Sourcing DeskWhich Sample Version Is in Production? The Sample ID and Approval Record That Answers It
The short answer: link every sample to one named version
You keep sample and production versions traceable by linking a short chain of records: a single identifier for each physical sample, a dated specification revision, and an approval record that names which revision was approved. The production order then cites the approved revision and nothing else. With that chain in place, 'which version did we approve?' has one answer you can point to. Without it, the question gets settled by whichever emails and chat messages happen to survive.
Why sample and production versions drift apart
The drift is rarely deliberate. A sample arrives, you send comments, a revised sample arrives, a component is swapped because the original was unavailable, someone updates a drawing, and the production run is built from whichever file the floor happened to have. The underlying failure is structural: approval happens in conversation while the build happens from a document, and nothing binds the two together.
So traceability is not paperwork for its own sake. Its job is to turn the approved version into a named object that a production order can reference, so that a later disagreement is about facts recorded at the time rather than about recollections.
Step 1: the sample ID
Give each physical sample its own ID at the moment it reaches you, before anyone comments on it. A suggestion for the pattern: ENQ-<enquiry-code>-S<letter>, with successive samples in an enquiry taking successive letters. The ID should appear on the sample itself (tag or label) as well as in your log.
Two rules matter more than the format. Never reuse an ID, and never reassign one when a sample is revised: a revised sample gets its own ID and a column pointing back to the sample it replaces. The ID belongs to the object, not to the idea of the product, which is what lets you say later exactly what you held in your hands.
Step 2: the specification revision
A revision is a dated snapshot of the specification: what the product is, in enough detail that a factory could build from it. Each revision states what changed, who asked for the change, and which revision it supersedes. Using letters (Rev A, Rev B and so on) rather than filing by date is deliberate, because 'the latest file' is the phrase that most often breaks traceability.
A useful habit is to freeze a revision before sending it out for a sample round. If a change is needed mid-round, that becomes a new revision rather than an edit to the old one, and the sample built from it gets a new ID. Keep one named file per revision and record that file name in the log, so a revision letter always resolves to a document.
Step 3: the approval record
The approval record is where the chain closes. It states which revision letter was approved, on what date, by whom on your side, and confirmed by whom on the supplier side, and what evidence the approval rested on: which sample ID, which photographs, and which test report if you actually commissioned one. It is also worth recording what the approval does not cover, such as artwork, packaging or a finish you have not yet seen.
The approval record is the only thing a production order may cite. If a purchase order or proforma invoice cites a drawing number, a bare date, or 'as per sample' without the revision letter and sample ID, reconcile it before the run starts. That mismatch is the earliest and cheapest point at which version drift can still be corrected.
The worksheet
These three logs are left blank on purpose; the value is in your own entries, not in the layout. Fill them per enquiry and keep them in one file the whole team can open.
Sample log
| Sample ID | Date received | What it is, in one line | Sent by | Built to revision | Replaces sample ID | Where it is now | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Specification revision log
| Revision | Date | What changed, one line per change | Who asked for it | Supersedes revision | Verified against sample ID | File name | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Approval record
| Approved revision | Approved on | Approved by (buyer side) | Confirmed by (supplier side) | Evidence relied on | Checked against sample ID | Not covered by this approval | Production order reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
For each production order line, carry three fields across: the approved revision letter, the sample ID that revision was verified against, and the reference to the approval record. If a line cannot carry all three, the trace is already broken at that line.
What to ask the supplier to send back
Consider building these into your own enquiry routine, as requests rather than assumptions about what any supplier will agree to:
- Written confirmation of which revision letter each sample was built to.
- The revision letter and sample ID marked on the sample or on its packing slip.
- A change note whenever a revision is superseded, stating what changed and why.
- Written confirmation of which revision letter the production run will follow, given before the run begins.
- Advance notice if any material, component or finish will differ from the approved sample, rather than an explanation after the run.
How a particular supplier responds to these requests is itself information, and it is case-specific.
Where this record stops
A screening result in a supplier profile is not certification of that supplier, and nothing in this method certifies a sample. If a supplier references ISO 9001, treat it as context about their quality management system rather than as evidence about which revision of your product was built; the ISO 9001 overview from the International Organization for Standardization sits in the quality management context and says nothing about your sample or your production run.
A trade term on a quotation allocates delivery responsibilities and costs. It does not prove build quality or payment terms, so it should not be read as evidence that the run matches the approved sample.
This is a documentation suggestion, not legal, customs or regulatory advice. Where contract enforceability or import treatment matters to your situation, get advice from a qualified professional on your specific facts.
Your next step for this sample round
Before the next revision arrives, assign an ID to the sample you hold and record the current specification revision. Leave approval open until both sides confirm the same version in writing. Keep those logs with your draft brief. The on-site Sourcing Desk worksheet does not send it or promise a human review.