Factory Acceptance Criteria Writing Guide
Acceptance criteria should state the product and package, machine configuration, test duration, speed basis, quality limits, sampling, utilities and treatment of deviations. Objective criteria make FAT and SAT decisions reproducible.
Practical buyer guide | Updated August 27, 2026 | Final scope must be verified through drawings, samples and agreed acceptance tests
Direct answer
What this decision means for a real filling project
Acceptance criteria should state the product and package, machine configuration, test duration, speed basis, quality limits, sampling, utilities and treatment of deviations. Objective criteria make FAT and SAT decisions reproducible.
This guide is part of the cluster. Read the hub when the project still needs a broader comparison.
Engineering inputs
Define the duty before comparing equipment
A useful proposal starts from agreed process and package information. These inputs keep suppliers from filling gaps with incompatible assumptions.
Send these details
- Approved duty and formats
- Performance target
- Quality limits
- Test method and duration
- Deviation and retest rules
Require these checks
- Write measurable statements
- Review with all parties
- Prepare tools and samples
- Record results and open actions against each item
Line integration
Connect the choice to upstream and downstream equipment
Project decision record
Turn the topic into four controlled project decisions
A useful guide should change the RFQ, proposal and acceptance plan. Use this record to keep the buyer, equipment supplier and site team on the same basis.
Freeze the application basis
Record approved duty and formats together with performance target. Attach drawings, photos and representative samples when dimensions or product behavior affect the design.
Define rated and sustained duty
State quality limits and test method and duration. Separate nameplate rate from the sustained result expected with normal stops, changeovers and quality checks.
Control line interfaces
Mark every interface as supplier scope, buyer scope or third-party scope before the order is released.
Approve measurable evidence
Agree how to verify write measurable statements and review with all parties. The test plan should identify samples, duration, instruments, pass criteria and closure evidence.
Comparison sheet
Put every supplier on the same basis
| Decision area | What to state in the RFQ | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Product | approved duty and formats | write measurable statements |
| Package | performance target | review with all parties |
| Performance | quality limits | prepare tools and samples |
| Operation | test method and duration | record results and open actions against each item |
| Project scope | Utilities, interfaces, documents, spares, packing, shipping and support | Written inclusions, exclusions and acceptance evidence |
Verification route
Move from a claim to recorded evidence
- Approve the duty, drawings and test conditions before fabrication is treated as final.
- Use production-intent product and packaging wherever they materially affect performance.
- Record results by format, operating condition and quality criterion rather than relying on a short edited video.
- List open items, owners and closure evidence before packing and again after site commissioning.
Risk register
Resolve these risks before price becomes the deciding factor
Low quotations often hide different assumptions. A short written risk register makes technical and commercial differences visible before contract award.
| Risk | Why it matters here | Required control |
|---|---|---|
| Application mismatch | Words such as stable, accurate or high speed are not measurable acceptance criteria. | Confirm approved duty and formats and test write measurable statements. |
| Package or format mismatch | Unapproved containers, closures, labels or tolerances can invalidate an otherwise suitable machine choice. | Freeze performance target and verify review with all parties with production-intent samples. |
| Line imbalance | A filler cannot deliver saleable output when feeding, closing, labeling, packing or utilities become the constraint. | State quality limits and verify prepare tools and samples across the connected line. |
| Weak acceptance evidence | Put record results and open actions against each item into the FAT and SAT plan, including owners and close-out evidence. |
Buyer questions
Answers to common RFQ and acceptance questions
When is Factory Acceptance Criteria Writing Guide useful?
Buyers turning a quotation into a testable machinery contract scope. Words such as stable, accurate or high speed are not measurable acceptance criteria.
What details should be supplied before requesting a quotation?
Prepare the following project-specific information: approved duty and formats, performance target, quality limits, test method and duration, deviation and retest rules. Drawings, photos and representative samples help the engineering review move from a budget assumption to a defined scope.
How should the proposed solution be checked before acceptance?
Use an agreed review or test plan to write measurable statements, review with all parties, prepare tools and samples, record results and open actions against each item. Record the conditions, measurements and open actions so the result can be compared with the approved specification.
What should the supplier proposal state for filling machine acceptance criteria?
The proposal should state the design basis, included equipment, utilities, interfaces, output conditions, change parts, documentation, spare parts, delivery boundary and acceptance method. For this topic, explicitly record approved duty and formats and performance target.
What evidence should be retained after FAT and site handover?
Retain the approved specification, drawings, test conditions, measured results, alarm and safety checks, open-item register, manuals, backups, parts list and signed handover record. This guide particularly requires evidence for write measurable statements and review with all parties.
One-Stop Beverage Equipment Solutions
Send the liquid, bottle, output and destination
Allot Technology (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. was founded in 2019. Our roots are in new-media and online communication; since 2025, we have combined that experience with China manufacturing sourcing to introduce practical beverage and liquid-packaging equipment to global buyers honestly and clearly.