Receiving shall make a preliminary inspection of all cartons at the time of delivery. Any damaged cartons shall be immediately opened and inspected. Items believed to be obtained by a purchase order shall be opened and inspected for proper count, identification and other problems. Capital equipment items shall be tagged before delivery.

Most items are delivered to the appropriate department within 24 hours of receipt. When items are delivered, the person accepting delivery should verify that all items on the list are present before signing the acceptance sheet. Accounts Payable requires this sheet before payments are made. In cases where direct deliveries from vendors or services are utilized, a Receiving Report form is used to notify the receiving department to close the order. If a partial shipment is received then the form permits Accounts Payable to release partial payments to the vendor. Shipments should be checked as soon as possible. No items should be stored for future use without first checking quantity, quality and condition.