Two Packaging Approval Gates: Preproduction Sample and Final Inspection
Use the preproduction sample to approve intent and final inspection to check the delivered production lot.
A buyer should not ask one sample to do two jobs. Kaida's support FAQ describes a preproduction sample before mass production and a final inspection before shipment. The first gate decides what the teams intend to make. The second checks whether the production lot being shipped matches the approved record. Treating them as separate decisions gives both sides a clearer way to handle a change or a defect.
Gate one: approve the reference
For the preproduction sample, record its structure, dimensions, closure or fitment, artwork version and intended packed product. Test it in the filling, sealing and handling conditions that matter to the buyer. Note any open point rather than calling the sample fully approved with a verbal exception. Once accepted, assign a reference code and keep a physical sample or a documented image set.
This is also the place to agree which characteristics are critical. A buyer may care about opening force, machine feeding, print readability or appearance after the normal product has been filled. Those criteria belong in the approval record, not only in an email thread.
Gate two: inspect the lot to be shipped
The final inspection should identify the production lot and the approved reference it is being checked against. Record the sampling plan, observations and disposition of any nonconforming units. A photo of a clean sample from a different run is not enough to explain what happened in the lot being delivered. Where inspection includes measurements, state the method and the location on the pack.
If a defect is found, decide whether the lot will be reworked, sorted, held or rejected, and document the decision before shipment. Keep the inspector's notes with the lot record so later questions can be answered from evidence.
Keep the gates connected
When a new film, die, print plate or artwork version is introduced, update the approved reference or state why the existing one still applies. Give the final inspector the current record, not a sample from an earlier specification. A two-gate workflow is most valuable when it remains simple enough for purchasing, technical and production teams to follow on every order.