Rework can bring a product back into conformity with its original requirements. It needs an authorized instruction, a defined check, and a release decision. Do not treat repair or rework as permission to erase the first result.
Contain the affected product
Record the order, product, lot, location, quantity checked, quantity affected, and inspection point. Identify the affected cartons, pallets, batches, or serial numbers as far as traceability allows. Mark and segregate them using the factory’s approved hold process. Tell the named production and quality contacts before product moves or ships.
If the affected scope is uncertain, contain the wider plausible scope until an authorized person narrows it using evidence. Do not assume that one defect is limited to the inspected sample. Keep unaffected product identified separately and preserve the inspection sample and evidence.
Record the original condition
Keep the first inspection result as the baseline. Record the failed requirement, observed condition, defect classification under the agreed definitions, quantities, photos, measurements, and test conditions. Note who found it and when. If several units or defect types are involved, show both unit counts and finding counts.
Do not overwrite an original failed value with a corrected value. Add later observations as dated entries linked to the same order and finding. This preserves the sequence: what failed, what action was approved, what changed, and what passed on reinspection.
See this workflow in KaizenQ
Log findings on the floor and share the report from one record.
Request a demoGet an approved work instruction
A responsible person must decide whether the product will be reworked, repaired, sorted, accepted under concession, or rejected. Confirm who can make that decision under the order and factory process. If the buyer’s approval is required, hold the lot until it is recorded.
The work instruction must identify the affected items, the exact correction, the method and tools, responsibilities, completion record, and any risk to other requirements. Rework should restore conformity to the original requirement. Repair may make the item usable while still differing from the original requirement, so it may need a documented concession or customer authorization. Do not make this classification by guesswork; follow the authorized quality process.
If the proposed action changes the specification, material, appearance, or function, stop and request approval before work begins. Keep the approved instruction and any customer decision with the nonconformance record.
Reinspect the affected features
After the work is complete, inspect the feature that failed using the original acceptance criterion. Also check any adjacent or dependent feature that the correction could affect. For example, after replacing a binding or fastener, verify both the replacement and the surrounding material for damage or fit.
Use the original measurement method or test condition where possible. Record the number inspected, number passed, number still failing, results, date, inspector, and any new findings. A visual check cannot replace a required measurement or functional test. If the approved instruction calls for a full sort, record coverage and reconcile the quantity checked against the held quantity.
If any unit still fails, keep it on hold and return it to the authorized disposition process. Do not repeat corrections indefinitely without recording attempts and reassessing the method.
Authorize release and close the record
Release only when the required reinspection passes, quantities are reconciled, all specified tests and approvals are complete, and the authorized release person records the decision. A supplier completing rework does not itself release a customer-held lot.
The record should retain the original failure, affected scope, approved instruction, work completion evidence, reinspection result, remaining quantity, and release authority with date and time. Link any corrective-action investigation separately when the cause or recurrence requires it. This gives the floor, office, and buyer one traceable history without turning a corrected result into an original pass.
Related inspection guides
Use the quality inspection report guide to structure the original finding and approval record. For a lot-level final check, see how to run a final random inspection.
Key takeaways
- Contain and identify potentially affected product before it moves or ships.
- Preserve the original failed result and add follow-up evidence as dated entries.
- Start rework only under an authorized instruction with clear acceptance criteria.
- Reinspect the failed and any affected adjacent features, using suitable measurements or tests.
- Release only after required checks, quantity reconciliation, and authorized approval.