A mouthpiece is a consumable used with devices that take a measurement when a person blows into them. Even when packages look alike, the item ordered and the actual label must match before you can tell which device the item is for. So checking a delivery box on arrival is not just accepting a parcel. It is the process of recording, order by order, the condition in which the mouthpieces you ordered arrived.
Problems arise when a box is crushed, the seal is damaged, and the labels on the inner packaging are hard to read right away. In that case, you should separate receipt, which records the fact of delivery and how the goods looked when found, from issue, which hands out items whose type, quantity, and packaging condition have been confirmed to the actual users. Keeping these two decisions apart reduces the chance that uncertain items get mixed into normal stock while you agree with the supplier on how to handle them.
Receiving a box is not the same as having usable stock
At the receipt stage, record the date received, information that identifies the order, the number of boxes received, and any crushing, tears, or signs of moisture visible on the outside of the boxes. If there are several boxes, link a photo or number for each box to the order information so you can tell which box showed a problem. This record is not for judging the cause of damage. It is for making clear later which part of the delivery an inquiry concerns.
Stock available for issue, by contrast, is determined after comparing the ordered item name, the item label on the packaging, the actual quantity, and the packaging condition. There is no need to put the entire quantity into issuable stock just because it was processed as received. In particular, quantities with unreadable labels or damaged packaging should be kept apart from normal items so that quantities do not overlap when replacements arrive later.
Record only the visible facts of packaging damage
Receiving a damaged box does not mean you can conclude that the contents are contaminated or unusable. Nor can you decide there is no problem just by looking at outer damage. It is best for the record to describe only what you saw directly, such as "box corner dented," "part of the seal open," or "part of the inner packaging label hard to read."
There is no need to open the packaging further or take out the contents to prove the damage. Unnecessary opening and moving can make it harder to explain the condition on arrival. If part of it has already been opened, record whether and how far it was opened, and do not treat it as if it had been sealed from the start.
| Condition found on receipt | What to record against the order | Stock and issue handling |
|---|---|---|
| Item label and quantity match the order | Order information, packaging label, actual quantity received | Add the confirmed quantity to issuable stock |
| Packaging label is hard to read | Box photo, readable label text, quantity in that box | Store separately until the item is confirmed |
| Ordered and actual quantities differ | Ordered quantity, pack size, actual quantity received | Exclude the difference from normal stock |
| Visible damage such as crushing or tears | Damaged area, relation between the box and inner packaging, whether opened | Hold issue and confirm how the supplier will handle it |
Storing separately does not mean moving items into new packaging or having staff restore their condition. It means marking the problem box so its order can be identified, and physically keeping it apart from normal stock. This prevents the person handing out mouthpieces from issuing held quantities by mistake.
If the item is unknown, do not assume it is compatible
You can decide which devices a mouthpiece should be issued for only when the item name on the order and the label on the received packaging can be linked. Do not decide that items are the same as those from another order just because the photos look similar or the box is the same size. Where the label is incomplete, rather than attaching a guessed item name, keep both the item name on the order and the text actually readable on the packaging.
This distinction is also needed when recalculating purchase quantities. For example, if you issue only the quantity confirmed as normal to the site and keep quantities with unclear labels apart as "awaiting item confirmation," you reduce the problem of counting more or fewer consumables than you really have. Move only the quantity confirmed by the supplier to match the ordered item into issuable stock.
Hold and inquiry steps in a hypothetical case
As a hypothetical example, suppose you receive two boxes of 100 mouthpieces each and find a dented corner on one box and pressure marks on part of its inner packaging. What the person in charge should record first is which box is damaged, where the damage is, how much of the packaging label can be read, and how many items were received in each of the two boxes. These records alone do not tell you whether it was a shipping problem or something else, and they do not settle whether the items are usable.
A possible action is to remove the damaged box from the issue area and send the order information and photos together to the supplier. When you inquire, give the ordered item name, when it was received, the packaging label text that can actually be read, the location of the damage, and how much has already been opened. The point is not to guess at a cause and argue it, but to confirm whether all or only part of the quantity should be held and what is subject to exchange or return.
The completion criterion in this case is not just a record that the box was received. Whether the held quantity was moved to issuable stock following the supplier's guidance, whether items were classified for exchange or return, and what quantity remains must all be linked to the order. Only then will the same box not be counted in both normal stock and held quantity at the same time.
When replacements arrive, start by settling the original held quantity
If you add only the newly received quantity to stock when replacements arrive, the items originally held may still be there and the quantity can be double-counted. Split the originally held quantity into the amount exchanged, the amount returned, and the amount awaiting further instructions, and then add only confirmed items to issuable stock. If only part was exchanged, keep the remaining items in their existing held status.
The person handing out items at the site only needs to be told which items and quantities can currently be issued. The receipt record is kept as the basis for tracking each delivery, while the issue record is managed as the basis for releasing confirmed items for use. This way you can issue only mouthpieces whose order and packaging label have been confirmed to where they are needed, without rushing to a verdict on the packaging damage itself.
