Looking for some advice.

What is the best way to notify suppliers that a document/drawing has changed? If anyone has an example please post. I'm at a lost on the proper way to do it i.e send them a ECN or a change amendment in the contract.

Any advice will help.


Thanks,

Al

Looking for some advice.

What is the best way to notify suppliers that a document/drawing has changed? If anyone has an example please post. I'm at a lost on the proper way to do it i.e send them a ECN or a change amendment in the contract.

Any advice will help.


Thanks,

Al

In my opinion, amend the Purchase Order and provide a copy of the changed document.

"Dear Supplier, this document has changed" ..............

Thanks Randy, as usually straight and to the point.

:thanx:

i.e send them a ECN or a change amendment in the contract.

We send a change notice with a copy of the new revision of the document. Some of our customers do the same but some send an ammended contract.

It depends totally on the document and to some degree the customer.

Usually we would send some form of ECR, but often it is simply an email with the document attached that has changed. Obviously clearly stating the change!

Thanks Randy, as usually straight and to the point.

:thanx:

Sometimes the simplest is also the best and easiest

:thanks:

"Dear Supplier, this document has changed" ..............


That's what I'm talkin' about!

Don't forget to ask for acknowledgement, especially if the supplier is to STOP making and shipping product to the old version and start on the new.

Also, the change notice should say what to do with finished goods - ship, scrap, modify?

What provision for price change? setup and changeover charge? confirmation of destruction of obsolete material?

Are all inspectors notified and given new documents to avoid error? do they need new instruments? techniques? training?

All this comes under the blanket process of configuration management.

"Dear Supplier, this document has changed" ..............

Randy, this is the probably the best answer I have ever seen. I enjoy reading your responses.

Probably the easiest way for sending new revisions of documents to the vendor is attaching a copy of document to the order.
Our Purchase departement usually follow this way.
Anyway, in addition, all technical documents addressed to the vendor are controlled like our quality system documents. For our Q.S. documents the controlled distribution is managed from quality assurance office that has a list of all documents and destinations so that when a new edition of controlled documents is issued the quality assurance office send a copy by mail to all internal and external destinations (vendors included).

For many years we asked to send back an acceptance feedback. Now we only advise the vendor that if we haven't feedbacks the technical documents are considered accepted
:bigwave:

Hi Al,

First of all u have to ensure that original procedure mentions that the active suppliers will have to be notified when there are ecn's. When the new specs are ready, u send notice to all suppliers to return the old specs first because u will be sending in the new specs. Only when they return u give them the new specs, and u must make sure u update the issue/retrival logbook for traceability and records purposes.
Having done all that, u have to ensure u do a physical audit either by yourself or through an third party auditor ( for overseas supplier) to ensure they are religiously using the new docs. This is because some suppliers and even organisations have the habit of using xerox copies of the specs as reference to do their work! because they normally do not spend resources on the doc con system.
Joy to U....

I ask for that the old docs be returned or confirmed destroyed.Once sent new prints to a suppier with revisions and 6 months later recieved parts run at the old revision.Come to find out the supplier dropped the new print in the job folder without removing old rev print.:bonk:

Kinda off topic..

A couple of months ago we received an order from one of our customers for a part that we haven’t built for them in about 3 years or so; it was superseded by another part (their design/their revision). We called and told the individual about her mistake and she refused to listen saying that she orders what the computer tells her to order! Today we received a call from one of the engineers there asking if we could “rework” the parts. :biglaugh:

Not much of a story really, just thought I would share; kind of funny….sort of. :cool:

Thanks for all the input, I'll look into developing a Supplier notice for ECN's and asking for a response back that documents have been removed and new documents put into place. Where would be the best place to tie this process too "Document and Data Control"?.

Thanks again,

Al