A raw material specification sets out the requirements an incoming material must meet before it can be used in production. It defines the material by measurable properties rather than by name alone, and it is the basis on which deliveries are accepted or rejected.
Naming a material is not specifying it. The same chemical name can cover a wide range of grades, purities, particle sizes and physical forms, all of which can affect the finished product. A specification therefore states the properties that matter - purity, moisture content, particle size, colour, viscosity as relevant - with acceptable limits for each, and often names approved suppliers or grades where consistency matters more than the paper specification captures.
Getting this right prevents a particular kind of failure that is difficult to diagnose. If an incoming material varies within a loosely written specification, the finished product varies too, and the cause is not obvious because nothing was technically wrong. Tightening the raw material specification is often the fix for unexplained batch-to-batch variation.
Specifications should also state what evidence is required with delivery - normally a certificate of analysis - and what testing will be done on receipt. Changes need controlling like any other, through change control procedures. See setting quality specifications.
If you are experiencing unexplained batch-to-batch variation, the raw material specification is the first place to look. Tightening a loose specification, or naming an approved supplier and grade, resolves a surprising proportion of these cases.
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Last reviewed: August 2026. Regulation and guidance change — verify anything you rely on against the primary source. Tell us if something here is out of date.
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