In this guide
Protect people and the shipment first.
If a pallet is unstable, cartons are wet near electrical equipment, a package contains a hazardous spill or lifting is unsafe, stop handling and follow the site’s safety procedure. Product evidence comes after people are protected. Record the delivery condition from a safe position and involve the carrier or facilities contact where appropriate.
For an ordinary quality or count concern, pause distribution of the affected stock. Keep cartons, labels, wrapping and pallet information. Do not repack everything immediately into anonymous boxes or send copies to several offices. Once versions and locations are mixed, it becomes harder to identify the scale and origin of the observation.
Identify exactly what arrived.
Write the project or purchase-order reference, delivery date, carrier reference, number of pallets or cartons, visible carton labels, stated units per carton and destination. If there are language versions or SKUs, record which labels are present. Photograph unopened shipment condition as well as the first affected unit.
Count method matters. “Half the order is damaged” may come from opening two cartons out of twenty. Say how many cartons were inspected, how they were selected and how many units showed the issue in each. A sample can reveal a serious concern, but it should not be presented as a complete census unless the whole shipment was checked.
Photograph the symptom and its context.
Use one wide image to show the item or carton, then closer views of the detail. Include a scale or ruler where size matters, without covering the area. Photograph identification marks, page or panel location and neighbouring unaffected content. Neutral light and sharp focus are more useful than filters or dramatic contrast. Keep the original image files with their timestamps and send full-resolution copies through the agreed project channel; compressed chat previews can remove the very detail under review.
Keep representative affected and unaffected samples from the same delivery, labelled with carton and position where known. Do not dismantle a binding, peel a laminate or perform destructive tests unless the responsible review requests it. An altered sample can obscure the original condition and introduce a new failure.
Compare observation with the accepted record.
Bring together the accepted quotation, final specification, approved PDF or proof, quantity term, packing agreement and delivery note. Describe the difference in plain language: location, frequency, dimensions or version. Avoid declaring the manufacturing cause from appearance alone. Similar marks can arise at print, finishing, packing, transit or handling, and the evidence needs review.
The delivery and issue terms explain why custom work is assessed against the project record and statutory rights that may apply. The handling and durability brief can help when the question involves abrasion, opening or use. Neither source makes an automatic defect or remedy decision for an individual shipment.
Notify promptly and keep the stock available.
Send one concise report through the project contact: reference, delivery facts, observation, sampling method, quantities, photographs and the urgent business consequence. Say whether a launch, safety, regulated date or distribution is affected. Ask what further evidence or containment is required. Parallel messages without the same attachments can create conflicting records.
Do not dispose of, distribute or rework affected units until the next step is agreed, except where safety or law requires another action. Keep a log of additional checks and movements. The response may involve more inspection, carrier evidence, production review or another project-specific remedy. A documented handover lets that decision follow facts rather than the pressure of the first discovery.