Approving strapping component samples remotely while lockdowns restrict travel

On 11 March 2020 the World Health Organization characterised COVID-19 as a pandemic, reporting more than 118,000 cases in 114 countries. Restrictions on movement followed in many places. In the United Kingdom, for example, the Prime Minister’s address of 23 March 2020 told people to stay at home and to travel to work only where it was absolutely necessary and could not be done from home.

For packaging buyers, the usual way of approving a new buckle, clip or seal (a visit, a sample on the packing bench, a trial with the line’s own strap and tool) became difficult almost overnight. Samples are harder to move as well. IATA reported on 28 April 2020 that international belly capacity on passenger aircraft fell by 43.7% in March compared with a year earlier, with total air cargo capacity down 22.7%.

Supply decisions still have to be made. The aim of remote approval is to decide what can be decided from a distance, and to record clearly what cannot.

Split the decision before choosing the evidence

A sample review normally answers several questions at once. Done remotely, it helps to separate them, because each needs different evidence.

Decision	Remote evidence that can support it	What still needs a physical check
Is this the right component type and profile?	Photographs from several angles with a scale reference, side by side with the current part	Fit with the actual strap on the line
Do the main dimensions match the drawing?	Measurements shown on video against an agreed drawing revision	Measurement on receipt, where the specification requires it
Is the finish as described?	Photographs in neutral light and the supplier’s finish description	Any agreed coating requirement and its evidence
Does the joint perform?	Nothing that replaces a defined test	A joint evaluation with the actual strap, closure and tool
Are packing and labelling correct?	Photographs of carton labels, inner packing and quantity	Count and label check on arrival

The fourth row is the one to protect. A video call can show that a wire buckle has the expected wire diameter; it cannot show how a joint made with your woven strap and your tensioner will behave.

Run a video inspection like a measurement, not a tour

A live call or recorded video becomes useful evidence when both parties agree the script beforehand:

1. Identify the item. Show the supplier reference, the drawing number and revision, and the sample label at the start of the recording.
2. Fix the measurement points. List the features to be measured, the instrument and the units. Ask for the instrument to be in frame with each reading.
3. Use a scale reference. Place a rule beside the part in every photograph intended for dimensional comparison.
4. Control the light. Diffuse, even light lets the reviewer judge finish and edge condition without glare.
5. Keep one continuous take for critical checks. Cutting between clips makes it harder to show that the measured part is the labelled sample.
6. Write the minutes. Record what was shown, what was measured and what remains open, and circulate the note promptly.

Keep the recording and photographs with the sample record. Our sample approval guide and drawing and dimensions guide explain how to structure those records so that someone who missed the call can follow the decision.

Shipping physical samples when capacity is short

Some checks need the part in hand. When air cargo capacity is scarce, plan for it rather than assuming the transit times of 2019:

• Send the smallest set that represents the decision: enough pieces of each candidate for the dimensional check and any agreed joint trial, not whole cartons.
• Label each candidate with its reference so it cannot be confused with another sample on arrival.
• Agree who will receive the parcel if the site is working with reduced staff, and where samples will wait until the reviewer is available.
• Ask the courier or forwarder for the expected transit time at booking, and record it with the sample request.

Record conditional approvals honestly

Lockdown conditions tempt teams to approve a component “for now”. That can be sensible, provided the approval says exactly what it covers. A conditional approval might read: identity and listed dimensions accepted from a remote review on a stated date; joint evaluation with the line’s strap and tool outstanding; first delivery to be checked against the drawing revision before release to the line.

Write the open items into the purchase record and give each one a named owner. When restrictions ease, close them or decide consciously to accept the remaining risk. The receiving checklist helps turn the first delivery into the physical check that remote review could not provide.

Bring the remote record into the enquiry

When you approach YAKU about galvanized wire buckles, sheet metal clips or steel strapping seals, share the drawing revision, strap reference, tool and the evidence you need through the enquiry page. Strength and performance information remains on request and specific to the combination being reviewed.