Spare-Parts Inventory Audit — Corridor CN→QA
Vertical: LFP (LiFePO4) battery energy-storage systems.
Document type: Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) — process page.
Corridor: People's Republic of China → State of Qatar.
Owner of this SOP: Tradvolt Quality Assurance Manager, Doha.
1. Scope and applicability
This SOP applies to every shipment of spare parts for Tradvolt LFP energy-storage systems that originates at an OEM or Tier-1 supplier in China and arrives at Tradvolt's bonded warehouse in Doha, Qatar. It covers the handover between the procurement function, the customs broker, and the quality assurance function, and it ends when the parts are either released to field service or rejected and quarantined.
The procedure is written for recurring air and sea shipments of cells, modules, BMS boards, contactors, fuses, busbars, and enclosure hardware used in LFP installations. It does not cover new factory acceptance of a complete BESS container, which follows a separate commissioning SOP.
2. Normative references
- OEM service manual and component datasheets shipped with each part family (per-lot).
- IEC 62619:2022 — Secondary cells and batteries containing alkaline or other non-acid electrolytes — Safety requirements for secondary lithium cells and batteries for use in industrial applications. [Claim | Src: IEC | URL: https://webstore.iec.ch/publication/63259 | accessed 2026-09-21]
- IEC 62133-2:2017 — Secondary cells and batteries containing alkaline or other non-acid electrolytes — Safety requirements for lithium batteries for use in portable applications (relevant for handheld service tools). [Claim | Src: IEC | URL: https://webstore.iec.ch/publication/32753 | accessed 2026-09-21]
- UL 1973:2022 — Batteries for Use in Stationary and Motive Auxiliary Power Applications (OEM certificate references). [Claim | Src: UL Solutions | URL: https://www.shopulstandards.com/ProductDetail.aspx?UniqueKey=37932 | accessed 2026-09-21]
- ISO 2859-1:1999 — Sampling procedures for inspection by attributes — Single sampling plans by AQL. [Claim | Src: ISO | URL: https://www.iso.org/standard/1140.html | accessed 2026-09-21]
- ICC Incoterms® 2020 — DAP Doha is the default purchase term stated on every Tradvolt CN supplier PO. [Claim | Src: International Chamber of Commerce | URL: https://iccwbo.org/business-solutions/incoterms-2020/ | accessed 2026-09-21]
- FIATA — Multimodal Transport Documentation guidance for combined air/sea AWB & B/L review. [Claim | Src: FIATA | URL: https://fiata.org/ | accessed 2026-09-21]
- Qatar Ministry of Commerce and Industry — National Customs Portal (Al Nadeeb). [Claim | Src: State of Qatar, General Authority of Customs | URL: https://www.customs.gov.qa/ | accessed 2026-09-21]
3. Procedure — step sequence
Roles: IOR = Importer of Record (Tradvolt Supply Chain Lead, Doha), QA = Quality Assurance Lead, CB = Customs Broker, INS = Third-party Inspector, WH = Warehouse Supervisor, SE = Service Engineer.
| Step # | Action | Owner | Input doc | Output doc | Done-when |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Receive ASN and packing list from CN supplier; check part numbers, lot IDs, and quantities against the BOM in the ERP. | IOR | Supplier ASN (email/PDF) | Pre-arrival checklist pre-arrival-checklist.pdf |
All line items match the BOM and any discrepancy is logged in the ERP. |
| 2 | Collect commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of conformity (CoC), MSDS, OEM test certificates, and AWB or Bill of Lading. | IOR + CB | Supplier shipping documents | Document folder SP-INB-<PO>-<eta>/ |
Folder is complete and FIATA-compliant; missing docs are chased before ETA. |
| 3 | Lodge manifest via the Qatar General Authority of Customs Al Nadeeb portal and book the inspection slot for the bonded warehouse. | CB | Customs declaration, commercial invoice, packing list, CoC | Customs declaration receipt (PDF) | Declaration reference number is stored against the PO in the ERP. |
| 4 | Pull AQL sample at receipt using ISO 2859-1 General Inspection Level II; record sample size, accept number, and reject number on the inspection sheet. | INS | Packing list, ISO 2859-1 table | AQL sample record aql-sample-record.pdf |
Sample size matches the lot-size column of ISO 2859-1 and is signed by the inspector. |
| 5 | Perform visual and dimensional inspection: crate integrity, labels, polarity, torque markings, dimensions against the OEM datasheet. | INS | OEM datasheet per part family | Visual inspection checklist visual-inspection-checklist.pdf |
Each inspected unit is stamped pass/fail; deviations photographed. |
| 6 | Run functional checks on electronic spares: open-circuit voltage, insulation resistance, and BMS handshake on a sub-sample of the AQL lot. | QA + SE | OEM service manual test procedure | Functional test record functional-test-record.pdf |
All measured values are within the OEM datasheet tolerance. |
| 7 | Decide accept, hold, or reject; raise a non-conformance report for any failed item; quarantine rejected stock. | QA | Sample record, visual checklist, functional test record | Inspection decision note inspection-decision.pdf; NCR ncr-<id>.pdf if applicable |
Decision is countersigned by QA and the ERP stock status is updated. |
| 8 | Place accepted lots into the LFP spare-parts zone of the bonded warehouse; print bin labels with lot, expiry, and supplier. | WH | Inspection decision note, packing list | Bin label and put-away confirmation in ERP | Every accepted SKU is scanned into a designated LFP bin. |
| 9 | Create the warranty traceability record linking serial range, supplier lot, supplier CoC, and the intended end-customer site. | SE | Inspection decision note, OEM CoC | Warranty traceability record warranty-traceability.pdf |
Record is attached to the parent BESS serial number in the ERP. |
| 10 | Release parts to field service for installation or RMA; archive all signed SOP records for the retention period defined in the OEM service manual. | QA + WH | Warranty traceability record, ERP stock status | Release note release-note.pdf; archive index updated |
Parts are scanned out to a work order and records are stored in the QA archive. |
4. Timeline with dependencies
| Day | Activity | Depends on |
|---|---|---|
| Day 0 (T0) | ASN received from CN supplier (Step 1). | Supplier PO is live. |
| T0 + 24 h | Document folder completed (Step 2). | Step 1; supplier sends CoC/MSDS. |
| T0 + 3 to 5 days (air) / T0 + 18 to 28 days (sea) | Customs lodged (Step 3) and inspection slot booked. | Steps 1–2 complete; ETA confirmed. |
| Arrival day | AQL sampling (Step 4) and visual inspection (Step 5). | Step 3; container released by customs. |
| Arrival day + 1 | Functional tests (Step 6) and accept/hold/reject decision (Step 7). | Steps 4–5 complete. |
| Arrival day + 2 | Put-away (Step 8), warranty entry (Step 9), release (Step 10). | Step 7 accept decision. |
5. Documentation checklist
The following files must exist for every shipment before the QA Lead signs the inspection decision note:
pre-arrival-checklist.pdfcommercial-invoice.pdfpacking-list.pdfcertificate-of-conformity.pdf(OEM-issued)msds.pdf(for lithium-containing parts)aql-sample-record.pdfvisual-inspection-checklist.pdffunctional-test-record.pdfinspection-decision.pdfncr-<id>.pdf(only if a non-conformance is raised)warranty-traceability.pdfrelease-note.pdf
6. Cost slots
The figures below are indicative placeholder ranges used for budget modelling only. They are not commercial offers and must be re-quoted per shipment.
- Third-party AQL inspection at Doha bonded warehouse: indicative QAR 1,800–2,800 per lot (UNCERTAIN — depends on lot size and parts family).
- Functional test bench setup (one-off, internal): indicative QAR 6,000 (UNCERTAIN — depends on equipment already on hand).
- Quarantine rework and re-inspection cycle: indicative QAR 1,200 per NCR (UNCERTAIN — depends on NCR severity).
- Document archive retention (per OEM service manual): indicative QAR 250/year (UNCERTAIN — depends on storage medium).
7. Duty and customs (HS code block)
Tradvolt classifies LFP spare parts under the Harmonized System headings commonly applied to lithium-ion cells, parts of electric accumulators, and static converter parts. The exact 10-digit HS code and the corresponding GCC common external tariff rate must be confirmed against the part's commercial description on the Qatar National Customs Portal (Al Nadeeb) before each shipment, because classification can shift between cells, modules, and static converter parts.
HS code and duty/tax rates
| Item | HS heading (10 digits) | Customs duty | VAT | Other fees | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lithium-ion cells (LFP), including spare cells | PENDING — lookup | PENDING — lookup | PENDING — lookup | PENDING — lookup | Qatar General Authority of Customs — Al Nadeeb portal |
| Parts of static converters / BMS boards | PENDING — lookup | PENDING — lookup | PENDING — lookup | PENDING — lookup | Qatar General Authority of Customs — Al Nadeeb portal |
| Electrical contactors, fuses, busbars for BESS | PENDING — lookup | PENDING — lookup | PENDING — lookup | PENDING — lookup | Qatar General Authority of Customs — Al Nadeeb portal |
Disclaimer: HS classification and applicable duty, VAT and fee rates must be confirmed by a licensed Qatar customs broker against the live Al Nadeeb tariff database before each shipment is lodged. Tradvolt does not provide binding tariff advice and accepts no liability for misclassification.
8. Request a quote or a customised SOP
Need this SOP adapted to a specific Tradvolt LFP deployment, or want a quote on a recurring CN→QA spare-parts audit cycle?
9. Revision history
| Revision | Date | Author | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 2026-09-21 | Tradvolt QA Manager | Initial release for the CN→QA corridor. |