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Incoming quality control stage sheet
Incoming quality control stages describe how a purchased part is controlled, from no control at all to supplier self-control with no incoming check. The idea is to move inspection effort from your receiving dock to the supplier's own process, one stage at a time, as the supplier proves its process is under control. This sheet uses seven stages: no control; a 100% check at the line; a 100% check at receiving; the supplier checks 100% and you sample; the supplier controls the process and you sample; the supplier controls the process and you check paperwork; and supplier self-control with no incoming check. The register records each part's severity, the supplier's colour, its current and target stage, the highest stage its severity and colour allow, and the evidence needed to move up. The Excel version flags parts over their ceiling, counts parts by stage and estimates the receiving inspection hours saved. The stages are general quality practice, written in our own words.
Free to use: print it, copy it and edit it for your team. Enter your name and work email once to download.
Header fields above a part register with columns for part, supplier, severity, supplier colour, a current stage from 0 to 6, the highest stage allowed, target stage, target date and evidence needed.Part registerSeven control stagesSeverity and supplier colourHighest stage allowedEvidence to move upInspection hours savedProgress summaryWorked example
When to use it
When to use the incoming quality control stage sheet
- When your receiving inspectors check everything because there is no basis for trusting anything, and you want a way out of that.
- When a supplier asks what it would take to stop being inspected at every delivery.
- When you have to decide which purchased parts deserve attention first: the severe ones from suppliers with a poor record.
- To show management how much inspection effort a supplier improvement programme could release.
- Not for scoring a supplier's overall performance; use a supplier scorecard for that and a supplier audit for the process.
How to fill it in
- 1
List the purchased parts
Start with the parts that matter most or cost most to inspect. One line per part with its supplier.
- 2
Class each part by severity
Critical if a defect could hurt someone or break a requirement, major if it stops the part working or the product being built, minor if it does not affect function or assembly.
- 3
Give each supplier a colour for that part
Green for a good record with the process shown to be under control, amber for some problems or missing evidence, red for repeated problems or no evidence.
- 4
Mark the current stage honestly
Put each part at the stage it really has today. A certificate on file is not process control, so a part does not reach stage 4 or above without evidence that the supplier's process is in control.
- 5
Check the ceiling, then set targets
A part above the highest stage its severity and colour allow is trusting the supplier too much. For the rest, set a target stage and date and note the evidence needed to move up.
- 6
Estimate the hours and review each quarter
For parts moving up, enter lots a month and the receiving inspection hours a lot now and at the target. Review the colours and the stages every quarter, and move parts down where defects return.
A filled-in example
Illustrative, not a benchmarkAn example (illustrative): 40 purchased parts from eight made-up suppliers, with 12 parts at stage 2, a 100% check at receiving.
- Five of the stage 2 parts are major parts from green suppliers with good records. The plan is to ask each supplier for capability evidence and a clean run of lots, then move the part to stage 4 within a quarter.
- Each of those parts takes 4 hours a lot to inspect now and about 1 hour after the move, at 4 lots a month.
- Five parts times 3 hours saved times 4 lots is about 60 inspection hours a month.
- Two parts are above the ceiling for their severity and supplier colour, one major part from a red supplier and one critical part from an amber supplier. They are planned back down to their ceiling until the suppliers improve.
The stage counts show the inspection moving from the dock to the suppliers, and the ceiling check shows where trust has run ahead of the evidence.
Common mistakes
Treating a certificate as control
A quality certificate shows a system exists, not that this part's process is in control. Ask for capability data and a clean record before moving up.
Classing parts by cost instead of severity
An expensive part is not always a severe one. Class by what a defect would do to the customer and the product.
One colour for the whole supplier
A supplier can be good on one part and poor on another. Colour the supplier for each part, using that part's record.
Skipping stage 0
Some parts have no control anywhere. Find them first: they are the ones where problems are found by chance.
Moving up without exit criteria
Write down what evidence moves a part up, such as a run of clean lots and capability data. Without it, stages are opinions.
Download the template
Free to use: print it, copy it and edit it for your team. Enter your name and work email once to download.
Run this template in LeanSuite
In LeanSuite, when an inspector flags a defect the batch is quarantined and a SCAR with photos goes to Quality and Procurement, and the SCAR's lifecycle, including the days the supplier took to respond, feeds the supplier's scorecard.
See it in a 45-minute demoIn the lean glossary
FAQ
Incoming quality control stage sheet: common questions
They are steps describing how a purchased part is controlled, from no control to supplier self-control with no incoming check. Each step up moves inspection effort from the customer's dock to the supplier's process, and needs evidence that the supplier's process is under control.
Incoming inspection is the check you do at the dock. The stages describe the whole control of a part, including checks the supplier does, and give a route for reducing your own inspection as the supplier earns trust.
When the evidence in the last column of the stage table exists, for example a run of clean lots, a control plan and capability data on the key characteristics, and clean audits. Write the evidence down for each stage so the decision is not an opinion.
A ceiling for each severity and supplier colour. A critical part from a red supplier should not rely on the supplier's own control, so its ceiling is low. The ceilings here are a starting point to adjust to your own risk.
Yes. If defects return, an audit finds a problem or the supplier's colour changes, move the part down and check more closely until the evidence is back. A move down is a finding, not a failure of the sheet.
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- Toyota Production System (TPS) house templateThe TPS house for one plant or value stream: roof, two pillars and foundation, with what you do today, the evidence, a status and the next step for each element.
- EPEI and batch size calculatorHow often each part can come round on a shared machine (EPEI) and how big each batch must be, from demand, cycle times and changeovers, now and after SMED.
- People, process, technology (PPT) assessmentCheck one change before go-live: 18 people, process and technology statements scored 1 to 4 by the people who will use it, the lowest element and the actions.
- Process capacity sheet templateEach machine in a part's routing with manual, auto and tool change time, its capacity per shift, and the step that limits the cell against demand.
- Team charter templateA one-page charter for a standing team: purpose, scope, roles, the KPIs it owns, which decisions it makes itself, norms and cadence.
- Chaku-chaku line plannerPlan a load-load cell: time each machine, load and walk, check that every machine is ready when the operator comes back, compare the cell cycle with takt and size the crew.
- Standard operating procedure (SOP) templateA full SOP in the hierarchical step format, from purpose and scope to the steps, records, revision history and approvals, with review checks and an SOP register.
- Process improvement method selectorEight questions about one problem, an example rule that suggests a method and a matrix of nine methods: when each fits, the usual team and time, and the template to start with.
- Safety pillar 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from the incident pyramid to safety standards on one model area, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- Autonomous maintenance 90-day model area planAM steps 0 to 3 on one model machine in 13 weeks, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves for months 4 to 12.
- Professional maintenance (PM) 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from breakdown analysis to a running PM calendar on one model machine, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- Environment and energy pillar 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from waste and energy maps to area standards on one model area, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- Focused improvement 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from the loss Pareto to standardized fixes on one model line, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- People development pillar 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from the skills matrix to trained cover on critical tasks in one model area, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- Early equipment management 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from lessons on current machines to a tracked start-up on one model equipment project, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- Cost deployment pillar 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from the loss map to costed, ranked projects in one model area, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- Moving from Excel to one system checklistA 34-point checklist and a file inventory for moving trackers from spreadsheets to one system: keep, move, connect or retire, clean, pilot, run both, retire.
- Prioritization matrix templateScore up to 20 improvement ideas on weighted criteria, rank them, test the ranking with equal weights and place each one on an effort and benefit grid.
- Cost per unit worksheet (manufacturing cost per good unit)One product's cost per good unit by materials, labor, machine and overhead, the gap to target, and which cost lever is worth most a year.
- Digital manufacturing readiness assessmentScore 24 statements on process, technology and people from 0 to 4, check the balance between them and rank the gaps by what matters in your plant.
- Manufacturing KPI dashboard templateWeekly plant numbers in, 14 KPIs out: OEE and its parts, first pass yield, scrap, on-time delivery, recordable rate, cost and absence, each against a target.
- RCM worksheet (failure mode and task selection)Failure modes classed as hidden, safety, operational or non-operational, then a task chosen for each: condition-based, discard, failure-finding, redesign or run to failure.
- Training matrix template with expiry datesPeople by required trainings with expiry dates, OK, due, expired and missing flags, compliance by person and area, cover per training and a renewal list.
- Downtime reason codes template26 starter codes mapped to the six big losses, a log with drop-downs, a Pareto by code and by loss, and a code card for the line.
- Kaizen event preparation checklistEverything that has to be ready before a kaizen event and done after it: 44 items with owners and due dates from 6 weeks before day 1 to 30 days after, five go or no-go gates and a day-by-day agenda.
- Tier 2 meeting agenda and escalation sheetA 15-minute tier 2 agenda in ten timed blocks, fixed roles and rules, escalation triggers with time limits, and a log that ages every escalation and sends the answer back down.
- Forklift operator training and evaluation recordPer-operator training and evaluation record, a register with three-year due dates and refresher triggers, and a weighted practical evaluation scoresheet.
- REBA worksheet (Rapid Entire Body Assessment)Score up to six postures with REBA: body-part drop-downs, Tables A, B and C as lookups, final score and action level, and a before and after comparison.
- ISO 45001 internal audit checklist44 audit questions for the plant floor in 16 safety topics, each with its ISO 45001:2018 clause, the evidence to look for and the sample to take, plus 12 worker interview prompts, a findings log and a summary by clause.
- Changeover matrix templateA from-to matrix of changeover minutes with the clean each transition needs (allergen, colour, format), and a weekly planner that totals the order and suggests a shorter one.
- Overhead crane inspection checklist: frequent and periodic34 crane checks tied to OSHA 1910.179: an operator's pre-shift card, frequent and periodic inspections with signed records, a deficiency and tag-out log, and a register of next due dates.
- Maintenance job plan templateOne job planned on one sheet: steps and craft hours, parts checked against stock, tools, lockout and permits, documents, a ready check for the schedule, and technician feedback.
- Video time study filming checklistA pre-shoot checklist and shot log for filming a time study on video: camera, light, people, settings, power and review.
- OSHA compliance calendar (general industry)37 recurring federal OSHA duties with the paragraph, interval, owner, next due date and an overdue flag, plus a 12-month view and counts by owner.
- TRIR and DART rate trackerMonthly hours, OSHA 300 case counts and near misses in; rolling 12-month TRIR and DART rate, a case budget against your target and a trend chart out.
- Energy use and EnPI trackerMonthly electricity, gas and fuel in one unit, a 12-month regression baseline, expected against actual energy for each month, an EnPI ratio, the running saving and the tests that say whether the model can be trusted.
- FIFO lane sizing sheetThe maximum for a FIFO lane from the stop it must cover, in whole containers, with length, refill and wait checks for up to eight lanes.
- Pugh matrix templateCompare up to 8 concepts with a datum as better, same or worse on up to 12 criteria, flag must-haves, and carry the strongest into a second round.
- Machine guarding inspection sheetA machine register with due dates and a status per machine, 21 checks tied to OSHA 1910.212, .219 and .147, a guard opening check against Table O-10, and an action log.
- Condition monitoring route sheetA route of measuring points with baselines, alert and alarm limits, a check interval from the P-F interval, readings with rising and overdue flags, and an exceptions list worst first.
- Fire extinguisher inspection logOne row for every portable extinguisher: hydro test interval from OSHA Table L-1, annual and 6-year due dates, a 12-month check grid and open issues.
- Quad chart templateA project on one page in four boxes: idea and owner, problem, approach, and cost, schedule and result.
- Toolbox talk topics (52 weekly topics)52 weekly toolbox talk topics, each with a one-line key message and a discussion question, and a tracker for the year.
- Loss tree worksheetBreak one big loss number into area, line, machine, loss type and cause, and stop at the cause a team can fix.
- Equipment register templateOne row per asset, with hierarchy, criticality, PM strategy and owner, and a check that flags what is missing.
- Machine history record templateOne record per machine: components and their life, every breakdown and repair with cost, MTBF and MTTR, and a repair-or-extend check.
- Compressed air leak survey logWalk sheet, printable leak tags and a tracker that puts an annual cost on every leak and follows it to a verified fix.
- Project savings validation checklistThe gate between a project's claim and a reported saving: 20 checks, a claims register and a six-month sustainment check.
- Life cycle cost analysis templateCompare up to three machines over ten years: price, energy, upkeep, failures and down time, discounted to present value.
- Equipment design review checklistGate reviews for a new machine before order, before build and before start-up, with a safety buy-off and a problems journal.
- Emergency action plan templateA written emergency plan for a plant: site facts, roles and backups, warden coverage, scenario steps and a drill record.
- Preliminary hazard analysis (PHA) worksheetFind and score the hazards of a new line, machine or process before design is fixed, then choose controls and re-score.
- Risk register templateOne scored list of operational risks with owners, actions and dates, a heat map and a review log.
- Hot work permit templateA hot work permit with a precautions checklist, fire watch record and close-out, plus an Excel permit log.
- Confined space entry permit templateA confined space entry permit with checks, an air test log, an entry log and cancellation, plus an Excel register.
- Energy loss matrix templateSeven types of energy loss by six energy sources with a cost in each cell, an action plan and an idle-period shutdown checklist.
- Management safety tour formA leader's scheduled safety walk: observation form, operator interview, tally, actions, rota and a tour log with a dashboard.
- Hazard prediction worksheetA pre-task worksheet: score what could go wrong at each step of a job, add a countermeasure and score again.
- Chemical inventory and SDS register templateA register of every chemical on site with its hazard class, safety data sheet and label, and a check that incompatible products are kept apart.
- Safety committee meeting minutes templateMinutes for a safety committee: attendance, nine agenda items, an action log that carries open actions forward, and monthly numbers.
- Environmental compliance audit checklistAn internal environmental audit: 37 questions with what to look for, a findings log with classes and a score by section.
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A shift handover sheet, a red tag log, a changeover checklist for one machine: if your team uses it on the floor, ask.