Delivery is complete, but a stack of boxes does not mean the workspace is ready. At this point, the three most useful things to do are establish exactly what has arrived, check the contents and keep clear records for the person who will carry out the installation. This helps prevent a small discrepancy from getting lost between the storeroom, the treatment room and the service team.
This article helps organise a document-based and visual check of a delivery. It is not a commissioning procedure, an electrical safety inspection, a metrological check or a clinical trial. For a specific product, follow its instructions and the agreed supply terms.
1. Prepare a list of what to expect, not just a space
Before the shipment arrives, gather the confirmed order, specification and agreed list of options. List the quantities of the main products and additional items separately. If the delivery is split across several shipments, note this against the relevant entries.
Assign someone to collect the results of the checks. This does not have to be the same person who accepts the boxes from the carrier or installs the equipment. What matters is that all observations end up in one record rather than scattered across several private chats.
Questions about passageways, doors and positioning are best resolved in advance. You can revisit them in the article on preparing a room for medical furniture.
2. Record the shipment’s condition before unpacking
Count the packages, match their markings to the documents and inspect the accessible surfaces of the packaging. If you notice a dent, tear or sign of water exposure, take an overall photograph of the box and a separate close-up. Record observations rather than assumptions: “tear at the bottom corner of the box” is more precise than “the device is damaged”.
Check the procedure for recording concerns against the documents for your particular delivery. On its shipping information page, Midmark specifically highlights counting and inspecting items on receipt and recording visible damage in the delivery documents. This illustrates one manufacturer’s approach; it does not establish universal deadlines or rules for all sellers in Ukraine. Source: Midmark, Freight Damage, Returns + Shipping.
3. Check the model, then identify the individual unit
The marketing name on a website, the model designation on the identification plate and the serial number serve different purposes. Copy the model and serial number into the working record exactly as they appear on the product. Do not substitute an order item code or delivery note number for the serial number.
Photograph the identification plate so that its text can be read without guessing. If anything is illegible, mark it “needs clarification” rather than filling in a character yourself. For several identical units, create a separate entry for each: they may share a model, but their individual records should remain separate.
The Midmark Mobile Workstations guide provides fields for the model, serial number, purchase date, dealer and service company. This is a useful reference for structuring a record, not a statement that these models are available from FORMED. Source: Midmark, User Guide, page English 2.
4. Check the contents against a list, not a photograph
A catalogue image may show optional equipment. Your confirmed order, packing list and documentation for the specific product configuration should therefore be the basis for checking what has been supplied.
Use one of four statuses for each item: “present”, “not found”, “supplied separately” or “needs clarification”. The last two are not interchangeable: a separate shipment must be supported by agreed information, not an employee’s assumption.
If the instructions permit unpacking, keep components grouped beside the product they belong to. Do not mix similar-looking adapters or fixings from different boxes. Keep their markings with the record of the supplied contents. Do not open sterile or protective packaging solely to take a photograph for an internal report.
5. Do not turn an inspection into an unauthorised start-up
A visual check has limits. Do not remove transport restraints, connect equipment or test its movement “just to see” until you have read the preparation procedure for that exact model.
There is a practical reason: the sequence can matter. For example, the Midmark mobile workstation guide includes a specific warning to install all work-surface-mounted options before removing the tie by the brake handle and raising the work surface. Do not apply this sequence to other products, and do not treat the example as a substitute for unpacking instructions. It shows why a seemingly simple component may have specific instructions. Source: Midmark, User Guide, page English 7.
If you find visible damage or a discrepancy, mark the equipment as awaiting clarification and pass the information to the supplier or responsible specialist before further work. Attempting to repair a defect yourself is outside the scope of this checklist.
6. Give the installer a concise record, not a pile of photographs
Each delivery should leave one clear record. This can be kept in a regular document or an internal spreadsheet. For several units, add separate entries within it.
- Order reference and date received.
- Manufacturer, model and serial number of each product.
- Number of packages received.
- Results of checking the main supplied contents and options.
- Observations with links to the relevant photographs.
- Where the instructions and delivery documents are stored.
- Agreed installation location.
- Unresolved issue, responsible person and next action.
Linking a serial number to a room is useful for subsequent asset records. For example, Midmark lists this as a feature of its enhanced delivery service. Delivery packages do not all include the same work, so your own scope needs to be agreed separately. Source: Midmark, Delivery + Installation Services.
If you find a discrepancy
Make the message specific: state which item was ordered, what was actually received, which photograph shows the discrepancy and what needs clarification. For example: “The agreed list includes an additional holder. It was not found during the check. Please confirm whether it has been shipped separately.” This is sample wording, not an account of an actual delivery.
Do not decide the cause of damage yourself or promise a resolution date that has not been confirmed. An open issue needs a responsible person and an agreed next step.
In brief
Before installation, aim to have three things: a list of identified products, checked contents and a record of every unresolved issue. Distinguish delivery from readiness for use. This gives the specialist taking over the work a clear picture of the shipment’s status, rather than just a collection of boxes.
Sources and limitations
The named examples were checked against official Midmark pages and the Mobile Workstations guide 003-10179-99 Rev. AA6 (5/15/26), pages English 2 and English 7, on 23.10.2026. They illustrate one manufacturer’s approach, not a universal unpacking procedure, warranty rules or confirmation that FORMED supplies these models or services. Your own delivery is governed by the specific product documentation and agreed terms.
- Midmark: Freight Damage, Returns + Shipping ↗ · Freight Damage section
- Midmark Mobile Workstations: User Guide, English 2 and English 7 ↗ · 003-10179-99 Rev. AA6 (5/15/26), English 2 and English 7
- Midmark: Delivery + Installation Services ↗ · Premier and Essential comparison, serial numbers and room assignments row
