What are receiving inspection criteria?

They are the conditions a delivered item must meet before it is accepted into inventory: intact packaging and seals, a legible label with material name, strength, lot and research-use statement, a label that matches the order, and a published report that matches the lot and strength received and verifies with the issuing laboratory. Anything that fails a criterion is held, not accepted.

What should a receiving inspection checklist include?

Outer package and tracking, container count, seal condition, the four label fields, a line-by-line order match, the lot identifier, the matching analytical report and its certificate number, the verification date, and the storage location. The minimum record on this page captures all of them in seven fields.

What happens when a received item fails inspection?

Record it as held with the reason and the date, keep it sealed and separate from accepted stock, and contact the supplier with the lot identifier and a photograph of the label. Accept it only once the question is resolved and the resolution is written in the log.

Receiving Inspection Checklist and Acceptance Criteria

Research-use scope. This page is a documentation and record-keeping checklist. It is not for use in people or animals, contains no handling or procedural guidance, and does not replace the receiving laboratory's own procedures.

Before opening the outer package

Check	Pass looks like	Record
Carrier label and tracking	Tracking number matches the shipment notice	Tracking number, delivery date
Outer condition	No crushing, moisture, or tampering	Photo if damaged
Shipping conditions stated	Any temperature or orientation markings are intact	Note markings present

Contents and labels

Count. Number of sealed containers equals the order line quantities.
Seal. Each container is sealed and undisturbed. A broken seal is a question, not an acceptance.
Label fields. Each label shows the material name, labeled strength, lot identifier, and the research-use statement. All four must be legible.
Order match. Name and strength on each label match the order confirmation line by line.
Lot capture. Write every lot identifier into the receiving log at this point, before anything is put away. This is the single most valuable line in the log.

Documentation match

For each lot received, locate the published analytical record and confirm it describes that lot. On this site the COA library lists each report by product, strength and lot with the certificate number and the laboratory's verification link.

Lot on the label equals lot on the report (matching a vial to its record).
Strength on the label equals strength on the report. A report for a different strength is a different document.
Certificate number verifies with the issuing laboratory (how to verify).
If no current report exists for a lot, record that status explicitly rather than leaving the field blank.

Acceptance criteria at a glance

Each criterion is pass or hold. An item is accepted only when every row passes; one hold is enough to keep it out of inventory until it is resolved.

Criterion	Accept when	Hold when
Package	Outer package intact, tracking matches the shipment notice	Crushed, wet or opened packaging; tracking does not match
Seal	Every container sealed and undisturbed	Any broken, loose or missing seal
Label	Material name, strength, lot and research-use statement all legible	Any of the four fields missing or unreadable
Order match	Name, strength and count match the order confirmation line by line	Wrong material, wrong strength or wrong count
Report match	A published report names the same lot and strength as the label	Report is for another lot or strength, or no report is published
Verification	Certificate number confirmed on the issuing laboratory’s record	The laboratory record cannot be found or does not match the PDF

“No report published” is a hold for documentation purposes, not a judgement about the material; record it as such so the log shows why the item was not accepted on documentation.

Storage log entry

Once accepted, each lot gets one line in the storage log: material, strength, lot, quantity, date received, storage location, and the storage condition assigned by the laboratory's own procedure. See storing lyophilized research materials for what the receiving record should capture about conditions.

When to hold instead of accept

A label is missing any of the four fields, or the lot is unreadable.
A seal is broken or a container is damaged.
The published report does not match the lot or strength received.
The certificate number cannot be verified with the laboratory.

A held item is recorded with the reason and the date, and the supplier is contacted with the lot identifier and, where useful, a photograph of the label. Arctic Lab Supply support is reachable through the contact page; return eligibility for sealed, unopened items is described in the return policy.

Minimum receiving record. Date received · tracking number · order number · for each container: material, strength, lot, seal intact (yes/no), report matched (certificate number or "none published"), verification date, storage location. Seven fields, once, and every later question about a vial can be answered from its label.

Receiving log template

One row per container. Copy the columns into the laboratory’s own log or spreadsheet.

Field	Example entry
Date received / tracking / order number	2026-10-07 · USPS tracking · order number from the confirmation email
Material and strength	As printed on the label
Lot	As printed on the label, copied exactly
Seal intact	Yes / no (photo reference if no)
Report matched	Certificate number, or “none published”
Verification date	Date the certificate was checked with the laboratory
Status and location	Accepted (storage location) or held (reason)

Receiving inspection checklist and acceptance criteria for research materials