In logistics, cargo can be checked at different stages of its movement. A pre-shipment inspection and acceptance control solve seemingly similar tasks but answer different questions: the first shows the condition of the goods before dispatch, the second the condition after transportation and arrival at the consignee.
When used together, the two procedures form two points of comparison: the condition of the goods before dispatch and the condition after transportation. This is particularly useful in claims, when it is necessary to establish not only the presence of damage but also the possible moment when it occurred. The approach is especially relevant for expensive, fragile and complex cargo, as well as for deliveries with a high risk of disputes. A pre-shipment check helps to identify a problem before transportation begins, while acceptance control provides documentary recording of the result of delivery.
How they are carried out and what tasks they solve
A pre-shipment inspection and acceptance control relate to different points of one logistics chain. The first is carried out before dispatch and shows in what condition, quantity and configuration the goods leave the supplier’s site. The second is performed on arrival and records the condition of the cargo after the route has been covered.
What is checked before dispatch
A pre-shipment inspection is carried out at the site of the manufacturer, supplier or seller before the cargo is handed over to the carrier. Its scope is determined by the contract, the technical documentation, the specification and the client’s task.
During the check it is possible to establish the identification of the goods, the quantity, the completeness, the condition, the marking and conformity with the agreed requirements. Depending on the object, measurements are additionally carried out or the condition of individual elements is checked.
Particular attention is paid to the packaging and the preparation for transportation. Its integrity, the placement of the cargo, the available securing and the transport markings are checked. If a shortage, a defect, a marking error or insufficient packaging is identified, the supplier can still correct the problem before dispatch.
A survey should not automatically be regarded as product testing. A visual inspection does not replace laboratory analysis, bench tests or a long technological test, if special procedures are required to assess the required parameter. Such work must be separately provided for by the assignment.
The results are recorded in writing: the signs identified, the number of units checked, the condition of the packaging and other parameters included in the scope of the inspection are described. Photo documentation makes it possible to preserve the initial condition of the goods and to compare it with the acceptance results later.
What is established on acceptance
Acceptance control is carried out at the agreed point of destination: at a warehouse, a production site, a terminal or another place of handover. By that moment the cargo has already been through loading, transportation, possible transshipments and storage, so the check shows its condition after the corresponding section of the route.
At a basic level the number of units and the condition of the transport packaging are checked. A more detailed check may include inspection of the products themselves, the completeness, the marking and visible damage. If this is provided for by the terms of supply, the packaging is opened and the accessible elements are inspected.
Before opening it is desirable to record the condition of the transport unit, the seals and the packaging. If the cargo is damaged, not only the fact of the defect but also its location, dimensions, nature and connection with the packaging or the securing are described. The photographs must make it possible to identify the object and to examine the damaged area.
Acceptance may also reveal a shortage or hidden damage. However, a non-compliance discovered on receipt does not by itself show at which stage it arose. To analyse it, the sender’s documents, the results of the pre-shipment check, the loading data and the condition of the cargo on arrival are compared.
Externally intact packaging also does not exclude damage to the contents. If necessary, the cargo is opened, but a visually identified defect should be separated from a technical fault, which can only be confirmed by a special examination.
Two points of recording
A pre-shipment inspection creates the initial point before transportation begins, and acceptance control the recording of the condition after delivery. Together they make it possible to compare what changes have occurred to the cargo between the two stages.
Such an approach is particularly useful for expensive, fragile or complex deliveries, and also where there is a risk of claims. If damage is found between the two checks, the documents help to establish whether it was recorded before dispatch and in what condition the object was on receipt.
Timely recording is also important because after acceptance the cargo may be moved, unpacked, installed or repaired. The condition of the packaging and other signs may change or disappear in the process.
A pre-shipment inspection and acceptance control do not replace each other. The first makes it possible to eliminate the non-compliances identified before transportation begins, the second to record the condition of the cargo in writing at the final point of the route. The choice of one or both procedures depends on the nature of the delivery, the cost of a possible error and the tasks of control.
What risks are identified at different stages
A pre-shipment inspection and acceptance control assess the cargo at different moments of the logistics chain. The first shows what exactly the supplier hands over to the carrier, the second in what condition the goods arrived at the consignee.
Before dispatch the following are usually checked:
- conformity of the goods with the specification: model, size, modification, technical version;
- the presence of visible manufacturing defects – deformations, cracks, chips, traces of corrosion and damage to the coating;
- the completeness of the equipment, including modules, fasteners, documentation, spare parts and tools;
- the marking, serial numbers and conformity of the data with the accompanying documents;
- the condition of the packaging, the available securing and the preparation of the cargo for transportation.
The main advantage of such a check is the possibility of correcting the problem before the cargo enters the logistics chain. The supplier can still replace non-conforming goods, complete the set, correct the marking or reinforce the packaging.
On receipt, attention shifts to the changes that could have occurred after dispatch:
- damage to the goods or the packaging – deformations, impacts, punctures, tears, traces of moisture;
- displacement of the cargo and failures of the securing inside the transport unit;
- a shortage of units or individual elements;
- signs of mechanical and other effects sustained during transportation;
- the condition of the cargo immediately before unpacking, movement or installation.
Acceptance control is particularly important because after it the initial condition may change quickly. The cargo is moved around the warehouse, unpacked, installed or repaired, and the packaging is sometimes disposed of. If the damage is not recorded in time, part of the signs needed for further analysis may be lost.
Comparing the two control points makes it possible to see the changes. For example, if before dispatch the goods and the packaging were recorded without damage, and on receipt a deformation is found, the documents provide a basis for further clarification of the circumstances. But the very fact of discovery on acceptance does not yet prove that the damage occurred during transportation: for that it is necessary to take the packaging, the securing, the route and the intermediate operations into account.
The same applies to a shortage. Its discovery on receipt records a discrepancy but does not automatically determine the cause. It is necessary to establish whether the error was made during assembly of the set, or arose during loading, transportation or another operation.
Some problems cannot be reliably established by an ordinary visual inspection at all. Internal damage to equipment, failures of joints or the consequences of strong vibration may only become apparent on switching on, during installation, measurements or special diagnostics. That is why the scope of the inspection must correspond to the specific task.
In essence, the procedures answer different questions. A pre-shipment inspection shows what the cargo set out with, and acceptance control in what condition it completed the journey. The more accurately both points are recorded, the easier it is to determine what changes occurred between them and what additional data are needed to establish the causes.
What the surveyor checks before dispatch and on acceptance
The content of the inspection depends on the task and the characteristics of the cargo. For one delivery it is enough to check the quantity, the marking and the appearance, for another control of the completeness, the packaging, the technical parameters and the securing will be required.
During a pre-shipment inspection the surveyor consistently checks:
- identification of the goods – model, serial numbers, nameplates and other signs making it possible to link a specific unit to the contract and the specification;
- quantity – units of production, packages, pallets, crates and individual components;
- external condition – visible damage, deformations, corrosion, contamination, coating defects and other signs;
- completeness – the main assemblies, accessories, fasteners, cables, spare parts, documentation;
- packaging and preparation for transportation – the type and condition of the container, protective materials, the available elements of internal securing;
- marking – package numbers, weight, dimensions, serial data, transport markings and conformity with the documentation;
- the parameters provided for by the assignment – measurements or functional checks, if they can be carried out at the supplier’s site according to the agreed methodology.
At the same time the surveyor’s task is to record the observable facts and not to replace them with a general quality assessment. If a deformation is found, its location and nature are described in the report; if an item of the set is missing, the specific item is indicated. The results of measurements must also be accompanied by information on the method of checking.
Photo documentation is of particular importance. It must link the general appearance of the consignment to specific packages and products, show the marking, the serial numbers, the condition of the packaging, the securing and the defects identified. Such material becomes the starting point for comparison with the condition of the cargo after transportation.
On acceptance the sequence is somewhat different. First, what may change after opening or unloading is recorded:
- the condition of the transport unit and the available damage;
- the seals and their conformity with the documents;
- the number of units and their external condition;
- traces of opening, moisture, contamination, deformation or a breach of the lashing.
Only after that do they move on to a more detailed examination of the packaging and the goods. If the container is damaged, on opening it is important to preserve the arrangement of the protective materials, the padding and the securing. This makes it possible to compare the damage to the goods with the condition of the packaging and the possible nature of the impact.
The quantity, the completeness and the external condition of the cargo itself are then checked. For equipment, attention may be paid to the housing, the accessible joints, the fasteners, the coatings and other elements. If tests or technical diagnostics are required to identify a fault, a visual inspection alone is not enough – such a conclusion must be based on an appropriate procedure.
The photographs on acceptance should preferably follow the same logic as before dispatch. If a specific element of the equipment was recorded in the initial pictures, it is worth photographing it again after delivery. For damage, a general shot showing the position of the object, a medium shot with the damaged area and a close-up of the defect itself are useful.
The circumstances of acceptance are recorded separately: the date and time, the place, the transport unit, the number of units, the representatives of the parties present and other information relevant to the assessment of the situation. The higher the risk of a claim, the more important it is to preserve this information directly at the moment of the examination.
As a result, the two inspections create interconnected sets of data. The pre-shipment one shows what exactly and in what condition was dispatched, and the acceptance one what and in what condition arrived. Comparing them makes it possible to see the changes that occurred between the two control points and to determine what additional information is needed to establish their cause.
At the same time both procedures have clear boundaries. A visual inspection confirms observable signs but does not automatically establish an internal fault, the cause of the damage or the responsibility of a particular party. Such conclusions may require technical tests, additional documents and an analysis of the whole chain of movement of the cargo.
Why it is important to compare the results of the two checks
A pre-shipment inspection and acceptance control are most useful when they are regarded as two points of one chain. The first records the initial condition of the cargo, the second the condition after transportation. The difference between them shows what changes appeared between dispatch and receipt.
For example, if before dispatch there was no visible damage on the housing of the equipment, and after delivery a deformation of a panel appeared, the documents make it possible to establish the very fact of the change. But they do not automatically determine where and under what circumstances it occurred. For that, the loading, the securing, the transportation, the transshipments and other operations are additionally analysed.
The same scheme applies to the packaging and a shortage. If before dispatch an intact crate, a certain position of the fastenings and a specific number of units were recorded, and on acceptance damaged packaging, a displacement of the cargo or the absence of some units is found, a clearly recorded discrepancy between the initial and the final condition appears.
When analysing completeness, not only the total number of goods but also specific components are compared. If before dispatch the presence of a certain set is documented, and after delivery one element is missing, this makes it possible to focus the further check on the packing list, the photographs, the seals and the operations along the route.
For complex equipment it is particularly useful to single out in advance the zones where the risk of damage is higher: the housing, the fastenings, the joints, the control panels, the protective elements. Recording these areas again after delivery gives far more information than two reports with a general assessment of the condition.
At the same time comparison does not replace an investigation of the cause. Even detailed data before and after transportation do not make it possible to determine the responsible party automatically if there were several operations between the two points. But they considerably narrow the period in which the change could have occurred and provide a basis for further analysis.
For the two checks to really work as a single system, it is important to preserve the same identification of the cargo, comparable photo documentation and the initial documents. Then the separate reports turn into a consistent history of the condition of the goods – from handover to the carrier to its receipt.
When one control point is enough and when it is not
The choice between a pre-shipment inspection and acceptance control depends on where the main risk of the delivery is concentrated. It is necessary to take into account not only the value of the cargo but also the probability of damage, the difficulty of replacement, the consequences of a delay and the number of operations between the sender and the consignee.
A pre-shipment inspection alone may be sufficient if the main question concerns the conformity of the goods with the order. Such a variant is suitable when it is important to check:
- the model, the characteristics and the quantity of the products;
- completeness;
- the marking;
- the condition of the goods before dispatch;
- the packaging and the readiness for transportation.
Such an approach may be used for standard cargo, stable deliveries from proven counterparties and relatively simple logistics. Its main advantage is the possibility of eliminating the problem directly at the supplier: replacing the goods, completing the set or correcting the packaging before transportation begins.
However, such an inspection records nothing after the cargo is handed over to the carrier. If the main threat is connected with mechanical effects, transshipments or a complex route, one initial point may not be enough.
Acceptance control is needed when a substantial part of the risk arises after dispatch. This is particularly relevant for:
- expensive or fragile equipment;
- oversized and non-standard cargo;
- routes with several transshipments and intermediate operations;
- deliveries with a high probability of claims;
- insured events and other situations where it is important to record the loss in time.
Acceptance makes it possible to preserve the condition of the cargo immediately after transportation – before unpacking, movement, installation or repair. This is important not only for a claim but also for taking a decision on further actions with damaged goods.
If there was no pre-shipment inspection, acceptance control still has independent value: it documents the final condition. But it is harder in such a situation to determine when exactly the damage arose. That is why, where initial photographs, reports or other reliable data are available, they should be preserved and compared with the acceptance results.
When both checks are needed
Joint control is justified when it is important to track the whole journey of the cargo from the supplier’s site to the consignee. A pre-shipment inspection records the initial condition, the acceptance one the result after transportation. Comparing the two points makes it possible to see the changes that occurred between them.
Such an approach is particularly useful for expensive equipment and complex international deliveries. If before dispatch the completeness and the absence of damage are documented, and after delivery a defect or a shortage is found, the further analysis can be focused on the operations between those moments.
Two checks are also advisable if after acceptance the cargo will be quickly moved, installed or put into operation. The more changes occur to the object after receipt, the more important it is to record its condition before further work begins.
For regular deliveries it is not necessary to apply the same scheme to every batch. For some categories only pre-shipment or acceptance control can be left, and for the riskier ones both points can be used. Such a risk-based approach makes it possible not to check all cargo in the same way, but to link the scope of control to the possible consequences of an error.
In a two-stage scheme the comparability of the documents is particularly important. If specific serial numbers, equipment elements, packaging and potentially vulnerable areas were recorded before dispatch, it is desirable to check the same objects on acceptance. Then the two reports form a single sequence rather than a set of independent observations.
The choice of the control scheme is ultimately determined by one question: which part of the risk needs to be recorded – the condition before transportation, the result after it, or the changes between the two points. The higher the cost of an error and the more complex the logistics chain, the more grounds there are for controlling both stages.
How to choose the format of control for a specific cargo
There is no universal control scheme. The choice between a pre-shipment inspection, acceptance control and their combination depends on the cost of an error, the characteristics of the cargo, the route and the terms of supply.
First of all several factors are assessed:
- The cost and criticality of the cargo. What matters is not only the invoice price but also the consequences of a shortage or damage. A small part may prove critical if its absence halts production or disrupts the project schedule.
- Complexity and completeness. The more assemblies, accessories and individual components there are, the more important it is to check the composition of the delivery before dispatch and to make sure after delivery that all the elements have been preserved.
- Sensitivity to transportation. Fragility, susceptibility to impacts, vibration, moisture, temperature or displacement increase the importance of controlling the packaging, the securing and the condition of the cargo on receipt.
- Direct transportation creates fewer potential points of damage than a route with several terminals, transshipments and carriers. The more complex the logistics, the more valuable the recording of the condition before and after it.
- A history of stable deliveries makes it possible to adapt the depth of the check, but does not remove the need for it when the products, the packaging, the site or the terms of supply change.
- Contract and insurance. If the parties have established requirements for acceptance and the recording of damage in advance, they must be taken into account in the inspection programme. Where there is a substantial insurance risk, it is also important to determine what information must be preserved directly on receipt.
- Difficulty of remedying the consequences. If return, repair or re-delivery take a long time, it is more advantageous to discover the problem before dispatch. If after installation or commissioning part of the damage will become inaccessible, acceptance should be carried out before those operations.
On the basis of these factors one of three variants is usually chosen.
- A pre-shipment inspection is suitable when the main risk is connected with the goods themselves: their conformity with the specification, quantity, completeness, marking or preparation for transportation. It makes it possible to correct a non-compliance at the supplier.
- Acceptance control is needed when a substantial part of the risk arises in the logistics chain. It makes it possible to record the final condition of the cargo before unpacking, movement, installation or repair.
- Combined control is justified when it is important to see both control points. It is particularly useful for expensive, complex and sensitive cargo, and also for multi-stage transportation. At the same time the two inspections must not mechanically duplicate each other: a separate scope of check is determined for each in advance.
So that the results can be compared, it is better to agree the control programme before the delivery begins. In it it is worth determining which elements are identified, what exactly is checked for quantity and completeness, which packaging parameters are assessed and how the photo documentation is carried out.
LVS Global carries out survey examinations and helps to arrange control of the condition of cargo at different stages of the logistics chain. Specialists can determine the required scope of the check, record the condition of the goods before dispatch or on receipt, produce photo documentation and prepare a documented report on the results of the examination. If you want to understand which format of control suits your delivery – a pre-shipment inspection, acceptance control or a combination of them – please contact us. We will discuss the tasks and the terms for your specific cargo.
