1.5 Release Checklist and Freeze Rules

For an EMS provider, the NPI Gate is the primary defense against liability. Once you accept a data pack and issue a "Traveler" (production routing), you own the outcome. If the input data is ambiguous and you proceed based on assumptions, any resulting scrap is your cost.

Use this gate to enforce a hard "Stop/Go" policy. Do not allow a project to move to Purchasing or CAM until the Golden Data Pack (GDP) is validated as a frozen, cohesive unit.

The Freeze Mechanics: Verifying Integrity

Your first task is to ensure the customer has actually stopped engineering. Receiving "Draft_v3_Final.zip" is a warning sign.

1. Hash Verification

Upon receipt of the GDP archive, validate its integrity immediately.

• Action: Run a SHA-256 (or MD5) check on the received ZIP file.
• Logic: If the calculated hash does not match the customer's stated hash in the PO/Email ⭢ Reject. The file is corrupted or was silently swapped during transfer.

2. Timestamp Audit

Unzip the archive and inspect the "Date Modified" timestamps of the files inside.

• The Red Flag: If the Gerber files are dated Monday, but the BOM is dated Wednesday, the pack is disjointed.
• Logic: If timestamps span a wide range (e.g., >48 hours difference between BOM and CAD generation) ⭢ Hold. Ask the customer to confirm if the BOM matches the older board revision.

3. The "Email Patch" Prohibition

Never accept updates via email threads (e.g., "Use this updated pick-and-place file instead").

• The Rule: The GDP is an atomic unit.
• Action: If a customer sends an updated file ⭢ Require a new GDP Revision (e.g., Rev A ⭢ Rev B). Do not manually overwrite files in your local CAM folder. This breaks traceability.

The Intake Checklist: Acceptance Criteria

Before the data enters your ERP or CAM tools, it must pass the "Sanity Gate." This checklist prevents garbage data from wasting engineering hours.

Stop-Build Triggers (Rejection Logic)

Define clear triggers that force your team to stop the intake process and return the pack to the customer. It is better to delay the launch by 24 hours than to buy $50,000 of wrong components.

Trigger 1: The Frankenstein Pack

• Observation: The Pick-and-Place file contains Reference Designators (e.g., U50, C12) that do not exist in the BOM.
• Action: Immediate Reject. The assembly data does not match the purchasing data.

Trigger 2: The Silent Specification

• Observation: The Fabrication Drawing says "Impedance Controlled" but provides no stackup table or target values.
• Action: Hold for EQ. Do not let CAM guess the dielectric thickness.

Trigger 3: The Unsigned Traveler

• Observation: The customer is pushing for a "Quick Turn" but has not formally approved the GDP via the PLM or PO.
• Action: Stop. Without formal approval, the "Golden" data is just a suggestion.

Pro-Tip: If you must proceed with a "Conditional Release" (e.g., to order long lead-time parts while the PCB is finalized), create a specific "Risk Buy" waiver that the customer must sign. Isolate the risk to procurement only; do not start tooling.

Final Checklist