How do you make decisions when you don't have all the information?

At my previous job, I was asked to authorise a delivery that had arrived outside our usual acceptance window. The delivery driver was in a rush and could not wait long, but I did not have full details about the shipment's contents or whether it had been properly inspected at the depot.

I needed to decide quickly whether to accept the delivery or turn it away, weighing the risk of delay against the risk of accepting uninspected goods.

I first checked what information was available: I confirmed the delivery note matched our purchase order number and called my supervisor to explain the situation. Since I could not verify the contents visually without causing a significant delay, I chose the more cautious approach. I asked the driver to leave the goods in our external holding area rather than bringing them into the main warehouse, and I arranged for a proper inspection first thing the next morning.

The inspection revealed a partial shipment that did not match the delivery note. Because I had kept it segregated, returning the incorrect items was straightforward. My supervisor agreed that erring on the side of caution had been the right call and the supplier corrected the order without cost to us.