Documentation Is Part of the Deliverable

In regulated industries, the physical item is only half the delivery. The other half is the document pack.

If documentation is handled late, you get:

• shipment holds

• repeated QA queries

• site rejection or delayed receiving

• painful closeout

A simple definition of “complete” should include:

• Technical: datasheets, drawings, test reports (as applicable)

• Quality: certificates, inspection releases (as required)

• Compliance: SDS/COA/TDS alignment (where applicable), origin/export documents (where required)

• Traceability: revision control and consistent identifiers

Best practice is to treat documentation as a tracked workstream:

• define the list at RFQ stage

• review samples/format early

• confirm owners and due dates

• check consistency before dispatch

Most document pain comes from inconsistency, not complexity—names don’t match, revisions differ, or documents don’t correspond to the actual supplied batch/model.

Takeaway: If the documents aren’t ready, the delivery isn’t ready. Make documentation a deliverable with owners and deadlines.