Hello all, I'd like to hear some new opinions as to why you think incoming inspection / supplier quality is necessary and why suppliers can't provide good - made to print parts all the time. We've never had a formal quality department and I'm trying to develop some training and influence as to why it's necessary and common practice in manufacturing to have supplier quality. My explanations never seem to be heard. Thanks for the help! Working with machine shops on project based orders, "1-off's".
Why do suppliers submit bad parts // Quality Incoming Inspection
- Thread starter scarpino
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Dazzur
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It's necessary because you want to find non conforming material (Poor quality product) before your customer does. This can lead to damaged reputation, financial loss, recalls etc. what ever really. Having a good inspection process alleviates this risk.
That's the end goal really.
Of course that's over simplifying, receiving poor quality product from your supplier costs time & money by hindering your own manufacturing/purchasing/quality processes. I'm sure some one here can provide a much much scholarly answer than me.
That's the end goal really.
Of course that's over simplifying, receiving poor quality product from your supplier costs time & money by hindering your own manufacturing/purchasing/quality processes. I'm sure some one here can provide a much much scholarly answer than me.
Thanks for your reply. This is always my answer, but the people in my organization still argues the fact that suppliers should never have any defects. So my question is how do I best respond to their "Why are they sending bad parts" differently that helps sell the need for quality?
This is subjective and only from personal experience from things I have seen in the past (or thought myself when I was younger):
1. It's close enough, someone without authority decides to pass the discrepant part along.
2. That is not an important dimension. Someone, not the engineer, 'knows' what the function of the part is.
3. We have too much money invested, send it anyway. Management does not want to make it again.
4. Honest, actual mistake such as miss-reading a tool, device, or print incorrectly.
Having in in-coming inspection department does not catch 100% of incoming issues however, it does allow you to catch some of the issues (if you have any). Additionally, (IMO) if your vendor hears that you will not be inspecting incoming parts, human nature says 'go ahead' (similar to speeding, it's technically against the law but the majority of people do it).
I don't know what country you are in, but these are thoughts from the United States. You know the culture of your company, you however, don't know the culture of your vendors company. Even with my negative seeming answers, I firmly believe 95% of employees want to do a good job. You just need something to watch for the 5%.
1. It's close enough, someone without authority decides to pass the discrepant part along.
2. That is not an important dimension. Someone, not the engineer, 'knows' what the function of the part is.
3. We have too much money invested, send it anyway. Management does not want to make it again.
4. Honest, actual mistake such as miss-reading a tool, device, or print incorrectly.
Having in in-coming inspection department does not catch 100% of incoming issues however, it does allow you to catch some of the issues (if you have any). Additionally, (IMO) if your vendor hears that you will not be inspecting incoming parts, human nature says 'go ahead' (similar to speeding, it's technically against the law but the majority of people do it).
I don't know what country you are in, but these are thoughts from the United States. You know the culture of your company, you however, don't know the culture of your vendors company. Even with my negative seeming answers, I firmly believe 95% of employees want to do a good job. You just need something to watch for the 5%.
Doing away with inspections would be awesome. I wish we could get there.
Some suppliers are better than others, but we have yet to find one that never ships bad product. We inspect every input for all characteristics that are critical to our quality. Then we inspect during our processes and we inspect after processing. Occasionally we get a part of a process running so well that we drop some inspections. But, sadly, it is quite rare.
However, you don't need a "formal quality department" to inspect inputs. We try to make quality everyone's job. Your receiving personnel can inspect inputs if you provide them with the documents, tools and training. Similarly, your process personnel can inspect WIP or finished.
Some suppliers are better than others, but we have yet to find one that never ships bad product. We inspect every input for all characteristics that are critical to our quality. Then we inspect during our processes and we inspect after processing. Occasionally we get a part of a process running so well that we drop some inspections. But, sadly, it is quite rare.
However, you don't need a "formal quality department" to inspect inputs. We try to make quality everyone's job. Your receiving personnel can inspect inputs if you provide them with the documents, tools and training. Similarly, your process personnel can inspect WIP or finished.
this is a great response, thank you.
THank you. I don't think we need a specific department either, but often we never get certain parts inspected in time and only find discrepant material during the assembly process. This is something I fight with every day.
Dazzur
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Suppliers will always have defects, it is a fact of life, accept it.
What are your requirements to supplier review/approval? (if any) and what problems are actually arising as of right now as a consequence of poor supplier quality?
you shouldn't be "selling" Quality, it should be something identified & recognised as determinantal to the success of an organisation, it sounds like your company has deep pockets and is not yet affecting their bottom line.
Define "bad" part. Sure it's easy to say "not to print." But for those of us who have been around a while, prints sometimes don't communicate everything. Or they are made for one process and contain physical impossibilities for other processes. We are frequently "retraining" our customer's newer inspection personnel on how their parts need to be checked.
We are dock to stock due to our track record. They will spot check a certain number of receipts.
Yes, and no one should ever steal, or commit adultery, or assault anyone, or drink and drive, or ......
I'll bet your company's customers get a bad part now and then. What do those "people in your organization" think is the cause of that?
Sure, we should all be trying to continually improve and work toward not needing any receiving inspection, and rarely certain companies can do it, and if you can, that's great.
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