Creating a golden sample without losing revision control

An approved physical sample can settle details that a drawing does not show, but only if both sides can identify the same item. Assign a unique ID, product revision, approval date, and named custodian to the reference sample.

Capture what the sample represents

Photograph key views with a scale where useful, record materials and finishes, and link the approval to test results. Note any feature that the sample does not control; a visually correct sample may still leave electrical, mechanical, or chemical requirements open. If the supplier retains a duplicate, record its ID and how differences will be resolved.

Protect the reference

Store it away from handling damage and define when it expires or must be replaced. When design changes are approved, retire the old reference visibly and issue a new one. Do not compare production against an unnamed “sample we liked”. The inspection record should cite the reference ID and the written specification together.

Worked reference handoff

Approve sample S-07 for product K-2 only after the agreed tests pass. Enter S-07 and K-2 in the sample review tool, record the photograph folder and custodian in notes, and copy the result to the supplier. Label a retained physical item “S-07 / K-2 / approved date”. Common error: telling production to match “the blue sample” when several blue prototypes exist. If colour or tooling changes, issue a new reference ID rather than editing S-07's historic record.

Source context: ISO — ISO 9001 quality management systems supports this limited point: ISO 9001 specifies quality-management-system requirements, not a product-specific inspection result. The buyer procedure above is Suppliers Help editorial guidance. Source checked 2026-09-27.