Documentary Identity Physical Checks

This glossary term is part of the SG Systems Global regulatory & operations guide library.

Updated January 2026 • UK Border & Official Controls • documentary checks, identity checks, physical checks, BCP/Port Health inspections, consignment integrity, seal verification, temperature/condition evidence, sample-to-lot linkage, traceability scoping • Food & Feed Supply Chain (importers, distributors, cold stores, manufacturers, co-packers)

Documentary, identity, and physical checks are the three core inspection layers used in border and official controls to verify that a consignment is lawful, correctly described, and safe to place on the market. Operationally, these checks are not abstract regulatory concepts. They are real-world friction points that test whether your shipment story is coherent: do the documents match what is declared, does the shipment identity match the documents, and does the physical product and condition match what the system claims? If those three layers don’t align, clearance slows and enforcement risk rises.

This matters because import and distribution chains are built on speed. A single mismatch—wrong product description, inconsistent lot codes, missing health documentation, broken seals, temperature uncertainty, inconsistent weights, mixed pallets that weren’t declared—can convert a routine border movement into delays, detention, sampling, or refusal. These outcomes are expensive, but the deeper risk is traceability fracture: when the consignment identity used for border clearance is not cleanly linked to your internal lot identity, you create permanent uncertainty that will reappear during recalls and audits.

Tell it like it is: most border “surprises” are data integrity failures. The product didn’t suddenly become different; the evidence chain was weak. Documentary/identity/physical checks punish weak master data, sloppy label discipline, and poor consignment-level traceability. If you can’t reconcile what shipped, what the paperwork says, and what is on the pallet, you don’t have a controlled supply chain—you have a logistics narrative that falls apart under scrutiny.

“At the border, the truth must match in three places: the paperwork, the labels, and the pallet.”

1) What these checks actually test

These checks test alignment: the same consignment truth must be consistent across three layers. Documentary checks test whether your declared story is complete and correct. Identity checks test whether the physical consignment identity (labels/marks) matches that story. Physical checks test whether the product condition and contents match both. The checks are layered because each layer catches different failure modes.

Tell it like it is: if your supply chain relies on “we can explain it later,” these checks will break it.

2) Documentary checks: paperwork truth

Documentary checks verify that the required documents are present and coherent: declarations, certificates where applicable, import notifications, consignment references, product descriptions, quantities, origin statements, and supporting records. Operationally, documentary failures are usually master data failures—wrong descriptions, inconsistent codes, missing references, and mismatched quantities.

Tell it like it is: a missing or inconsistent reference can trigger the same delay as a physical defect, because the authority can’t legally clear what it can’t validate.

3) Identity checks: label truth

Identity checks compare what is on the consignment (labels, marks, pallet IDs, case labels, lot codes, approval/identification marks where relevant) against the documents. This is where “paper says A, label says B” becomes visible. Identity checks also expose packaging governance failures: relabeling without linkage, shared packaging stock, or inconsistent coding rules.

Tell it like it is: identity checks punish sloppy label discipline more reliably than audits do.

4) Physical checks: pallet truth

Physical checks involve examination of the goods themselves—contents, packaging integrity, condition, temperature, contamination risk, and sometimes sampling. This is where seal evidence, temperature logs, and handling history matter. A consignment can have perfect paperwork and still fail physically if integrity or condition is questionable.

Tell it like it is: physical checks are where you pay for weak cold chain evidence. If you can’t prove conditions, authorities assume risk.

5) Linkage: how to keep border IDs and internal lots aligned

The biggest operational risk is identity fracture: the IDs used for border clearance (consignment numbers, certificate references, pallet IDs) don’t map cleanly to internal lot IDs and inventory records. That fracture creates permanent uncertainty. Later, if an alert or recall occurs, you can’t confidently scope impact because you can’t connect the inbound consignment to the downstream lots and shipments.

Practical linkage controls include:

• Consignment-to-internal receipt mapping captured at intake, not later
• Stable pallet/case IDs that persist through handling and re-palletisation events
• Relabel/repack controls that preserve old-to-new identity mapping
• Exception workflows when mismatches occur, with closure evidence

Tell it like it is: if you break identity at the border, you will pay for it in every future incident.

6) Evidence pack: what to have ready before arrival

A border-ready evidence pack is a reconciliation kit: it shows the same truth across paperwork, labels, and physical product. Minimum contents:

• Consignment dossier (shipment ID, references, product descriptions, quantities)
• Certificate/declaration references where applicable
• Pallet/case list with IDs and lot codes
• Seal evidence (seal numbers applied/verified; exceptions recorded)
• Condition evidence (temperature logs, alarms, corrective actions)
• Receiving mapping plan showing how border IDs map to internal lots
• Contact list for rapid clarification (supplier, broker, haulier, QA)

Tell it like it is: border delays often happen because no one can produce a coherent pack quickly. Have it ready before the truck arrives.

7) Exception handling: what to do when something doesn’t match

Exceptions happen. What matters is whether you handle them in a controlled way that preserves evidence and prevents drift. A mature exception workflow includes: stop movement, quarantine the affected unit, document the mismatch, determine whether it is documentary, identity, or physical, and then execute a controlled correction (or refusal/return/disposal) with traceable approvals.

Tell it like it is: the fastest way to turn a minor mismatch into a major event is to “fix it quietly” without preserving the mapping.

8) Copy/paste readiness scorecard

Use this as a blunt self-check. If several answers are “no,” expect delays and repeated queries.

The objective is simple: one truth across paperwork, labels, and product.

9) Common failure modes that cause delays and escalation

Most failures are predictable:

• Inconsistent product descriptions across systems and documents
• Missing references (certificate numbers, consignment IDs, import notifications)
• Relabeling without mapping (old identity lost, new identity not linked)
• Mixed loads without clarity (segregation not documented, pallet contents unclear)
• Temperature uncertainty (no logs, alarms not closed, integrity not provable)
• Slow response because evidence is scattered across emails and paper

Tell it like it is: border failures are usually evidence failures. Fix the evidence system and the border gets easier.

10) How this maps to V5 by SG Systems Global

V5 supports border readiness by making consignment identity and evidence packs executable: structured receipt records that bind border IDs to internal lots, scan-confirmed pallet/case identity, enforced quarantine when prerequisites fail, and rapid retrieval of a reconciled dossier that connects documents, labels, and physical handling evidence. The goal is that documentary, identity, and physical checks become predictable, not disruptive.

Effective support comes from connecting:

• WMS: receiving discipline, lot/location truth, quarantine holds, pallet/case identity
• QMS: controlled exceptions, investigations, CAPA, and audit-ready closure
• Integration: linking ERP/broker/carrier references to the internal evidence chain
• Traceability: preserving identity continuity into downstream genealogy and shipping

• Platform overview: V5 Solution Overview
• Inventory + receiving: Warehouse Management System (WMS)
• Quality governance: Quality Management System (QMS)
• Integration layer: V5 Connect (API)
• Traceability overview: V5 Traceability

Tell it like it is: border checks are alignment checks. V5 helps keep alignment intact from document to pallet to lot.

11) Extended FAQ

Q1. Are these checks only for imports?
They are most visible at borders, but the same logic applies in many official control contexts: documents, identity, and physical condition must reconcile.

Q2. What is the most common cause of delays?
Mismatches: documents don’t match labels, labels don’t match pallet contents, or conditions can’t be proven (temperature/seals).

Q3. Why is identity mapping so important?
Because border IDs must map to internal lots for downstream traceability. If mapping is weak, future recalls and investigations become broad.

Q4. What should we do when a mismatch is found?
Quarantine the affected unit, document the mismatch, preserve the old-to-new identity mapping, and resolve via a controlled exception workflow with approvals.

Q5. How do we stress-test readiness?
Run a drill: for a recent import consignment, produce the full dossier in minutes—docs, pallet list, seal/temperature evidence, and internal receipt mapping. If it takes hours, tighten controls.

Related Reading
Reduce border friction with Consignment-Level Traceability, prove integrity with Trailer Seal Verification and Cold Chain Integrity Checks, and keep scope narrow using End-to-End Lot Genealogy plus Quarantine. Support evidence integrity with Data Integrity and Audit Trail.