A supplier sends a sample. It looks good on the desk, the main function works, and everyone wants to move on. That is exactly when details get missed. The plug may be wrong for the sales market, the material may not match the quotation, an accessory may be absent, or the sample may use temporary packaging that cannot be treated as approved retail packaging.
Sample approval should answer five practical questions: Which version did you receive? What did you compare it with? What passed? What still needs correction? Which version may the supplier use for production? If the approval record cannot answer those questions, a message saying “OK” is not enough.
An approved sample gives the supplier a clearer production reference. It does not prove that every production unit will be identical, and it does not replace applicable laboratory testing, regulatory review, or pre-shipment inspection. Use it together with written specifications and later quality checks.
Use this sample approval process
Work in order. Do not jump from receiving a sample to releasing production while revision notes, packaging, or test results are still open.
- Identify the sample and freeze the documents used for comparison.
- Check specifications, appearance, function, accessories, branding, and packaging.
- Record every difference with a photo, required correction, owner, and due date.
- Choose an approval status and state whether another sample or other evidence is required.
- Label the approved reference, then issue the same requirements to production and inspection teams.
1. Confirm the Sample Identity and Version
Give every sample round a version number before reviewing it. “Second sample” becomes unclear once a supplier sends a revised product, new packaging photos, and another color chip at different times. A simple reference such as SKU-104 / Sample V3 / received 13 July 2026 is much easier to trace.
Record the supplier name, product name, supplier model, buyer SKU, sample type, request date, received date, color or finish code, and packaging version. State whether it is a prototype, revised sample, pre-production sample, or sample taken from production. Those labels describe different stages; do not assume a prototype represents final production materials or methods.
Photograph the sample with its version label visible. Put the same reference in the issue log and approval record. Keep photos from older rounds in a separate folder rather than mixing them into the current review. Otherwise, a supplier may correct the right problem on the wrong version.
2. Review the Product Against the Approved Requirements
Build one comparison pack before opening the sample: the supplier quotation, technical specification, drawings, reference photos, approved material or color references, and your Order Requirements Checklist . Write the document version on the review sheet. If the quotation and specification conflict, resolve that conflict before approving the sample.
Measure what matters instead of relying on appearance. Check dimensions, weight, thickness, capacity, materials, components, accessories, and the electrical or mechanical configuration. For market-specific products, confirm voltage, frequency, plug, gas type, language, measurement units, or other regional settings. Record the method and result, not just “pass.”
Separate required features from optional ones and list what is included in each selling unit. A supplier may demonstrate an accessory or premium component that was not included in the quoted price. The sample record should make exclusions visible before the order is confirmed.
Where variation is possible, define an accepted value or range. “About 500 ml” leaves the decision open; “minimum usable capacity 500 ml using the agreed fill method” gives the factory and inspector something they can check. Do not invent tolerances after seeing the sample. Agree them based on the product, use, drawings, technical advice, and market requirements.
3. Check Appearance, Color, and Workmanship
Inspect the sample in consistent light and from normal viewing distance, then look closer for workmanship issues. Photos are useful records, but lighting, camera processing, and screens can change how a color appears. For an important color or finish, use an agreed color code, material swatch, limit sample, or physical reference.
Check surface finish, color consistency, printing position, logo size, gaps, sharp edges, scratches, dents, glue marks, loose parts, and uneven assembly. Add product-specific points such as stitching, seams, coating, grain direction, odor, or visible material differences. Handle moving parts and closures while watching for rubbing, misalignment, or marks that appear after use.
“Good quality” is not an acceptance standard. Describe the location, size, frequency, and severity of an unacceptable issue. If a minor mark is acceptable in a hidden area but not on the front face, say so. Photograph both an accepted example and a rejected example when the distinction is difficult to explain in words.
4. Test Function and Intended Use
A single power-on test says very little. Assemble, install, load, adjust, clean, carry, open, close, or operate the sample in a way that resembles customer use. Check controls, moving parts, stability, fit between components, noise, heat, speed, capacity, installation needs, and compatibility with the intended accessories.
Write a short test plan before you begin. For each test, state the setup, number of cycles or duration, expected result, observed result, and evidence file. A storage box, small appliance, textile item, and mechanical component need different checks. Base the plan on intended use, foreseeable handling, product risk, technical requirements, and the destination market rather than copying a universal test list.
If a test may damage the only sample, decide beforehand whether another sample is needed for appearance approval or retention. Record unusual sound, heat, smell, movement, leakage, looseness, deformation, or performance drift during repeated use. Stop a test if continuing would create an unsafe situation.
5. Check Components, Accessories, and Spare Parts
Unpack the sample as a customer would and lay out every included item. Compare the set with the quotation, bill of materials or component list, packaging artwork, and manual. Count accessories for each selling unit; a shipment-carton total is not enough.
Check manuals, tools, cables, adapters, mounting hardware, spare parts, consumables, replacement components, and accessory labels. Confirm the model, size, connector, color, and market configuration of each item. Then check how each accessory is protected and identified inside the package.
A correct main product can still be unsellable or unusable when one fitting, fastener, cable, or instruction sheet is missing. Add the final accessory list to the production handoff and inspection criteria rather than leaving it only in the sample review notes.
6. Review Branding, Labels, and Packaging
Use the Private Label & Packaging Checklist for the full artwork and packaging approval process. During sample review, confirm the logo artwork version, size, position, printing method, and color reference. Check product, model, rating, warning, barcode, and country-of-origin labels where applicable to the order and destination market.
Review the individual pack, inner protection, retail box, manual, accessory packing method, carton size, carton strength, and shipping marks. Confirm the language and file version of printed materials. Scan a physical barcode and match its data to the correct SKU or variation.
Many development samples arrive in temporary or neutral packaging. Mark unfinished packaging items as open. Product approval does not automatically approve a box, label, manual, barcode, or carton that was not present in its final form. State whether a printed packaging sample, packed-product sample, or production photo is still required.
7. Record Every Difference and Open Issue
Use one issue log for the current sample round. Give each issue a number and include a close-up photo plus a wider photo that shows its location. Record the required correction, priority, supplier response, responsible person, due date, status, and whether a revised physical sample is required.
| Item | Observed Difference | Required Correction | Evidence / Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Logo is 8 mm above the approved position | Move logo 8 mm lower to match drawing DR-07 | Photo 01 / Open |
| 02 | Sample has US plug | Replace with approved EU plug shown in specification V4 | Photo 02 / Revised sample required |
| 03 | Control panel touches the box wall | Add foam protection around the control panel | Photo 03 / Supplier to propose foam drawing |
Avoid “make it better,” “improve quality,” “color is wrong,” or “packaging is not good.” Point to the agreed reference and state the change: use the approved matte black finish, add the missing adapter to each retail box, reduce the left-side gap to the drawing requirement, or replace the plug with the approved EU version.
Ask the supplier to respond beside each item. A reply should say whether the change is accepted, how it will be made, when evidence will be available, and whether it changes price, tooling, MOQ, or lead time. Close an issue only after checking the agreed evidence. A promise to correct it during production is still an open production risk unless the evidence and controls are clear.
8. Decide the Approval Status
Approved
Use this when all requirements within the review scope have been confirmed and no unresolved change affects production. Identify the approved sample and document versions in the release.
Approved With Conditions
Use conditional approval sparingly. The remaining change should be clear, relatively low risk, and accepted by the supplier in writing. Name the evidence required before shipment or at another control point. Do not use conditional approval to avoid another sample when the issue affects safety, function, fit, material, important appearance, or an untested packaging change.
Revise and Resubmit
Choose this when you need another physical sample or a new photo, video, drawing, artwork file, test result, or packaging proof before deciding. State exactly what must be resubmitted and whether production must wait.
Rejected
Reject the sample when it has major departures from the agreed requirement, cannot perform the intended use, or would require a change whose cost, timing, or risk is no longer acceptable. Explain the reason and whether the project is stopping or returning to development.
The formal record should include the sample version, approval status, approved exceptions, remaining actions, production-release decision, date, and responsible person. Send the record by email or in the project system and ask the supplier to confirm it. Do not leave the final decision as “OK” in a WhatsApp thread.
9. Confirm the Golden Sample or Reference Sample
A golden sample, also called an approved reference sample, gives the supplier, buyer, and inspection team a physical point of comparison. It can show appearance, material, construction, configuration, and how approved components fit together. Label it with the product code, version, approval date, and approver.
When practical, keep one approved sample with the buyer and one matching sample with the supplier. Use the same reference number on both and store the approval photos, specification, issue log, and release record together. If only one sample exists, document where it is kept and who may use or alter it.
The reference sample cannot show every measurable requirement or acceptable production range. It may also age, fade, or become damaged. Keep the written specification as the controlling record for measurable details, approved deviations, test methods, and destination-market requirements.
10. Release the Sample Requirements to Production
A salesperson may coordinate the sample while engineering, purchasing, production, packaging, and factory QC handle the order. Send a production pack that can survive those handoffs. It should identify the final specification, approved sample, packaging artwork, component or accessory list, color and material references, label files, carton marks, approved exceptions, and critical quality points.
Kelsy's Sample & Requirements Management service can help organize revision notes and approved requirements. Production Follow-Up keeps open details visible after the order starts, while Quality Inspection checks production goods against the agreed criteria before shipment.
Issue a separate written production release. The release should say which sample and document versions apply, which open items block production, and who may approve a later change. If the supplier proposes a material, component, process, artwork, or packaging change after approval, pause and review the change before it reaches the production line.
11. Prepare the Inspection Reference
Turn the approval record into a brief the inspector can use. The China Pre-Shipment Inspection Checklist explains the wider preparation. For this product, provide critical specifications, visual acceptance points, functional tests, accessory quantities, label and packaging requirements, approved deviations, reference photos, and the approved sample number.
“Check according to sample” is not a usable inspection instruction on its own. An inspector may not have the physical sample, and some requirements cannot be judged by sight. State the measurement method, test setup, sample size or inspection plan where applicable, and what result should be recorded.
List approved deviations so an inspector does not reject an accepted detail or overlook an unapproved one. Send the final brief before inspection booking, allow time for questions, and confirm that the supplier can provide the correct production batch, equipment, and packed units for checking.
12. Common Sample Approval Mistakes
- Approving from photos when a physical sample is needed. Photos cannot reliably confirm feel, fit, weight, odor, operating behavior, exact color, or internal construction.
- Skipping version numbers. Label every round and use the same reference in photos, feedback, and approval records.
- Reviewing the product but ignoring packaging. Mark temporary packaging as unapproved and schedule a separate packaging review.
- Giving vague correction instructions. Use a numbered photo, an approved reference, and a measurable or observable result.
- Approving before all relevant people review it. Product, technical, brand, packaging, sales, and compliance responsibilities may sit with different people.
- Forgetting accessories and manuals. Lay out and count the complete selling unit, including labels and accessory packaging.
- Accepting a verbal promise. Add the supplier's response and required evidence to the issue log.
- Letting production start before final confirmation. Issue a dated production release only after blocking items are closed.
- Failing to preserve an approved reference. Label and store the sample, photos, specification, and approval record together.
- Assuming the inspection team knows the requirements. Send readable criteria, tests, approved deviations, and reference files before inspection.
- Treating one good sample as proof of uniform production. Keep production controls and pre-shipment inspection in the plan.
13. Final Sample Approval Checklist
Use the grouped checklist below for the final review. Add a status, evidence reference, owner, and date beside each relevant item. Mark an item not applicable rather than leaving it blank, and keep unresolved points in the issue log.
Sample approval message to send to the supplier
Please confirm receipt of the attached sample approval record for [product / SKU], sample version [version]. The status is [Approved / Approved With Conditions / Revise and Resubmit / Rejected]. Production [may / may not] start. Please respond beside every open item, confirm the document versions you will issue to production, and do not change the approved material, component, function, artwork, label, packaging, or process without sending the change for review.
