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First Article Inspection

Overview​

First Article Inspection (FAI) adds a quality inspection step when a job leaves setup on MES-enabled machines. When an operator finishes setup and submits their setup labor ticket as Complete, they can send the first piece for inspection before the job moves into production. A QA inspector reviews the piece at a dedicated inspection station and either approves it — which commits the setup work and clears the job for production — or rejects it with a reason, sending the operator back to setup to correct the issue and try again.

FAI helps catch quality problems before production begins — reducing scrap, rework, and wasted machine time.

Note: FAI applies to machines that run one job at a time — machines where "Jobs selected by" is set to Operator. It is not available on program-selected machines running multiple concurrent jobs.

Feature Availability​

RequirementDetails
ModuleMES Package
ERP IntegrationRequired. Active integration with a supported ERP.
MES EnabledMES must be enabled on the individual machine.
Manage Jobs InMust be set to ShopPulse (not ERP Driven).
Jobs Selected ByMust be set to Operator. FAI is not supported on machines using program-based job selection.
FAI ToggleMust be enabled per machine — either from the MES Settings page (FAI column) or the individual machine's Production & Operations tab (Optional Features section → "Enable first article inspection").
Access LevelOperators interact with FAI in ShopPulse. QA inspectors work in a separate inspection interface — your administrator or SDM provides access. Manager, Executive, or IT Admin users can enable/disable the feature in MES Settings.

How It Works​

When an operator submits their setup labor ticket as Complete, they're prompted to either send the first piece for inspection or skip. If sent, the request enters the inspector's queue and the setup ticket is held open while the piece is reviewed. The inspector approves — committing the setup work and clearing the job for production — or rejects with a reason, sending the job back to setup for rework.

The prompt only appears when there's actually a first piece to inspect. If the submission reports no good parts, the setup ticket commits normally with no prompt.

The ShopPulse header color reflects the current FAI state throughout the process:

StateHeader Color
In Setup (before submission)Yellow
Awaiting InspectionOrange
Inspection in ProgressTeal
Inspection ApprovedGreen
Inspection RejectedRed (with rejection reason)

While an Inspection Is Open​

The operator can cancel an inspection request while it is still pending — that is, while it's waiting for an inspector to pick it up. Once an inspector has started reviewing the piece, cancel is no longer available.

Cancelling reopens the setup ticket and returns the operator to the regular setup screen, with reported part counts intact. Because the ticket reopens rather than closing and restarting, the time spent waiting for the inspector counts as setup labor — the setup ticket runs continuously from its original start.

What Approval and Rejection Do​

Approved. The QA decision is what commits the first article, so approval allows the operator to then be able to move into production. The job is then released for production, and the operator taps Enter Production to complete the setup and start their production.

Rejected. The rejection reason is shown on screen. Returning to setup opens a fresh setup ticket for the rework/rerun. The operator corrects the issue, runs a new first piece, and submits for inspection again.

The Inspector Interface​

QA inspectors work from a standalone interface, separate from ShopPulse. Your administrator or SDM provides the link.

The interface shows a shared queue of all pending inspection requests across every machine and order — every inspector sees every pending request regardless of station. Each request card shows the production order, part and operation, the order's due date, when the inspection was requested, how long it has been waiting, who requested it, and which resource it came from.

The inspector taps a request and confirms they're starting it, which takes it out of the pending pool. They then examine the piece and tap Approve or Reject. Once an inspector picks up a request, they must approve or reject it — there is no option to release it back to the queue.

When rejecting, the inspector selects a reason from a predefined list — Damaged Part, Incorrect Setup, Missing Documentation, Out of Tolerance, Other — and can add optional comments. These reasons are system-defined and not configurable per customer currently.

Current Shift Dashboard​

Supervisors and managers can monitor FAI status from the Current Shift Dashboard. Machine tiles show the same color-coded states as the ShopPulse header (orange for awaiting, teal for in progress, red for rejected with reason, green for approved), each with an elapsed timer.

How to Use It​

For Administrators: Enabling FAI​

  1. Navigate to Settings → MES → Machines tab.
  2. Locate the machine in the table and toggle the FAI column to on.

Alternatively, open the individual machine's settings, go to the Production & Operations tab, scroll to Optional Features, and toggle "Enable first article inspection" on.

FAI can be enabled on any MES-enabled machine where "Manage jobs in" is set to ShopPulse and "Jobs selected by" is set to Operator.

For Operators: Submitting for Inspection​

  1. Complete your setup and run the first piece.
  2. Tap Submit work, enter your counts, and set the setup status to Complete.
  3. On submitting, a prompt asks whether to send the first piece for inspection. Tap Send for inspection to submit the piece to the QA queue, or Skip to commit the setup without inspection.
  4. Wait for the inspector to review. Your ShopPulse header shows the current status, along with how long it has been in that state.
  5. If approved: you can now enter production. Tap Enter Production to submit your setup parts and move the machine into production on the same job and start running parts.
  6. If rejected: review the rejection reason on screen, return to setup, correct the issue, run a new first piece, and submit again. The rejected piece is recorded as a reject on the rework setup ticket.

To cancel a request that hasn't been picked up yet, use Cancel inspection. You'll be asked to confirm, and you'll return to setup with your counts intact.

For QA Inspectors: Performing Inspections​

  1. Open the inspection interface (https://first-piece-inspection.svc.machinemetrics.com/)
  2. Tap a pending request from the queue and confirm you're starting it.
  3. After examining the piece:
    • Tap Approve if the piece meets specifications.
    • Tap Reject if it does not. Select a rejection reason, add optional comments, and save.

Once you've picked up a request you must approve or reject it — it can't be returned to the queue.

Tips & Best Practices​

  • Monitor the dashboard for long wait times. The Current Shift Dashboard shows how long machines have been waiting for inspection. Long "Awaiting Inspection" timers may indicate the QA team is bottlenecked.
  • Coordinate inspector staffing with shift schedules. If no inspector is available, operators will wait — and that wait is recorded as setup labor on the job. Plan inspector availability around shift starts, when first articles are most common.
  • Cancel rather than wait indefinitely. If no inspector is coming, cancelling returns the operator to setup with everything intact — better than leaving the request open.

FAQs & Troubleshooting​

  • Why don't I see the inspection prompt? A few possibilities: FAI must be enabled on your specific machine by an administrator; the machine must be one that runs a single job at a time; and the prompt only appears when your submission reports at least one good part. Check with your manager if you expect to see it and don't.

  • What happens if I cancel an inspection request? The request is removed from the inspector's queue and you return to your regular setup screen with your reported counts intact. Your setup ticket reopens and continues running, so the time you spent waiting is recorded as setup labor. You can only cancel while the request is still pending — once an inspector has started reviewing, cancel is no longer available.

  • Do I still need to submit my setup ticket after approval? No. Approval submits it for you — the inspector's decision is what commits the first article. You do still need to tap Enter Production to start running the job.

  • What happens to the piece that was rejected? It's recorded as a reject on the rework setup ticket, so it shows up in your reject counts rather than being lost.

  • Why can't I split or reassign the run while it's being inspected? The inspected piece belongs to that job, and the inspector's decision determines what happens to it — so the run's shape is held while the inspection is open. To get back to editing, either cancel the inspection while it's still pending, or let it finish: the run becomes editable again once the job enters production or returns to setup.

  • Why isn't FAI available on my palletized machine? FAI applies to machines that run one job at a time. Machines using program-based job selection carry multiple concurrent jobs and don't support it.

Need Help?​

Contact your Solutions Delivery Manager or email support@machinemetrics.com.