Sample Approval Checklist for China Manufacturing
The approved sample is the reference that every later inspection is measured against. If the sample stage is rushed, there is nothing objective to compare the production run to. This checklist covers what to request, what to check and how to record the approval.
6 min readReviewed by the BoMao sourcing and inspection team
Know which sample you are looking at
Samples serve different purposes, and approving the wrong type creates false confidence.
- A proto sample shows the concept and is not made on production tooling.
- A pre-production sample is made with production materials and tooling.
- A production sample comes from the actual run and confirms consistency.
- Approve mass production only against a pre-production sample.
Check the sample against the written specification
Compare the sample to your document, not to your memory of the last conversation.
- Measure the critical dimensions and record the actual values.
- Confirm the material and finish match the specification.
- Test the function under the conditions the product will meet in use.
- Check colour against a physical reference under consistent lighting.
- Check weight, since a lighter sample often signals a material change.
Approve packaging at the same time
- Check the retail pack, inner carton and export carton as supplied.
- Confirm every label, barcode and origin marking is correct and legible.
- Confirm the packing method protects the product in transit.
- Check carton dimensions and weight against your logistics plan.
Agree the tolerances
No production run matches a sample exactly. Say in advance how much variation you accept.
- State the dimensional tolerance for each critical measurement.
- State the acceptable colour variation and how it will be judged.
- State the acceptable weight range.
- State which characteristics have no tolerance at all.
Record the approval properly
A written sign-off is what makes a later claim possible.
- Sign and date the sample and photograph it from several angles.
- Keep one sealed reference sample and leave one with the supplier.
- Record the approval in writing, listing any agreed deviation.
- Confirm that the approved sample is the inspection reference.
Limitations of this guide
- An approved sample does not guarantee that every production unit will match it.
- Samples made by hand may not be reproducible on a production line.
- Colour perception varies with lighting, so judge colour against a physical reference.
- Sample approval does not replace inspection during and before shipment.