Many disputes with a factory do not start with a production error. They start because each party holds a different picture of the agreed product: the designer knows the label, the factory knows the oil, the warehouse knows the carton, and nobody has the full picture. A finished product specification sheet fixes that. It is a single document that describes your product as it should leave the filling line.
What it is and why you need it
It is an internal, version-controlled document describing the sellable product: contents, bottle, closure, label, outer packaging and acceptance criteria. It differs from the technical data sheet, which usually comes from the supplier and describes the oil itself. The specification sheet describes your product, under your brand, after filling.
- In production: the line follows a written reference, not scattered chat messages.
- At receiving: your warehouse compares the batch against criteria set in advance.
- In a complaint: you go back to the approved document to see whether the deviation is the factory's or an unclear definition.
Sections to include
- Identity: trade name, SKU, version number and date, and the INCI name exactly as on the approved label.
- Contents: cosmetic or culinary oil, any required treatment (deodorising, filtration), and the acceptable sensory description, backed by a reference sample rather than vague adjectives.
- Filling: declared volume, unit (ml or g) and accepted fill tolerance. Agree it with the factory, since it depends on the line and the oil's viscosity.
- Bottle and closure: model, colour, capacity, dispensing system (dropper, pump, cap), neck size so the closure matches, tamper-evident feature, supplier reference.
- Label: approved artwork version, position, batch and date format, printing method.
- Secondary packaging and shipping: individual box if any, bottles per carton, carton size and weight, cartons per pallet, protective inserts.
- Shelf life and storage: shelf life supported by stability testing, PAO if applicable, storage conditions. Never state a period the documents do not support.
- Acceptance criteria: critical, major and minor defects (leak, loose closure, misaligned label, unreadable batch code, colour outside the reference) and limits agreed before production.
How to build it
- Start from the approved sample: only what you have actually seen counts.
- Ask the factory for a first draft with its data, then correct it.
- Document each value with its source: quotation, artwork file, test result.
- Sign version 1 and keep the reference sample with it.
- Circulate one official version to the warehouse, quality team and designer.
Managing change
Any change of bottle or closure supplier, carton, label text or oil source calls for a new dated version accepted by both sides. Archive the old one so you know which batch was made to which specification. This supports the change-control clause in your quality agreement with the factory, and the reference sample can be kept as described in our guide to reference and retention samples.
FAQ
Is it the same as a technical data sheet?
No. The technical data sheet describes the oil; the specification sheet describes your finished product with bottle, label, carton and acceptance criteria.
Can the factory write it alone?
It is better built together: the factory knows the line, you know your brand and market.
How long should it be?
Two or three pages per product are enough. What matters is that it is clear and current.
Do I need one per bottle size?
Yes, one per SKU, because bottle, carton and tolerance change with each size.
Start with clear specifications
Written specifications make every later order faster and reduce disputes. See how we work, then request a quote and we will help you draft the specifications with your first order.
