SAMPLES & SOURCING
Make your sample review a useful purchasing decision.
Define what your team needs to evaluate, record the outcome and keep a clear reference for a potential bulk order.
Decide what the sample should establish
Before requesting a sample, write down the questions you need it to answer. A general visual review and a comparison against an established product specification are different tasks. Knowing the purpose helps you select the appropriate articles and avoid an evaluation that ends with no clear decision.
This guide is a procurement planning framework. Product use, reprocessing and any clinical or regulatory assessment should follow the applicable product documentation and your organization’s qualified review processes.
Agree the reference before comparing
Record the requested article, product name and any exact pattern or dimensional requirement. If you are comparing against a current instrument, give that reference a clear identifier and explain the characteristics you are trying to match.
Ask the manufacturer to confirm which sample you will receive and whether any feature differs from the proposed bulk specification. Sample availability, cost and delivery arrangements should be agreed before dispatch.
Use an evaluation sheet
Keep the review consistent across articles. Include only checks relevant to the instrument and assign them to reviewers who can assess the requirements. Avoid introducing an acceptance condition after the sample has already been prepared.
- Article identification and supplied sample reference
- Agreed dimensions and working-end details
- Requested surface appearance and finish
- Alignment or movement criteria for applicable jointed instruments
- Marking layout, placement and legibility
- Packing configuration and label information
- Requested supporting documentation
- Open questions and required changes
Distinguish approval from a change request
For each article, record one outcome: approved against the stated reference, further information needed, or changes required. Describe changes in specific terms and include a marked-up drawing or reference image when useful.
Do not treat silence as approval. Establish who will communicate the final decision and ask for confirmation that changes are reflected in the product and quotation records.
Retain the agreed reference
When your team is ready to proceed, keep the approved article list, specification revision and marking artwork together. Record whether the sample represents the final product configuration or whether agreed changes remain outstanding.
Use the same reference when discussing a trial order or repeat production. A documented decision is more useful to the next buyer or reviewer than a sample with no approval history.