kcmomde
5th May 2007, 10:10 PM
Need some advice regarding our Design Control & New Product Release Process. Our company is a fairly new one - only 5 years old and it started out as an engineering design services firm but has evolved into more areas. Let me explain - we provide the following services:
Design and Consulting - clients contract with us to design or to help them to design something.
Design and Manufacturing - clients contract with us to design or help them to design something and then we manufacture it.
Manufacturing Service - clients contract with us to manufacture their design.
Also, recently I found out that one of our clients that we helped with their design now wants to manufacture it, but they will do the manufacturing but would like us to use our procurement process to get quotes for their parts and I think place orders for them.
The problem is that our process documentation basically states the we do product development/design control a certain way and we do it that way every time, but we don't. The reason we don't is because the way we process an ECO for new product release, for example, is going to be different for each of these types of services.
When we do just design for our client those parts never get entered into our MRP/ERP system, and life is good, but if we design & manufacture those parts do get into our MRP/ERP system and drive demand with results in procurement of those parts based on the production schedule. Of course, all of these parts or assemblies require assembly drawings, schematics, specs, bill of materials, etc. For manufacturing services only, we release the parts, but their is no design control, but we do ECO's based on changes the client has made to the design, and parts go into the MRP/ERP system so we can purchase the parts. But now that we have started the new design & procurement service I was told that when the parts are released they only require an assembly drawing, no bill of materials, no schematics, etc. but they will need to be entered into our MRP/ERP system in order for purchasing to get quotes and purchase the parts.
I've already told upper management that in cases like this we can't just decide not to follow what we have documented in our process procedures. It seems that our process is different for every project, but instead of trying to make the process conform to the documentation, I told upper management that we need to document it better. Question is do I create a different set of process documents for each type of these services or do I incorporate the different ways we do it into one procedure? In other words, do I have one design control/product release procedure that states how we do it for each of these different services or do I create 3 or 4 different design control/product release procedures, one for each of these services?
Thanks in advance for any guidance on this.
Kym
Design and Consulting - clients contract with us to design or to help them to design something.
Design and Manufacturing - clients contract with us to design or help them to design something and then we manufacture it.
Manufacturing Service - clients contract with us to manufacture their design.
Also, recently I found out that one of our clients that we helped with their design now wants to manufacture it, but they will do the manufacturing but would like us to use our procurement process to get quotes for their parts and I think place orders for them.
The problem is that our process documentation basically states the we do product development/design control a certain way and we do it that way every time, but we don't. The reason we don't is because the way we process an ECO for new product release, for example, is going to be different for each of these types of services.
When we do just design for our client those parts never get entered into our MRP/ERP system, and life is good, but if we design & manufacture those parts do get into our MRP/ERP system and drive demand with results in procurement of those parts based on the production schedule. Of course, all of these parts or assemblies require assembly drawings, schematics, specs, bill of materials, etc. For manufacturing services only, we release the parts, but their is no design control, but we do ECO's based on changes the client has made to the design, and parts go into the MRP/ERP system so we can purchase the parts. But now that we have started the new design & procurement service I was told that when the parts are released they only require an assembly drawing, no bill of materials, no schematics, etc. but they will need to be entered into our MRP/ERP system in order for purchasing to get quotes and purchase the parts.
I've already told upper management that in cases like this we can't just decide not to follow what we have documented in our process procedures. It seems that our process is different for every project, but instead of trying to make the process conform to the documentation, I told upper management that we need to document it better. Question is do I create a different set of process documents for each type of these services or do I incorporate the different ways we do it into one procedure? In other words, do I have one design control/product release procedure that states how we do it for each of these different services or do I create 3 or 4 different design control/product release procedures, one for each of these services?
Thanks in advance for any guidance on this.
Kym
