Use a minimum identity
Combine project, material, colour and revision into an identifiable sample code. Record the physical label where available. The system can be simple, but it must distinguish swatches that differ in a property affecting the project.
Record receipt and source
Add received date, sender or source, amount and associated files. Keep sample photos attached to that ID. If a label is unclear or documents conflict, record the uncertainty and ask for clarification. Do not resolve an unknown identity by assigning a convenient old reference.
Connect the specification
Link composition, construction, weight unit, width basis and finish to the sample revision. A specification from another version may not describe the actual swatch. Request a current aligned document when the supplier changes the candidate.
Separate feedback sources
Record buyer observations, maker trial notes, supplier explanations and approval decisions independently. Include dates and scope. This makes it possible to see whether a reply resolves a specific question or whether a new sample needs the same review again.
Create revisions deliberately
A changed colour, finish, blend or structure gets a new version. Note the previous reference and the change requested. New records start not reviewed. Earlier colour or making approval cannot automatically authorize changed material without the actual reviewer deciding its applicability.
Keep history identifiable
Mark superseded samples and files as history while retaining them for comparison. State which version is current. Avoid silently replacing photographs or approval text under the same sample ID; that would make earlier decisions ambiguous.
Your sample ledger
Illustration: sample B changes the finish after sample A's colour review. The buyer records B as new and not reviewed, preserving A's scoped decision. Use the ledger below to show which physical candidate, specification and approval record belong together.
Sample ID | Project/item | Colour | Revision | Source/received | Specification | Current/history [rows] Previous version and change: [entry] Observation record and maker trial: [references] Open question and supplier reply: [mapping] Review scope/person/date/decision: [actual record] New revision starts: not reviewed Current sample for next decision: [ID] Superseded files/samples: [list]