Product tools · Inspection stage
BetaInspection readiness check: confirm an inspection stage is ready before you call the inspector
The Inspection Readiness Check confirms whether an inspection stage can go ahead. It gathers the evidence the stage depends on: approved drawings and procedures, material certificates, calibration certificates, welder qualifications and open NCRs. You get one readiness verdict, with hard blockers kept separate from advisory items, for QA and project teams to act on.
Inspection Readiness Check is in beta. Request access and we onboard each team ourselves: we run your first real documents with you and check the results together.
Last reviewed:
What goes in and what you get out
What goes in
- Approved drawings (optional, several files)
- Approved procedures (optional, several files)
- Material certificates (optional, several files)
- Calibration certificates (optional, several files)
- Welder qualifications (optional, several files)
- Open NCR register (optional)
What it checks
- Require previous-stage release
- Flag evidence expiring before the planned date
- Block on open NCRs
What you get out
- A single readiness verdict for the inspection stage
- Hard blockers listed separately from advisory items
- A quote from the document behind each blocker, such as a drawing status or a certificate date
- CSV or JSON export for the inspection notice or your QA log
Who uses it: QA/QC engineers, Inspection coordinators, Project managers, Production managers.
20 questions about the Inspection Readiness Check
What is an inspection readiness check?
It is the check you make before inviting a customer or third-party inspector to a stage. You confirm the item is ready, the approved drawings and procedures are in place, the materials are certified, the test equipment is calibrated, the people are qualified and nothing open blocks the stage. A failed visit costs the inspector's time and often a new notice period.
What does the Inspection Readiness Check do?
It reads the evidence you upload for an inspection stage and checks each prerequisite: drawing and procedure approval, material certificates, calibration, welder qualifications, open NCRs and release of the previous stage. It returns one readiness verdict. Hard blockers are listed apart from advisory items, so you know what must be fixed before the visit and what is only worth tidying up.
Which documents do I upload?
Upload whatever the stage depends on: approved drawings, approved procedures, material certificates, calibration certificates, welder qualifications and the open NCR register. None is strictly required, because stages differ. A pressure test needs calibrated gauges and an approved procedure, while a final visual check may not need welder records. The tool reads PDF, Word, Excel and CSV files, and image files.
What is the difference between a blocker and an advisory item?
A blocker means the stage should not go ahead, such as a procedure the customer rejected, a gauge whose calibration expires before the test date, or an open NCR on the item. An advisory item is worth noting but doesn't stop the stage, such as an NCR that doesn't affect it. The check keeps them apart so the verdict stays clear.
How do you check inspection readiness by hand?
Start from the ITP step and list what it needs. Then check each item: the drawing revision and approval status, the procedure approval, the material certificates for the parts, the calibration dates of the instruments, the welder records and the NCR log. Confirm the previous stage was released. It means opening many folders and comparing dates and revisions by eye.
What are the most common reasons an inspection is not ready?
Typical causes are a drawing or procedure that isn't approved or has been superseded, a missing material certificate, a gauge that expires before the test, a welder whose qualification has lapsed, an open NCR on the item, and a previous stage that was never released. Each one can turn an inspector's visit into a wasted trip.
What do approval codes on drawings and procedures mean?
Many customers return documents with a status code. A common pattern is code 1 for approved, code 2 for approved with comments, and code 3 for rejected, revise and resubmit. The exact codes and what each allows vary by customer, so check their document instructions. Working to a rejected or superseded revision is a common reason a stage fails.
Why check that evidence will still be valid on the inspection date?
A certificate valid today may not be valid on the day of the test. If a gauge's calibration runs out the day before a pressure test, the test result can be rejected. The check compares expiry dates with the planned inspection date and flags any evidence that will lapse first, so you can recalibrate or requalify before the inspector arrives.
How are open NCRs handled?
With the default setting, an open nonconformance report on the item or stage blocks readiness. The check quotes the NCR so you can see why. An NCR that doesn't affect the stage can be reported as advisory instead. Closing or dispositioning NCRs before an inspection matters because an inspector will usually refuse to accept an item with an open NCR against it.
What does a customer inspector expect before a visit?
They expect a notice in line with the order's notice period, an item that is ready, approved documents at the right revision, calibrated equipment with certificates on hand, and records from earlier stages. Many will ask for the documents in advance. Showing up to find the item not ready, or a procedure unapproved, damages trust and usually costs a repeat visit.
Does it check that the previous stage was released?
Yes, with the default setting. If the ITP or your records show the previous stage has not been released, the check reports that as a blocker. This stops a team calling an inspector for a later step when an earlier hold point is still open. It relies on your records showing the release, so a missing sign-off is reported as missing.
Does it check welder qualifications?
Yes, if you upload them. It looks for welders whose qualification has expired or lapsed before the planned date and reports them. For a full weld-by-weld check of procedures, ranges and positions, use the Welding Qualification Review, which goes deeper. The readiness check only asks whether the welder records the stage depends on are present and valid.
What do I get back from the Inspection Readiness Check?
You get one readiness verdict for the stage. Below it are the blockers, each with a quote from the document behind it, such as a drawing status or a calibration date. Advisory items are listed separately. You can export the result as CSV or JSON to attach to your inspection notice or keep in your QA log.
Can it read scanned or photographed certificates?
It reads PDF, Word, Excel and CSV files. A scanned certificate inside a PDF can only be checked as well as it can be read, so poor scans may need a manual check. During onboarding we run your own documents through it, so you can see how it handles your scans before you rely on it.
Does the Inspection Readiness Check release the stage?
No. It prepares evidence for your QA team, who decide whether to call the inspection. It does not release stages, sign anything or send notices to the customer. Treat the verdict as a careful checklist that points to the exact documents. Your team still owns the decision to proceed, and the customer's inspector owns acceptance.
What are the limits of the Inspection Readiness Check?
It only checks the documents you upload. If a prerequisite sits in a document you didn't include, it can't be confirmed. It reads text and tables, not drawing geometry, so it checks a drawing's status and revision, not its content. It can't see the physical item. The tool is in beta, so we review each team's first runs with them.
How does inspection readiness link to the ITP?
The ITP sets which steps are hold or witness points and what each needs. The readiness check is the step before each of those visits, confirming the stage's prerequisites are met. A good ITP makes readiness easier to check, because each step names its procedure and record. That is why we suggest running the ITP Validator first.
Who usually runs an inspection readiness check?
Usually the QA or QC engineer who manages inspections on the order, or the inspection coordinator who sends notices to the customer. At smaller makers the project manager often does it. Production managers also use it to see what is holding up a stage. The aim is the same: no surprises when the inspector arrives.
Is the Inspection Readiness Check available now?
The Inspection Readiness Check is in beta. You can request access, and we onboard each team ourselves: we pick a real inspection stage and its documents, run the check with you, and review the results together. That way you see how it handles your records before you rely on it. Document Review, our production tool, is generally available.
Which tools come before and after the Inspection Readiness Check?
Before it, the ITP Validator confirms the inspection and test plan covers the customer's requirements. After it, the NDE Coverage Review checks each weld has its examination evidence, and the Calibration Validity Check confirms the instruments used in tests were in calibration on the day. The FAT Readiness Check applies the same idea to the factory acceptance test.
Where it sits in the order lifecycle
Related standards, guides and templates
Try the Inspection Readiness Check on your own documents
Tell us which documents you want to check first. We set up your workspace and run the first package with you.