We just completed our re-certification audit to TS16949. During our audit we were written up because none of the trucking companies we use are on our Approved Supplier List. We were told by our purchasing group that Trucking Companies, Tool and Die Companys etc did not have to be on an approved Supplier list because they are service and we did not have to include them. Now, some would think that this would have been written against 7.4.1 Purchasing Process but, it actually was written against 4.1
a) Identify the processes needed for the quality management system and their application throughout the organization (see 1.2).
b) Determine the sequence and interaction of these processes.
c) Determine criteria and methods needed to ensure that …..these processes are effective.

Can anyone tell me if they have run into this problem? If you include Service on an approved supplier List and how you address this. I appreciate any and all your help.

Thanks

We were told by our purchasing group that Trucking Companies, Tool and Die Companys etc did not have to be on an approved Supplier list because they are service and we did not have to include them.

Welcome, Billie, we are happy to see you here!:bigwave:

If you would not have to approve vendors of services, then I guess you would never have to approve the people that provide calibration services? OK, I agree that was kind of blunt, but that excuse is about as lame as most of the ones I use to justify going off my diet. I am having a diet coke, therefore the triple fudge cake calories don't count.

If your deliver relies on a trucking company, then they are a supplier. They definitely can and do impact customer satisfaction (on time delivery) and can impact product quality (shipping instructions say tarp load, load isn't tarped, rain ruins entire load). Same thing with tool and die companies, you get bad dies, the product is damaged.

As for how it was written up, I don't quite get it. You should clarify what the auditor is pointing out as the nonconformance, as that doesn't really sound like supplier assessment to me.:confused:

FWIW, our customers specify their carriers, and we ship FOB our dock. We still maintain an approved truck line list in case our customers ask. Why? Because when there is a problem with delivery, condition of shipment, etc., we often get the grief.

This is a situation where, sure, the standard says________ , but why not look at what makes sense for the company's interests as well?

same here kind of. Everything is FOB plant. but we still do assess the trucking companies, after all, why would we want our material shipped by a line that the customer will have problems with.

We just completed our re-certification audit to TS16949. During our audit we were written up because none of the trucking companies we use are on our Approved Supplier List. We were told by our purchasing group that Trucking Companies, Tool and Die Companys etc did not have to be on an approved Supplier list because they are service and we did not have to include them. Now, some would think that this would have been written against 7.4.1 Purchasing Process but, it actually was written against 4.1
a) Identify the processes needed for the quality management system and their application throughout the organization (see 1.2).
b) Determine the sequence and interaction of these processes.
c) Determine criteria and methods needed to ensure that …..these processes are effective.

Can anyone tell me if they have run into this problem? If you include Service on an approved supplier List and how you address this. I appreciate any and all your help.

Thanks

Note 1 in TS (cl 7.4.1) widens the net a little more than QS did.

NOTE 1 Purchased products above include all products and services that affect customer requirements such as subassembly, sequencing, sorting, rework and calibration services.

I think the intent is pretty clear, and the NC may be appropriate.

If you can, will you please provide the exact wording of the nonconformity?

Are you being written up for not fulfilling requirements that your organization has imposed on itself? Or are you being written up for not meeting a specific requirement of TS 16949?

Also, you may want to review the many discussions threads related to 7.4.1 and especially 7.4.1.2.

Regards,

Dirk