Yaaaaah!!! We just received a letter from Ford Purchasing requiring Q1 achievement by the end of the year! The list of four requirements, exactly as provided by Ford:

1. ISO 9000 registration
2. QS-9000 and TE supplement
3. QOS Implementation
4. Endorsement from key customers at Ford

Items 1, 3 and 4 are clear, but item 2 is not. Does anyone out there know what this item includes? I have received conflicting answers from my Ford sources, my consultant and my registrar. I have an old (1998) Q1 petition package list that contains the following bullet:

Copy of the latest 3rd party auditor's summary and recommendations sheet with comments on QOS, R&M and Equipment Proveout complying to the Ford requirements.

At this point, I can't advise my company whether or not we can make the deadline until I know what we're signing up for.

QS-9000 TE Supplement is an extension of the ISO-9000 requirements. The actual requirements can be ordered from the Automotive Industry Action Group(AIAG) www.aiag.org, (http://www.aiag.org,) 248-358-3003. You'll need QS-9000 3rd Edition and the Tooling & Equipment(TE) Supplement 2nd Edition along with the five associated manuals. You're in for a lot of work. Good luck.

I'm confused. You are saying they want all four? Or 1 of the four? If you do 2, you have 1 automatically.

If you do 2 you also have 3 automatically. Ford's QOS (Quality Operating System) is really mostly a data thing. Analysis and use of company level data pretty much covers it. QOS requires you to:

Identify Customers and their expectations
Identify Key processes
Select Measurables
Track Measurables
Predict downstream performance

and adds:

Constant employee awareness
Continual process improvement

If you have QS9000 you can demonstrate QOS within.

Ah! I forgot the TE part. What is your business? High production? Tooling? Need more info.

Before I started working at this TE company they had tried unsuccessfully for a few years to get Q1. For a variety of reasons they came close but just couldn't seem to make it.Basically they gave up. Enter me.They got serious and gave me a blank check both in terms of management support and budget. We got QS 9000 with TE compliance. Now its back to Q1. My question is: we have the old "evidence book" with 10 sections full of data on all aspects of the business. I think it is the old method of petitioning for Q1. A few people have told me that if we have QS 9000 and TE compliance with a good concentration on R&M and continuous improvement and are a preferred vendor, we should be all set.Does this make sense? Ford is predictably vague. The STA for TE suppliers no longer exists.

Michael

As I understand it that should be all you need - QS9000 and the TE Supplement.