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Looking at receiving from a risk-based approach can help detect and prevent problems.

A quality management system based on ISO 9001 will emphasize the importance of establishing a robust system that ensures consistency, traceability, and conformity in all aspects of a business, including its interactions with suppliers. Effective receiving is one of the fundamental aspects of supplier management within the framework of ISO 9001.

During a recent webinar hosted by the �����Ůɫ��Ƭ, , a quality specialist and consultant with more than 25 years of experience in quality management, talked about the role that risk plays in receiving inspections and controls.

“Risk is everything when it comes to quality management,” said Rick. Applied to receiving, the level of inspection or control each product or service requires will depend on what the impact would be if something isn’t right.

When determining receiving inspections and controls, Rick recommends asking the following questions:

• What is the risk involved in this specific material or service? This is risk related to production effect, traceability, counterfeit materials, customer requirements, physical characteristics, tolerances, etc.
• What is the risk of remaining in possession of the material? If you receive it into your inventory and only later find out it’s wrong, is that high risk for you or not?
• What is the extent of your trust in the supplier? Is this your first time working with this supplier, or have you been doing business with them for years without issue?
• What is your technical capability with regards to inspecting this product? Are you capable of inspecting the product? Rick uses this example: “If hardness of a metal is really important to you, I hope you have a hardness tester. You either need to get one or get certificates of conformance from your supplier that this metal meets a certain level of hardness.”
• What patterns or events have occurred regarding the supplier or product? Have they been having problems recently? Have there been nonconformances and as part of your corrective action you now have to do a more detailed receiving inspection?

The process of receiving can be boiled down to three essential controls: Does the delivery match the shipping documents? Does the delivery match the purchase order? And does the delivery conform to the requirements?

The administrative and physical processes of receiving might be done at the same time, or they might be done separately. Receiving the delivery and checking the delivery against the shipping documents might be done at the physical point of receiving, but the administrative function of checking whether or not the physical product matches the purchase order might happen at a later point. Your business might handle these aspects at the same time. Which route you go depends on factors like the layout of your receiving area or what computer capabilities you have there. Neither is right or wrong, but make sure to manage the process according to risk.

Receiving processes play a pivotal role in the overall supply chain, serving as the initial touchpoint for materials and services from suppliers. If you start having problems with receiving, you should look into whether your processes are working for you or against you.

A well-defined and documented receiving process will help ensure that incoming goods are controlled for quality, quantity, and compliance with specified requirements according to level of risk.

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