Build one source record per reference
- Source brand and complete part number, including spaces, prefixes and suffixes.
- Vehicle make, model, model year, engine code or displacement, and destination market.
- Readable product markings, package label, full-product photo and profile detail.
- Measured rib or tooth count, width and relevant length only when the method is known.
- Required product boundary, quantity, annual demand and sample-approval needs.
Use an evidence ladder
Application plus OE reference
Exact engine and OE evidence provide the strongest starting record for application review.
Known aftermarket reference
Add its source catalog, package label and current vehicle context so supersessions or variants stay visible.
Markings and dimensions
Use physical evidence to check profile and geometry, not as a standalone promise of interchangeability.
Photo-only identification
Flag the result as unresolved until application, reference or measurable product evidence can confirm it.
Separate candidate matching from approval
Timing, serpentine, tensioning or cooling product family.
Exact vehicle fitment and variant.
A candidate DNK or supplier record linked to the source number.
Supersession, destination-market differences and final equivalence.
Profile, dimensions, interfaces and included components agree with the sample.
Performance, application coverage and commercial approval.
The reviewed reference, sample, package and acceptance record are aligned.
Any future change that differs from the approved baseline.
Structure a multi-line request
Use a spreadsheet row for each source number. Keep the source number, application, requested product, evidence filename, estimated quantity and open questions in separate columns. This makes duplicates, missing engines and incomplete photo sets easier to identify before quotation.
A cross-reference candidate is not a universal fitment statement. Final approval remains tied to the supplied application and evidence.