Quality spill or line down at the Kentucky Truck Plant?CALL 905-260-2388
// Quality Basics

Certified Stock and Clean Point: Labeling the OEM Will Accept

Certified stock is inventory that has been inspected against the agreed criteria and marked safe to ship; the clean point is the moment certified production under your corrective action begins. Together they answer the two questions every customer asks during a spill: which parts are safe, and when did the fix take effect. Get the labeling and the clean point right and the whole containment becomes traceable and credible.

Label so anyone can tell the difference

Use clear, unambiguous labels for suspect, certified, and rejected stock, with a mark or tag the plant recognizes on sight. A certified label should carry enough traceability, date, lot, inspection reference, to link the part back to the sort record. The goal is that a material handler on any shift can tell certified from suspect without asking, because confusion at the dock is how suspect parts slip back into the flow.

Define and hold the clean point

The clean point separates before from after. Parts made before the corrective action are suspect until inspected; parts made after, under the verified fix, are your certified baseline. Fix the clean point to a specific date, time, and traceable lot, and make sure nothing produced before it ships without inspection. Clean-day counts for GP12 and controlled shipping start here, so a fuzzy clean point costs you real days.

Keep the records that back the labels

A label is only as good as the record behind it. Maintain the sort log, the inspection standard and boundary samples, and the certified-stock list so you can show, on demand, what was checked and what was released. This is the evidence auditors and customers rely on, and it is exactly what an independent containment provider produces as a matter of course, which is why third-party certified stock is easy for the OEM to accept.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is certified stock?
Inventory that has been inspected against the agreed criteria and marked safe to ship, with traceability back to the sort record. It is the opposite of suspect stock, which has not yet been verified.
What is a clean point?
The defined moment, a specific date, time, and traceable lot, when certified production under the corrective action begins. Parts made before it are suspect until inspected; parts made after form your certified baseline.
Why does the clean point matter for controlled shipping?
Clean-day counts for GP12 and controlled shipping start at the clean point. A vague clean point can cost you days or invalidate the count, delaying your exit.
How should certified stock be labeled?
With clear suspect, certified, and rejected marks that a handler can read on sight, plus traceability such as date, lot, and inspection reference so each part links back to the sort record.

Need a crew at the Kentucky Truck Plant?

24/7 emergency dispatch and local crews minutes from KTP. Independent third-party quality support.