First article inspection
Freeze an exact first-article scope and characteristic plan, record every inspection result, then independently review the report and decide final QA acceptance.
Screen orientation
fai:read is site- and clearance-scoped. Plan authoring, Configuration decision, inspection, report review and final QA decision require fai:plan, :configure, :inspect, :review and :accept. Each successive authority must be a different named user from prior authorities on the current plan/report chain, including final QA independence from the reviewer. Supplier Quality and Audit remain readers.
Five cards show open, Configuration, inspection, report-review and QA-acceptance work. New FAI plan opens exact-source selections and a repeatable characteristic editor. The register shows design source, article, plan/report versions and available actions; an inline action form handles the selected stage.
Field reference
The entries below describe the current screen controls and read-only values. They do not relax server-side validation, site scope, classification handling or required independence in a governed decision.
| Field or value | Control | Required or shown when | How to use or read it | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Design-owning site / Approved item revision | Two selects | Both required; item must be active and approved at its exact current revision. | Choose the scoped site and item/revision. The revision comes from the selected item, not a free-text revision editor. Changing site/item clears incompatible downstream selections. | Pins the case to a controlled item revision and site. |
| Released BOM (optional) | Select | Optional; if chosen, a released BOM revision for the selected item is required. | Use Item revision only when no BOM is part of the scope. Changing BOM clears baseline and unit selections. | Adds the exact released BOM to the frozen configuration source. |
| Released product baseline (optional) / Product unit (optional) | Two dependent selects | Baseline optional unless a product unit is selected; unit control disabled without a baseline. | Choose a released same-site baseline containing the exact item revision and any selected BOM, then a unit assigned to that baseline/site/variant. | Links governed product context; it does not register a new unit or release a baseline. |
| Supplier (optional) | Select | Optional; a selected supplier must be registered and on the approved list. | Choose the producing supplier or leave Internally produced article. This selection cannot qualify an unapproved supplier. | Records supplier context for the article. |
| Reason / Scope | Two selects | Both required. | Choose the actual trigger such as NEW_PART, DESIGN_CHANGE or PRODUCTION_LAPSE, and FULL, PARTIAL or REACCOMPLISHMENT scope. Explain the scope in the plan. | Records why and how broadly the article is being inspected. |
| Article / work reference / Article serial (optional) | Two text controls | Work reference required; article serial optional. | Identify the real article/work and serial where applicable. A typed serial is context, not registration of a physical inventory instance. | Provides the identity the inspector must later confirm. |
| Project reference / Contract reference / Classification | Two text controls and select | References optional; classification required, not below the linked source scope. | Retain programme context and the correct handling level; the server checks clearance and source classification. | Scopes access without creating commercial or configuration authority. |
| Final QA acceptance requires a recorded customer/authority reference (capture only) | Checkbox | Optional at creation. | Enable only when external acceptance evidence is a prerequisite for final QA acceptance. | Makes the final external-reference field conditionally required; no approval request is sent. |
| Scope summary / Drawing reference / Specification reference / Process reference | Multiline text and three text controls | All required; scope summary at least 20 characters. | Describe the inspected scope and exact governing references. Text references describe sources; the controlled evidence selector pins the stored artifact. | Freezes the inspection plan's basis. |
| Number / Type / Source reference / Unit (optional) | Repeatable text, select and text controls | 1–500 characteristics; number, type and source required; unit optional. | Use case-insensitively unique numbers and DIMENSIONAL, MATERIAL, FUNCTIONAL, VISUAL, SOFTWARE, DOCUMENTATION or OTHER type. Add Characteristic or Remove while editing, leaving at least one row. | Identifies each planned characteristic independently of row position. |
| Requirement / Acceptance criteria / Inspection method | Three text controls per characteristic | All required; at least 5 characters each. | State the requirement, its pass/fail basis and the method used to assess it; include units where useful. | Freezes what must be checked and how a result is interpreted. |
| Special / key characteristic | Checkbox per characteristic | Optional; defaults off. | Mark an actual special/key characteristic defined by the source. The flag does not skip normal inspection or approval. | Highlights the characteristic in report entry. |
| FAI plan evidence / Replacement-plan evidence | Controlled evidence select | Required for the initial plan or a replacement after Configuration rejection. | Select one CLEAN immutable active same-site document version within the FAI classification. | Pins evidence to the new plan version; rejected versions remain retained. |
| Plan submission note | Multiline text | Required; at least 20 characters; current plan author must submit. | Explain why the frozen plan is ready for independent Configuration verification. | Sends DRAFT to CONFIGURATION_REVIEW. |
| Decision / Independent decision note / Configuration-verification evidence | Select, multiline text and controlled evidence select | Required for Configuration review; note at least 20 characters. | APPROVE or REJECT the current plan as a different user from its author. The server revalidates the selected configuration sources. | APPROVE permits inspection; REJECT returns to DRAFT and requires a new immutable plan version. |
| Inspection date / Article identity confirmation / Completion summary | Date, text and multiline text | Required; date cannot be future; confirmation and summary at least 20 characters each. | Confirm the actual article against the frozen reference and summarise the completed inspection, not a planned future inspection. | Attributes the inspection report to a user independent of plan author and Configuration approver. |
| Result / Measured value / Observation | Select and two text controls per approved characteristic | Exactly one result for every approved characteristic; observation at least 5 characters; measured value optional. | Choose PASS or FAIL and record the observed basis. Rows initially show PASS; verify each explicitly. Measurements are text, not automatically compared with numeric tolerances. | Any FAIL makes the overall report FAIL; omitted or duplicate characteristics are rejected. |
| Linked open NCR | Conditional select | Required for FAIL; hidden and cleared for PASS. | Choose an existing open NCR for the same site and item within the FAI classification. A passing result cannot carry a failure NCR. | Links the failed characteristic to separate NCR control; it does not raise or close an NCR. |
| Inspection-report evidence | Controlled evidence select | Required for report submission. | Select the CLEAN same-site inspection artifact for the exact article and characteristic results. | Pins the immutable report version and sends it to REPORT_REVIEW. |
| Independent report-review evidence | Controlled evidence select | Required with Decision and Independent decision note at report review. | A new independent reviewer chooses ACCEPT or REJECT on the current report. Acceptance means report completeness, not final product acceptance. | ACCEPT sends to ACCEPTANCE_PENDING; REJECT returns to READY_FOR_INSPECTION for a new report version. |
| Final QA decision / Independent QA rationale | Select and multiline text | ACCEPT or REJECT required; rationale at least 20 characters. | Final QA must be independent of plan author, Configuration approver, inspector and report reviewer. A failed report cannot receive final ACCEPT even if its completeness review was accepted. | Records final ACCEPTED or REJECTED state; this screen has no reopen action after final rejection. |
| External acceptance reference | Text with conditional required/optional label | Required only when accepting a case whose external-acceptance checkbox was enabled. | Capture the actual customer/authority acceptance reference, not a request for one. It may be omitted for a rejection. | Satisfies a recorded prerequisite without sending or granting external acceptance. |
| Final QA acceptance evidence | Controlled evidence select | Required for either final decision. | Select the CLEAN same-site evidence version supporting QA's final decision. | Retains acceptance evidence without granting stock, baseline or delivery release. |
Actions and effects
When to use: By Product Engineering after selecting exact approved/released sources and a complete characteristic set.
What it does: Creates the case and draft plan. It creates no stock, registered product unit or released baseline.
When to use: The plan author submits; independent Configuration decides; a replacement is available only after Configuration rejection.
What it does: Retains rejected versions and rechecks exact source validity before approving inspection readiness.
When to use: At READY_FOR_INSPECTION, then by a reviewer independent of earlier current-plan authorities.
What it does: Records every characteristic and an immutable report. Review acceptance is distinct from final QA acceptance; review rejection permits a new report, not an edit to the old one.
When to use: On the current reviewed report at ACCEPTANCE_PENDING, by an independent QA actor.
What it does: ACCEPT requires overall PASS and any mandated external reference; REJECT ends the FAI as REJECTED. Neither changes material custody.
Lists and states
- FAI register: number, item/revision, scope type, site, article reference/serial, author and status identify the assurance case. Design-source and product/supplier cards distinguish optional context from actual registered identities.
- Current plan/report cards show version, plan status and characteristic count, report overall result and review status. Report ACCEPTED is a completeness-review state, not necessarily final case ACCEPTED.
- Immutable plan and report history shows versions and the named Configuration, inspection, review and acceptance actors; retained rejected versions are not overwritten.
Authority boundary
FAI acceptance does not release inventory, release or supersede a product baseline, authorise customer delivery or send an external message. Failed characteristics rely on separately governed NCRs; FAI does not create, resolve or close those NCRs.