SHUPA GLOBAL / THE PRACTICAL EDIT
The Sample Passed. What Changed? A Sample-to-Order Change Passport
A sample can look right while a later order quietly differs in packaging, materials or labeling.
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A sample can look right while a later order quietly differs in packaging, materials or labeling. This original SHUPA working template turns ‘same as the sample’ into a small, explicit change record. It is a planning aid, not a test certificate, supply contract or claim that a supplier has been verified.
FREEZE
Identify the exact sample that was reviewed.
COMPARE
Record what the production proposal changes.
RELEASE
Resolve open changes before committing to the next stage.
Give the reference sample an identity
Use a buyer reference such as SAMPLE-A-01. Record the supplier’s product code, sample date, version, quantity and photographs of the packaging as well as the item. Keep your own copy. A photo alone cannot establish material composition, origin, compliance or performance; note which claims still require appropriate evidence.
Replace “Will the order be exactly the same?” with “Which fields differ from SAMPLE-A-01, and which document confirms each agreed difference?” A short, specific question is easier to answer than a general promise.
A six-field passport
01 Product identity
Code, variant, dimensions and tolerances agreed by the parties. Write ‘not agreed’ where a tolerance has not been defined.
02 Material and finish
Requested specification, supplier statement and supporting evidence reference. Keep an unverified statement distinct from a test result.
03 Unit and carton
Units per retail pack, packs per carton, carton dimensions and proposed changes.
04 Artwork and language
File name and version, intended market, barcode owner and who must approve the final artwork.
05 Open differences
One row per change: old value → proposed value → cost or timing impact → person responsible.
06 Written decision
Accepted, rejected or awaiting clarification; record who replied and when. Silence is not approval.
Worked example: the product is unchanged, the carton is not
This is an invented arithmetic example, not a supplier quote. A buyer wants 1,000 retail packs. The sample proposal uses 20 packs per carton: 50 cartons. Production proposes 25 packs per carton: 40 cartons. The retail quantity is unchanged, but the receiving plan and carton configuration are different. Fewer cartons do not by themselves prove lower freight cost; dimensions, weight and the actual carrier quote still matter.
What should the buyer ask next?
Ask for revised carton dimensions and weights, pack count confirmation, and whether the change affects labeling, handling or the agreed delivery arrangement. Do not substitute an assumption for the buyer’s warehouse requirements.
Copy-ready supplier question
Please compare the proposed order with reference sample ___. List any changes to the product, materials, finish, retail pack, carton and artwork. For each change, state its effect on price and timing and identify the supporting document. Please do not treat unanswered items as approved. We will confirm our decision separately.
Market-specific compliance, testing, intellectual-property permissions and contract wording require the relevant parties or qualified advisers. This template does not establish any of those requirements.
Use it with a real sourcing request
Send the destination market, product specification, expected quantity and a non-confidential summary of unresolved changes. Do not send identity documents, bank details or confidential third-party files. SHUPA acts as an independent introducer; a supplier appointment or successful match is not guaranteed.