4-3 Receipt and Inspection

Receipt is an important material management function that concludes the transportation shipment and collects information for material accountability. Inspection comprises measuring, examining, and testing to determine whether the materials provided in the shipment conform to contract requirements. Paragraph a of Clause 4-1: General Terms and Conditions and Clause 2-1: Inspection and Acceptance discuss the general requirements for inspection or acceptance.

Receiving and inspection operations comprise the activities from initial receipt of the material at a facility (commonly at a loading dock or other designated receiving point) to processing the material for final delivery or for storage. Receipt and inspection is a critical control point in the Postal Service’s material system. If these functions are performed correctly, any existing discrepancies between what is ordered and received will be uncovered, and errors can easily be corrected at this time, as opposed to later, when the cost to correct them is certain to be higher.

The receipt of requirements and their inspection must be done accurately to conserve and protect Postal Service assets, as well as provide required information to other activities affected by the receiving process. After receipt and inspection is conducted, it is determined whether the materials will be accepted or returned, which are addressed in the Sections 4-4, Acceptance, and 4-5, Returns.