We have a bit of a dilemma regarding direct sale items that are drop-shipped directly from our qualified supplier (not ISO certified) to our customer. We never see the items before delivery to the customer, and therefore cannot perform a receipt inspection in accordance with our quality program. Assuming that we revise our program and state clearly in our documentation our method of performing verification of purchased product, can we allow our customer to perform the receipt inspection and then provide an avenue for communication from the customer back to us regarding the adequacy of the delivered product? Thanks.

I guess I can't cite a "shall" cause there ain't one that prohibits your scheme, at least not expressly. However, it seems to me that you have a "control of outsourced processes" issue tangled up in here. What controls have you required of this supplier in order to affect "product conformity to requirements" (4.1)? Subcontracting the inspection function to your customer seems like quite a stretch (control of non-conforming, CA / PA issues, etc.). What does everyone else think about this? :confused:

Dave,

We have a similar situation that I run into here and what I insist on is that our supplier provide us with a certificate of conformance before the final customer receives the drop shipped product. If nothing else, it puts your supplier on notice that you are monitoring the situation. If something is wrong, your customer will blame you not your supplier so you have every right to expect some time of document from them to verifiy they did some sort of test or inspection to verify conformity.

Hope that helps

We have a bit of a dilemma regarding direct sale items that are drop-shipped directly from our qualified supplier (not ISO certified) to our customer. We never see the items before delivery to the customer...
Are you a manufacturer subcontracting work with drawings and specs - or are you a distributor/middleman of some kind of raw material or standard catalog items?

I guess I can't cite a "shall" cause there ain't one that prohibits your scheme, at least not expressly. However, it seems to me that you have a "control of outsourced processes" issue tangled up in here. What controls have you required of this supplier in order to affect "product conformity to requirements" (4.1)? Subcontracting the inspection function to your customer seems like quite a stretch (control of non-conforming, CA / PA issues, etc.). What does everyone else think about this? :confused:
Fuzzy:

Good question regarding outsourcing and conformity with requirements. The products that we are purchasing from our supplier and reselling to our customer are standard catalog products. Our ISO registrar has never viewed this type of an arrangement as an "outsource." If this arrangement were to be considered an outsource, we are controlling this "outsource" through our purchasing program (see last sentence of ISO 4.1). The suppliers providing the products to us are formally evaluated by us and placed on our Authorized Vendor List prior to us using them.

Are you a manufacturer subcontracting work with drawings and specs - or are you a distributor/middleman of some kind of raw material or standard catalog items?
Cari:

We would be considered the middleman, and these are standard catalog items.

The products that we are purchasing from our supplier and reselling to our customer are standard catalog products.
Then I think your original thought about providing an avenue for your customer to communicate is fine. I'm the buyer of catalog items here at my job - if I get something drop shipped direct and am not happy for some reason - I still contact my vendor.

I had a similar situation while trying to maintain an AS9100 system at an aircraft parts supplier. We could only dropship from "designated verifiers", that is, companies who could verify product quality using a quality system that was acceptable to us. We used much stricter criteria to approve such companies, far stricter than approving a regular vendor.

I had a similar situation while trying to maintain an AS9100 system at an aircraft parts supplier. We could only dropship from "designated verifiers", that is, companies who could verify product quality using a quality system that was acceptable to us. We used much stricter criteria to approve such companies, far stricter than approving a regular vendor.For Aerospace parts, you should consider two Aerospace Recommended Practices:

ARP9004 (http://www.sae.org/servlets/productDetail?PROD_TYP=STD&PROD_CD=ARP9004) - Title: Direct Ship - Recommended Practices for Aerospace Companies

and

ARP9107 (http://www.sae.org/servlets/productDetail?PROD_TYP=STD&PROD_CD=ARP9107) - Title: Direct Delivery Authorization Guidance for Aerospace Companies