Was alum surface scratched before or after coating?

We use Alodine to coated alum and recenlty we've been getting some scratches in the finish and cannot tell if it being done by us after coating or by the sheet metal shop prior to coating. Is they any way to tell if it's before or after coating?

I'm not sure I understand. If you are concerned with whether the scratches were made before or after the coating was applied, it should be readily apparent: coating scratched through = after, nicely coated scratch = before. But, in case I'm missing some aspect that makes it more complicated, why don't you start inspecting the parts when they come in from your supplier to prevent using any scratched parts.