A catalog number tells you what you ordered. A lot identifier tells you what you actually received. Documentation attaches to the second, which is why the lot is the identifier worth recording most carefully.
One entry, many lots
A single catalog entry accumulates lots over time. Each lot carries its own document set. This is why a certificate retrieved last year is not evidence about a container received this year, even when the catalog number is identical.
Reconciling material against records
- Read the lot identifier from the container label, not from the order confirmation.
- Search the COA Library by that lot to see every document indexed against it.
- File the retrieved documents against your own inventory record for that container.
- If the lot returns no documents, record that fact rather than assuming a document exists elsewhere.
When identifiers do not match
If the lot on the container does not match the lot on a document, stop and contact research support with both identifiers and your order reference. A mismatch is worth resolving before the material enters a workflow, not after.
