Do not let quarantined work disappear into the closure stock count

Topic
Manufacturing site closure
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3 minutes
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  1. Reconcile the status of one batch
  2. Give unresolved work a route beyond the stop date
  3. Preserve the link to the production evidence

Keep held work visible as held work when the factory prepares its final stock count. A pallet's presence proves that something is on site. It does not establish whether the goods are accepted, awaiting a test or rejected through the applicable quality process.

Ask the quality owner to reconcile status with the physical record. Commercial treatment, ownership and any disposal decision need their own authority. None of those decisions should silently replace the technical status.

Reconcile the status of one batch

This fictional example accounts for sixty units from one production batch at a defined review time:

Status Quantity Next decision owner
Accepted through the applicable process 35 Commercial owner checks fulfilment and allocation
Awaiting an outstanding test result 15 Quality owner obtains and evaluates the result
Held for a rework assessment 8 Responsible technical and quality leads
Rejected with disposition still to be authorised 2 Appropriate quality, commercial and other responsible people

The quantities total sixty. The final stock record should preserve those differences and the identity of the items involved. Do not describe all sixty as saleable finished goods.

Use the site's established controls for identification, access and handling. This guide does not define physical segregation or authorise release. If a count and the quality record disagree, assign the discrepancy before relying on either total.

Give unresolved work a route beyond the stop date

For the fifteen units awaiting a result, ask whether the laboratory still has work after production stops. It needs the relevant resource and authority to complete the decision, not simply a box of samples left behind.

For the eight units under assessment, identify the rework decision before the required capability disappears. Rework is not an assumed outcome: the competent people may reach a different conclusion.

Record what will happen if a decision remains open at the target closure date. Who holds responsibility, where will the evidence remain accessible and what project activity depends on the answer?

Keep the batch identity connected to the applicable traceability records. A later custodian should be able to locate the decision history and understand any limitations. Moving goods to another location must not erase the unresolved state.

Review the record when test results or authorised decisions arrive. Retain a clear history of what changed and who accepted it through the business's normal controls.

If discussing stock or equipment disposal with UK Auction Group, explain unresolved quality states and operational dependencies. Their business closure service includes stock and work in progress, but an enquiry does not establish suitability for sale or override customer, ownership or regulatory requirements.

Continue with the manufacturing site closure hub.

Sources

This guide is general information and education only. Legal, tax, employment and safety decisions may need a qualified adviser who knows your situation. Read the disclaimer.

Closing a business with assets to sell?

UK Auction Group values everything on site, runs the sale and hands the premises back clear, with a full statement of proceeds at the end.

Send a list of what you have, where it is and your deadline. Decisions that are still open can be included.

Business closure auctions and site clearance Contact UK Auction Group

Business Closure Guide is part of the UK Auction Group portfolio.

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