Steel Lot Traceability Matrix for Mixed Shipments
A mixed shipment can spread several heats across many packages, and a single certificate may not cover them all. Before stock is combined, cut or issued, give every marked unit its own row and hold any row that does not match.
Build One Row per Marked Unit
Make the row the smallest unit that carries its own mark: a coil, a bundle, a sheet stack or an individually marked piece. A row per PO line hides the case where several heats share a line, and a row per heat hides packages spread across different lines. With a row for each marked unit, both relationships stay visible and can be sorted either way. Keep the identifier columns apart from the status column, so that a match is a decision someone records rather than an assumption. Add columns only where the order or project asks for finer detail, such as a test-unit identifier or a piece number. The grid below is a starting point to adapt, not a standard form.
| Column | What to enter |
|---|---|
| PO line | Line and revision the unit was ordered under |
| Form, grade and size | As read on the mark, not as ordered |
| Heat, cast, coil or lot | Exact string from the physical mark |
| Unit mark | Bundle, stack, coil or piece ID |
| Packing-list row | Row reference and stated count |
| Certificate | File, revision and the heat it lists |
| Receipt | Date and package condition note |
| Location | Rack, bay or yard position |
| Status | Matched, hold or released, with initials |
Fill Each Column From Its Own Source
Copying the packing list into the matrix and then ticking it against itself proves nothing. Fill the identity columns in three passes. First, read the marks on the steel and write down what is actually there, including partial or unreadable marks as you find them, and take your own photo of each tag. Next, enter the packing-list row the unit should belong to. Last, enter the certificate and the heat it lists for that unit. Each ZIVO shipment comes with a mill test certificate (MTC) and a packing list; file both against the rows they describe rather than against the shipment as a whole. A packing-list quantity that agrees with the PO does not show that the marks and certificates agree.
Read the steel
Record each mark exactly as found, before opening any document.
Add the packing list
Enter the row and count the unit is listed under.
Add the certificate
Enter the certificate, its revision and the heat it states for that unit.
Check Coverage in Both Directions
Once the rows are filled, sort them by heat or lot and test the matrix both ways. Every row needs a certificate that lists its heat; a row without one is uncovered, however close its neighbors sit in the warehouse. Every heat named on the certificates should appear on at least one delivered row, or carry a recorded explanation such as a later shipment or a document error. Then compare piece counts or quantities by heat with the packing list, and with the certificate where it states a quantity. A certificate for the correct grade and a different heat does not cover the unit. If a project asks for test-unit or piece-level traceability, extend the check to that level rather than stopping at the heat.
- Unit to certificateEach marked unit has a certificate listing its heat or lot.
- Certificate to unitEach certified heat has delivered units or a recorded explanation.
- Count by heatQuantities per heat agree with the packing list and any quantity the certificate states.
Have a Specification Ready?
Send what you already know, such as grade, finish, size or quantity. Inquiries are answered within 2 hours.
Hold Unmatched Rows and Route the Exception
Set a row to hold whenever its mark is missing, unreadable or duplicated, when the unit is absent from the packing list or not covered by a certificate, or when a tag lists fewer heats than the pack contains. Move the unit to a marked hold location and keep its tag, wrap and paperwork with it. Do not release an unmarked package because labeled stock from the same delivery sits beside it. Record the row, the observed mark, the expected entry and your photos, then name who must resolve it: the seller for a document or marking error, your own team for a reading or location error. If a mismatch on a ZIVO order turns out to be a quality problem, it is handled from written feedback with photos, followed by a resolution, so send that record in writing. The row stays on hold until the resolution is entered.
Flag
Set the row to hold and note which check failed.
Segregate
Move the unit to a hold location with its tag, wrap and papers.
Resolve
Send written details and photos, then record the decision before any release.
Keep Location and Parent Records Current
A matrix goes out of date the first time stock moves. Update the location column whenever a unit changes rack, bay or yard position, and note who moved it. When a bundle is broken or a sheet is cut, close the parent row for the quantity used and open child rows that inherit the parent's heat, certificate and PO line, with the child mark written on the piece itself. A remnant gets a child row too, or a recorded scrap entry; an unmarked offcut on a shared rack can no longer be traced. Avoid storing remnants from different heats together without their marks. If a child-ID format was agreed before shipment, use that format in the matrix so both records read alike.
- MovesUpdate the location and the person responsible for every transfer.
- Splits and cutsClose the parent quantity and open child rows that inherit its identity.
- RemnantsGive each remnant a child row or a recorded disposal.
Issue Only Matched Rows and Keep the Trail
Release material to production only from rows marked matched, and write the row or child ID on the work order, cut list or job record so the link continues into fabrication. Keep the matrix with the certificates and packing lists for the period your quality system or project requires; this guide sets no retention period. The mill test certificate supplied with a ZIVO shipment is the mill original, so file it unaltered beside the rows it covers and keep any annotations on a separate copy. If a complaint or failure appears later, sort the matrix by heat to find every unit from that heat, where it was stored and which jobs used it. That traceback is the main return on keeping the matrix accurate at receipt.
Frequently Asked Questions
Only for the heats or lots it actually lists. Check each marked unit against the certificate entries; a unit whose heat is not listed has no coverage, even if its grade matches.
No. Keep it on hold and record it as an exception. Nearby labels describe other units; resolve the missing mark or document before issuing it.
No. A total can agree while individual marks, heats or certificates do not. Reconcile unit by unit and heat by heat before treating the lot as matched.
Tell Us What You Need
Send the product form, grade, finish, thickness, width, length and quantity. Inquiries are answered within 2 hours.
Send a traceability exception for review
Share the PO line, the matrix rows on hold, the marks as read with photos, the packing-list rows and the certificates involved, and state what each row is missing.
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