Start with the decision
State why identification is needed: replacement graphics, spare parts or a next-use review. Locate any markings and preserve them before cleaning or removing labels. Describe an unidentified object as unidentified, even when it resembles a familiar catalogue product.
Build the record
Photograph the complete system and relevant connections, with a scale where useful. Record working openings, component dimensions, fittings and any markings separately from approximate exterior size. Note the measuring method and uncertainty. Keep photographs free of unnecessary personal information and private site details before sharing them.
Check before acting
Send the structured record to an appropriate supplier or competent reviewer. Ask them to distinguish confirmed identification from a possible match and state what further measurement is needed. Do not infer compatible graphics or safe operation solely from appearance; retain the confirmed manufacturer specification when it arrives.
Worked example — illustrative
A fictional studio photographs a frame and its edge channel while measuring the visible opening. A supplier identifies a possible system but asks for a connector detail. The team adds that image and receives a confirmed model reference. Its replacement graphic enquiry uses the confirmed fitting data, with the earlier tentative identification preserved.
Keep a useful handover
Close the “Photograph and measure an unidentified display system” decision with a named owner and a dated evidence version. The next working record is “Open the reuse planner”. Record whether that step is planned or confirmed; retain the prior decision if new information changes the instruction.
- Record visible identifiers.
- Measure working interfaces.
- Describe uncertainty.
- Seek an attributable confirmation.
- Keep identity separate from condition approval.
