Inspection Operations

Inspection operations are used to create and complete inspection records. The record captures the inspection context, checklist answers, evidence, outcome, and review history.

Open Inspections -> Operations -> Inspection Records for the general inspection workspace. A service workflow may launch this same shared inspection workspace with the domain, inspection type, linked record, or inspected record type already narrowed for the user. That does not create a separate Agriculture or Production quality ledger; the inspection record still lives in the shared Inspections primitive.

Workspace Reference

Area	What The User Does
Main table	Reviews inspection number, template, domain, inspection type, inspected entity, inspection date, result, defect count, and approval status.
Record button	Opens the inspection form. The button label changes by workspace, for example Record QC Inspection or New Inspection Record.
View Detail	Opens the inspection evidence, checklist results, linked record, and outcome review.
Edit	Reopens the inspection record when the user is allowed to update captured evidence.
Delete	Removes an inspection record only when the user has permission and policy allows deletion.
Follow-up actions	Service workflows may add links back to production orders, dispatch, document transactions, stock records, settlement review, or other related workspaces.

Creating An Inspection Record

Click the record button, then complete the Inspection Details section. A user starts by selecting the inspection template and the item or activity being inspected. The system then presents the relevant checklist items from the template.

The inspection context usually includes date, inspector, location, service, business unit, inspected party or object, and reference information from the related workflow.

Important inspection detail fields:

Field	Required	Meaning
Inspection Checklist Template	Yes	Approved checklist to use. Service-specific screens filter this list to the relevant domain and inspection type.
Inspection Date	Recommended	Date the inspection happened. Use the actual check date, not only the date of data entry.
Inspected Entity Type	Yes	Type of record being inspected, such as a document, event, resource, location, stock item, or production order. Some service screens set this automatically.
Linked Record	Recommended for traceability	The specific document, production order, stock item, resource, location, or other record under review.
Overall Result	Recommended before final review	High-level result: Pending, Pass, Fail, Conditional Pass, Rework, or Rejected.
Disposition	No	Action or decision resulting from the inspection, such as accept, reject, rework, downgrade, hold, or release.
Defect Count	No	Number of defects found. Use zero when no defects were found.
Sample Size	No	Quantity checked. This is important for AQL, batch checks, or produce grading.
Quantity Passed	No	Quantity accepted by the inspection.
Quantity Failed	No	Quantity rejected or failed by the inspection.
Notes	No	Overall inspection comments, exception reasons, and follow-up instructions.

Use the linked record whenever possible. An inspection that is not linked to the production order, delivery, document, stock item, event, or intake batch it is checking becomes difficult to audit later.

What Inspection Fields Control

Inspection fields determine whether the result can be trusted by operations, finance, quality, and reporting.

Field	Operational Implication
Inspection Checklist Template	Controls which questions, checks, measurements, and evidence lines appear. Select the correct template before entering results.
Domain And Inspection Type	Narrows the inspection to the correct service and purpose, such as production final QC, inventory receiving checks, or agriculture produce grading. Service-specific workflows usually set these for the user.
Inspected Entity Type	Tells the system what kind of record is being checked. This must match the real workflow object, such as document transaction, stock item, event, resource, or location.
Linked Record	Makes the QC result traceable from the related order, delivery, production work, dispatch, or settlement process. Without this, follow-up users may see the result but not know what it controls.
Overall Result	Drives the business decision: continue, hold, reject, rework, release, or escalate. Pending should not be treated as release evidence.
Defect Count, Sample Size, Quantity Passed, Quantity Failed	Feed quality analysis, acceptance decisions, rework planning, and quantity-based reporting. Use structured quantities instead of notes when the quantity matters.
Notes And Evidence	Explain exceptions, failed checks, conditional approvals, and the next action expected from production, receiving, dispatch, or settlement teams.

Completing Checklist Items

Complete the Inspection Results section after selecting the template. Each checklist item should be completed according to the template. Depending on setup, users may enter pass or fail results, measurements, grades, comments, or attachments.

If a required item is missing, the inspection should remain incomplete until the required evidence is captured.

Checklist results can include:

Result Field	Meaning
Result value	The recorded answer, grade, finding, or checklist value.
Numeric value	Measurement value where the checklist expects a number.
Result status	Pass, fail, warning, or other configured checklist outcome.
Severity	Impact level of the finding.
Finding notes	Inspector explanation of the issue or observation.
Attachment or photo evidence	Supporting proof such as a photo, file, or reference where required.

For numeric checks, use the correct unit and sample size. For file or photo checks, attach evidence that clearly supports the finding.

Production Quality Workspace

Production quality control uses this same shared inspection workspace with production defaults applied. The workspace may open with production domain, final QC type, production-order entity, and production follow-up links already selected.

Use production QC records to capture inspection characteristics, numeric limits, sampling-plan outcomes, defects, NCRs, CAPA actions, supplier scorecard evidence, and quality hold or release decisions. Keep the inspection linked to the production order, operation, WIP unit, lot, batch, serial, or dispatch reference so reports can trace the decision later.

When a customer, regulator, or category pack requires formal proof, approved production QC evidence can feed Certificate of Analysis or Certificate of Conformance reporting. Do not issue a certificate from notes alone when the controlled inspection evidence is incomplete.

NCR, CAPA, Holds, And Release

Use NCR and disposition links when an inspection result creates a controlled nonconformance. The link should show the affected production order, operation, WIP unit, lot, batch, serial, supplier, customer, stock movement, dispatch reference, or other inspected record.

Use CAPA when the nonconformance requires containment, root-cause analysis, corrective action, preventive action, owner assignment, due date control, and effectiveness review. CAPA should remain open until the action has been verified or explicitly closed according to policy.

For manufacturing managers, run MFG_NCR_CAPA_REGISTER from Reporting to review production inspection records with open quality blockers, NCR counts, CAPA owners, overdue actions, and effectiveness-review status in one register.

Quality holds should block release, dispatch, acceptance, or certification until an authorized release decision is recorded. Do not clear a hold just because production has moved forward physically; record the actual decision, evidence, approver, and reason.

Supplier Scorecards And Certificates

Supplier scorecards summarize supplier-linked inspection results, defect severity, NCR count, overdue CAPA, and quality score. Use them before changing supplier status or sampling frequency.

Certificates should be generated from approved inspection evidence. Certificate of Analysis and Certificate of Conformance output should include the production order, lot, batch, serial, sample size, measured characteristics, pass/fail status, NCR/CAPA context, and release state where applicable.

Review And Finalization

After data capture, the inspection may be finalized directly or submitted for review. Review is important when inspection results affect payment, acceptance, production release, compliance, or customer commitments.

Once finalized, the inspection becomes an operational record. Later changes may be restricted so that the inspection remains reliable evidence.

Using Inspection Results

Inspection results should be interpreted together with the linked business activity. For example, a failed quality inspection may lead to rejection, rework, price adjustment, blocked stock acceptance, quarantine, settlement hold, or a returned event for correction.

Users should record clear comments for failed or conditional outcomes so that the next responsible person knows what action is required.

Common Follow-Up Decisions

Inspection outcomes often drive follow-up work:

Outcome	Typical Meaning
Pending	Inspection has not reached a decision yet. Do not use it as release evidence.
Pass	Continue the normal workflow.
Conditional Pass	Continue only if the stated condition is accepted and documented.
Fail	Block the linked process until corrected or reviewed.
Rework	Return to the responsible team for correction before release.
Rejected	Stop acceptance, dispatch, release, or payment where policy requires it.

Good Operating Practice

Use inspection templates consistently. Do not replace required inspection evidence with informal notes when the workflow expects a structured checklist.

When an inspection fails, record the reason, severity, evidence, and expected next action. This makes it possible for operations, finance, quality, and customer-facing teams to act on the same facts.

For agriculture produce flows, the inspection should clearly show which quantity passed, failed, downgraded, or remains on hold. Inventory and settlement teams should rely on that same shared inspection evidence instead of recreating quality truth elsewhere.

For manufacturing flows, failed characteristics, out-of-spec measurements, missing samples, open NCRs, or unresolved CAPA should remain visible to production, dispatch, and reporting until the approved hold or release decision is recorded.

When a regulated or food/process batch is under recall review, use linked inspection disposition records instead of informal follow-up notes. The production recall reports surface open quality blockers and NCR references from those links alongside lot, batch, serial, expiry, and genealogy context.

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Better Practice
Recording QC without linking the production order or delivery.	Select the linked record so production, dispatch, billing, and reporting can trace the result.
Marking pass without completing checklist evidence.	Complete required checklist items before treating the result as final.
Using notes instead of defect count, sample size, and quantities.	Capture structured values so reports and downstream decisions are reliable.
Dispatching or settling while the result is pending.	Wait for pass, accepted conditional pass, or the approved exception process.
Deleting inspection records to correct mistakes.	Edit or add follow-up evidence unless policy explicitly allows deletion.