Numbered inspection tags and the unaccounted-for serial
Account for every number in a numbered inspection-tag supply, including tags never assigned and tags withdrawn from use. A total that falls short reveals an unresolved tag disposition. A total that matches is only the first check: duplicate entries can conceal a missing number.
Start with one identified supply
G21011 is a blue cardstock inspection tag listed at 4¾ × 2⅜ inches, pre-numbered 000–499 and supplied as 500 tags per case. The inclusive range contains 499 − 0 + 1 = 500 numbers.
First identify the particular supply being reconciled. The same printed range can appear in another supply, so retain the operation's supply reference with each number. The example below concerns one hypothetical supply only; it does not establish a numbering sequence across purchases.
Assign each number one current disposition
| Disposition | Numbers accounted for | Evidence to retain |
|---|---|---|
| Assigned | 330 | The record or item associated with each assigned tag. |
| Unused | 165 | The individually identified tags still available in the controlled supply. |
| Void | 4 | The recorded reason each tag was withdrawn from use. |
| Unresolved | 1 | The number still requiring a disposition. |
The first three categories account for 330 + 165 + 4 = 499 numbers. Subtracting from 500 leaves one unresolved. That result does not tell you whether a tag was lost, assigned without a record or recorded incorrectly. Identify the specific number before closing the exception.
Check identity as well as totals
Consider a smaller hypothetical register covering 000–004. It contains five entries: 000 assigned, 001 assigned, 002 unused, 002 void and 004 unused. The row count equals the five-number range, but 002 has conflicting current dispositions and 003 has none.
A complete check therefore asks two questions: does every expected number appear, and does each have exactly one current disposition? Keep the history of status changes separately from the current-status list. An unused tag that is later voided should not count in both current categories.
Close the tag exception without inventing an inspection result
Trace the unresolved number through issue and assignment records, then record the responsible person's disposition. If a physical tag is missing, retain that exception until the operation resolves it. Buying another case does not explain the missing number in the previous supply.
An assigned tag is evidence of an assignment only. It does not by itself establish that an inspection occurred, that an item passed, or that every item requiring inspection received a tag. Reconcile the inspection records through the separate process governing those findings.
Use the guide to repeated numbered-tag ranges to establish the supply context first. Then use this per-number check to make one supply's closeout reproducible.