Which Documents Does an IPI Inspector Need?

For an Initial Production Inspection (IPI), our team needs the purchase order or order summary, approved specifications and drawings, sample approval record, inspection checklist and dated production update. Add the bill of materials, packaging files and supporting test reports for the agreed checks. Together, these references identify what to inspect and the requirements the first production units must meet.

IPI Document Checklist

Use these 9 document groups to prepare your IPI file pack. The exact files depend on the product and inspection scope; the checklist is not a universal legal requirement.

How UTS Uses Your Documents

In our IPI preparation process, we review the purchase order, specification sheet, approved sample and quality requirements to tailor the checklist to the product. At the factory, our team reviews the production schedule, bill of materials and first-batch samples.

Send the buyer-approved files before the visit and ask the factory for current production, material, equipment and correction records. The dated production update should include the site address, contact and goods location, with finished and available quantities listed separately by SKU. A SKU with no finished units cannot undergo finished-product checks.

Approved Versions and Samples

Attach the current approved files with a 5-field index: file name, revision, approval status, applicable SKU and purpose. Check that each file opens and that its revision matches the index. Archive superseded versions with their batch references so they are not mistaken for current instructions.

The sample approval must state what it covers—colour, workmanship or the whole product. Confirm that the physical sample will be available for comparisons that need it, with the agreed lighting and viewing distance. Its approval record alone cannot serve as a physical comparison reference.

If the sample and drawing disagree, supply written confirmation of the affected feature and governing reference. For a component substitution, attach its approval and effective SKU or batch. Where material evidence is required, link the component ID, supplier batch and production batch to the relevant report; appearance alone cannot establish chemical composition.

Inspection Instructions

List each defect’s location or affected feature, failure condition, severity classification and acceptance rule. Test instructions should specify the method, conditions, equipment, sample quantity and acceptance limits, including whether the test damages the sample.

Where acceptance sampling is agreed, identify the lot, available quantity, standard and edition if used, random-selection method, inspection level, acceptance quality limits and acceptance/rejection rules. NIST describes its main purpose as deciding whether the lot is likely to be acceptable, rather than estimating its quality. [1] Any lot decision must stay within the defined inspection scope; it does not cover later production or establish that every unit is defect-free.

Supporting Test and Correction Records

Where a measurement requires calibration evidence, provide the equipment ID and matching calibration report, and confirm suitability for the required range and tolerance. NIST defines metrological traceability as a property of a measurement result linked to a reference through a documented, unbroken chain of calibrations, each contributing to measurement uncertainty. [2]

For required laboratory tests, supply the model or material reference, method and test status. Send the complete report and attachments once issued, with its number and results. Match the tested model, material or component to the current order, and flag changes since testing for review before relying on earlier results. Record whether the results meet the specified requirements. Our team separates laboratory requirements from on-site inspection checks; a function check cannot replace a different required laboratory test.

If earlier defects need rechecking, attach the finding reference, affected SKU or batch, correction and verification result. Mark unverified corrections as pending and identify the checks needed on new production.

Label and Barcode Files

Send approved label artwork and packing instructions, plus the expected barcode or QR-code data matched to each SKU or destination. Specify the code location, planned check quantity, compatible scanning device and test conditions. We require 100% scan success for the checked codes, and the returned data must match the approved reference.

The record must show the quantity checked and any missing required codes. Missing codes, unreadable codes and incorrect data need correction and rechecking. This requirement covers the inspected codes; it does not establish that the entire order was scanned or that every future device will read them.

If printed codes are unavailable at IPI, record the scan check as unperformed. Artwork approval cannot confirm printed-code readability.

What If a Document Is Missing?

Mark each item in the file pack as supplied, pending or not applicable. For pending documents, give the affected SKU and expected ready date. Missing references limit particular checks:

• No tolerance: we can record a measurement, but cannot judge it against an unspecified limit.
• No approved sample: dimensions may still be checked using approved drawings, tolerances, available goods, an agreed method and suitable equipment. Sample-dependent checks need another agreed reference.
• No approved artwork: we can document the actual label, but cannot verify a match to an unavailable file.
• No test method or equipment: the affected test remains unverified.

Before the visit, agree with our team which references will be supplied, which checks need a revised scope and which must wait. The report should identify excluded or unperformed checks rather than mark them as passed.