Find out what incoming goods inspection is, what to check for, and everything you’ll need to perform one successfully. Use these templates for the incoming goods inspection to immediately eliminate any quality defects in the pre-production.
Lumiform enables you to conduct digital inspections via app easier than ever before.
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The incoming goods inspection is a quality control in the context of the procurement of goods, thereby the quality of the delivered goods is checked according to specified criteria. The purpose of checking the delivery is to ensure that the received goods match the order, have no damage and meet the quality requirements of the company. Goods undergo rigorous testing after being manufactured following a factory acceptance test procedure but should still always be checked upon arrival. If possible, the incoming goods inspection should always be carried out in the presence of the supplier.
Quality managers use checklists during the incoming goods inspection to make it easier for themselves to reconcile the order with the delivered goods. In addition, these ensure that nothing is forgotten during the inspection. In this way, defective goods are more easily detected and complaints can be made more quickly. Goods inspection prevents customers from being dissatisfied and quality problems from occurring in the end product.
Goods inward inspections are mainly carried out in the following industries:
Goods inward inspections reduce costs and increase quality standards and customer satisfaction. Many companies use their own labeling system for incoming goods inspection, which tells them what actions are necessary after the incoming goods inspection.
1. The different types of inspections
2. How an incoming goods inspection works
3. Identification systems in goods-in inspection
4. Testing and inspecting incoming goods
5. A mobile application for incoming goods inspections
Imagine if you paid premium dollar to stock the shelves of your grocery store and then got handed a crate full of rotten bananas—and then was told you couldn’t return them.
That would be in a world without quality assurance inspections to ensure quality suppliers. There would be no rules of conduct, no returns, and no reimbursements. Anything would go, and the era of good customer service would come to a regrettable close.
But there are reasons suppliers want to inspect their produce before they sell you a defective product, and it comes down to one very basic business practice: They’d be hard-pressed to stay in business if they failed to keep their customers from coming back for more.
That’s why inspections take place at every stop along the way.
There are three types of incoming inspections as outlined below:
Pre Production
A pre-production inspection will be a part of your incoming goods procedure. This inspection takes place before manufacturing starts and looks at all the raw materials that will go into the final product. For example, this could be double-checking that the cloth that will be made into a shirt is free from holes or tears.
In-Line
An in-line inspection takes place in the middle of production to make sure everything is running smoothly. In the garment industry, this would look like double-checking that there are no partially stitched or missing stitching.
Final
The final inspection is done when the manufacturing process is completed. This ensures the quality of the product is up to industry standards and customer satisfaction will be met.
Every step in an inspection is vital to quality assurance. Faulty, broken, or damaged materials can cost a company its bottom line, so it’s important that an inspection is done correctly. Products go through multiple quality checks throughout the manufacturing process, but the first check is arguably the most important because it’s the foundation on which everything is built. Each check after the first is a fail-safe in case something was missed during the initial inspection.
A goods receipt inspection not only ensures a company's quality standards but also serves as an economic safeguard. If goods are damaged, acceptance can be refused and a faultless delivery demanded.
In order for such claims to be made, the goods must be inspected immediately for any defects. This also includes checking the correct number or quantity of the goods.
Responsible employees best proceed as follows during the incoming goods inspection:
The process of the goods receipt check should be structured and, above all, uniform. First of all, it must be checked whether the delivery is of the correct amount. The delivery bill and order form are the basis for checking for completeness. Provided that the delivered goods are free of defects and in the desired quantity, the receipt of the goods is made, indicating the name of the inspector and the date and time.
A checklist for incoming goods inspection specifies exactly which points are to be checked during a quality inspection, for example, the size, color, condition, packaging, and so on. To ensure that an inspection result triggers a specific action after inspection, many companies use a marking system for goods acceptance.
Three stages are usually set for the acceptance criteria: 1. Accepted, 2. Conditionally accepted, and 3. Rejected. The designations vary by company. You decide what happens to the goods after delivery.
1. Accepted
The delivered goods are free of defects. It can either be stowed in the warehouse or transferred to the next operation.
2. Conditionally accepted
The delivered goods have transport damage, functional and dimensional deviations, or improper markings. Acceptance is initially refused and rectification or replacement by the supplier is required.
3. Rejected
The delivered goods have significant defects. In these cases, the Lierung is often returned or refused acceptance. Depending on the type of goods and delivery agreements, however, companies may have to dispose of the rejected goods or classify them according to other criteria. In the retail industry, for example, defective goods are sold as second-choice items at a lower price.
Why is it important to check and test materials before they are put into production?
The answer may seem obvious—so faulty, defective, or damaged materials aren’t then made into faulty, defective, and damaged products.
But the mistake has been made before, which is why pre-production, in-line, and final inspections have been invented and implemented to prevent such needless errors from occurring for a second time. Still, people are only human, and they can make assembly line-halting blunders which is why the initial inspection should be the most thorough.
These are some reasons why you should utilize a goods inwards inspection if you haven’t done so already:
Foreign Suppliers
If you get your goods across land or overseas, you’ll want to be extra careful when conducting your receiving inspection. A lot of third-world countries don’t hold their products up to the same standards as your company likely prides itself on. Not checking materials for quality control could have disastrous implications on customer loyalty. And who would blame them? You want to get what you’re paying for—the company as well as the customers.
You shouldn’t relax your inspection diligence for domestic suppliers either, though. Gone are the days of quality over quantity.
Diminishing Quality
Companies cut costs. It’s a fact of life. But there’s no greater disappointment when your favorite cookie brand you’ve been buying for years suddenly tastes differently...some might even say cheaper.
It’s either the company is trying to cut costs anywhere they can—and more often than not at the expense of the quality—or it’s because they failed to properly conduct a materials inspection.
The company might have purchased substandard materials at the price of quality ones without even knowing. But one thing’s for sure: the customer will most certainly pick up on the difference.
Consumers are unforgiving, and one mistake—one hiccup along the line—could cost a company their loyalty.
Save Money
Yes, there is an initial upfront cost. Time is money and inspections take time. Employees don’t work for free, but neither do customers who will buy in cash if they see something they like.
Consider it an investment, like an insurance policy. You might be paying into it for years before you see an actual return on your investment, but when it does, it might be the only thing standing between your business and collapse.
So you’ve decided to exercise your right to inspect, but where do you start? What should you do? And most importantly, what should you look for?
Below is a seven step guide to materials testing and inspection:
At the end of the day, a successful inspection—whether they pass or fail—is a critical component in upholding quality and safety standards. Not only that, but it will keep the reputation of your business intact so that it may continue servicing people for years to come.
Lumiform is a powerful checklist mobile app that helps ensure incoming goods inspection is done correctly. This prevents quality problems from occurring in the first place.
The flexible form construction kit makes it possible to create new individual checklists at any time and to adapt them again and again.
Lumiform’s excellent 24/5 support will reliably answer all your questions about the app when you need assistance using the tool.
The Lumiform App ensures that the schedule is kept. All employees receive notifications about the procedure and due dates. Managers automatically receive notifications when assignments are overdue and problems have occurred.
Keep an eye on your schedule and use the information to identify opportunities to increase your efficiency.
The data you collect from inspections is collected under the Analysis Tab. Here you can access all data and view your performance reports broken down by time, location and department. This helps you quickly identify causes and problems so you can fix them as quickly as possible.
Monitor your team’s inspection performance and identify opportunities to improve the process and efficiency of your operations.
Connect Lumiform’s Software to enterprise software systems.
Keep an eye on what’s happening and identify insights from the information gained to increase your efficiency.
