an appropriate documented arrangement. Technical release, payment and shipment authorization are separate decisions; define the responsible parties instead of allowing one laboratory observation to stand for all three.
Purchasing evidence to keep
| Approval point | Record needed |
|---|---|
| Scope | Order and lot coverage define what the collected material represents. |
| Custody | Collection, labels, transfer and storage support a credible comparison. |
| Release | Named decision makers connect the accepted evidence to the actual dispatched lot. |