THE DECISION IN BRIEF
We approved a courier sample. What should stay with the purchase order?
Keep identified reference sets with the parties who need to reproduce and inspect the pack. A photograph or an unsigned bag of parts is not enough to show which assembly and revision were approved.
Choose the references deliberately
Separate an appearance reference from a functional approval assembly. A decorated display piece may not contain the final internals; a trial unit may be scratched or modified. Identify what each retained sample establishes and attach the corresponding record.
Include component identities, bottle, tube, formula used for evaluation and the decision date from the actual approval process. Do not invent a historical approval date to make a newly prepared set look established. Preserve the names or roles of the people who actually authorized release.
Make handover possible
Agree who holds each set, how it is labelled and how replacement or destructive examination is authorized. Store references under the conditions agreed for the materials. An unprotected sample left in direct sunlight may cease to be a useful color or performance reference.
Record any limits, such as a temporary color concession or a tube change still awaiting approval. Purchasing, receiving and the filling team should see the same limits rather than different versions of a courier email.
Link the reference to change control
On repeat orders, verify that the quoted revision still matches the retained set. If a supplier proposes a material, source or tooling change, keep the replacement separately until disposition is recorded. Do not quietly exchange the old sample in the approval drawer.
Choose a handover record that another buyer can use without the original email conversation. It should say what is approved, where the reference sets are held and which exceptions remain open. Keep the accepted revision visible when a repeat quotation arrives.
Sources & further reading
Use the references below alongside the selected component drawing and agreed sample plan. Product-specific claims need product-specific evidence.
VIEW THE COMPONENTS
