THE DECISION IN BRIEF
Most triggers work, but complaints trace to one carton. What evidence should we keep?
Keep the carton identity, its contents and unaffected comparison material separate. A concentrated pattern is useful evidence that can be lost if receiving staff mix everything into one bin.
Preserve the location information
Record the carton label, lot references, arrival condition and storage position. Note whether the affected units were near a crushed side, at the top of the carton or distributed throughout it. Photographs should show both the overall pack and close details.
Do not send all suspect units away without retaining agreed comparison samples. Count what was examined and what failed; a handful of complaint photographs does not establish the defect proportion for the entire shipment.
Compare like with like
Compare affected and unaffected units under the same bottle, formula and assembly procedure. Note physical distortion before operating them. A trigger assembled to a different bottle is not a clean control for a carton-related investigation.
Ask the supplier to review manufacturing and packing traceability without deciding the cause in advance. Component variation, packing pressure and handling damage are possibilities to examine, not conclusions that follow automatically from the carton pattern.
Control the disposition
Identify which stock is held, released for a defined purpose or awaiting investigation. Agree the evidence needed to expand or narrow the hold. Replacement parts should carry their own references so the subsequent comparison remains traceable.
Keep urgent replacement supply separate from the cause investigation. Record which replacement units were received and approved, while preserving enough original material to review the carton pattern. Closing the delivery shortage should not erase the evidence needed to prevent the next complaint.
Sources & further reading
Use the references below alongside the selected component drawing and agreed sample plan. Product-specific claims need product-specific evidence.
PRODUCT REFERENCES
Components to discuss with your supplier.
These references share the component type discussed here. Confirm the selected assembly and application with samples.
Related articles
VIEW THE COMPONENTS
