Hello,

I'm in the process of updating procedures prior to certification and would appreciate input regarding the following contract review procedure. The goal is simple, but is this too generic? - thanks in advance.

1. New Tooling, Repeat Tooling, Production Orders
1.1 A customer Request for Quotation (RFQ) may be addressed by any of the following staff members. This includes initial quotes and amendments.


· Technical Director
· Production Managers
· Sales
· Chief Financial Officer


· Design
· Technical Staff members
· Project Manager


1.2 Quotations are forwarded to the customer after their requirements have been defined, product requirements have been reviewed.
1.3 Quotations and responses to additional inquiries are recorded and maintained.
1.3.1 Verbal commitments are not acceptable.
1.4 Written customer commitments (contracts / purchase orders) are compared against quotations to ensure they include clearly defined requirements that "ABC co" is able to meet. Any resulting action is recorded and maintained.
1.4.1 If an amendment is required, applicable documents are updated, reviewed and departments are advised as necessary.
1.5 If the written customer commitment is acceptable, departments are advised as necessary.

Why don't you treat it as a process? Instead of a written procedure map it as a process and take a look at the steps you have to go through, what inputs and outputs are actually necessary etc.

BTW - I do this kind of thing every day.....and your procedure doesn't lead me to suspect that you'd get the same results if you asked the different people identified as 'responsible'......and, if there's a chance there's a different story from each, then this is insufficient information!

I do need to review the final draft with those that complete these tasks, look into the details a bit further, and decide if we need a work instruction w/ inputs and outputs.

I don't want to be so detailed that the procedure requires frequent updates or is not correct because minor changes are not communicated.

I'm coming off a project with extremely detailed / cumbersome procedures and trying to hopefully learn from the experience.

Thanks for the advice.:thanks:

Hello,

I'm in the process of updating procedures prior to certification and would appreciate input regarding the following contract review procedure. The goal is simple, but is this too generic? - thanks in advance.

1.New Tooling, Repeat Tooling, Production Orders
1.1A customer Request for Quotation (RFQ) may be addressed by any of the following staff members. This includes initial quotes and amendments.


·Technical Director
·Production Managers
·Sales
·Chief Financial Officer


·Design
·Technical Staff members
·Project Manager


1.2Quotations are forwarded to the customer after their requirements have been defined, product requirements have been reviewed.
1.3Quotations and responses to additional inquiries are recorded and maintained.
1.3.1Verbal commitments are not acceptable.
1.4Written customer commitments (contracts / purchase orders) are compared against quotations to ensure they include clearly defined requirements that "ABC co" is able to meet. Any resulting action is recorded and maintained.
1.4.1If an amendment is required, applicable documents are updated, reviewed and departments are advised as necessary.
1.5If the written customer commitment is acceptable, departments are advised as necessary.

Following on Andy's point, are you saying that quotations can be reviewed and approved by just the sales department (for example) with no other input? How would sales verify production capability, or that the required measuring/test equipment is available or accounted for in the quotation (your 1.4)? Your 1.3 deals with records; where are they maintained, and for how long?

There is often a fine line between sufficiency and over-complication, but it looks like you've left too many holes that people can crawl through.

I do need to review the final draft with those that complete these tasks, look into the details a bit further, and decide if we need a work instruction w/ inputs and outputs.

I don't want to be so detailed that the procedure requires frequent updates or is not correct because minor changes are not communicated.

I'm coming off a project with extremely detailed / cumbersome procedures and trying to hopefully learn from the experience.

Thanks for the advice.:thanks:

Noooo.....not a work instruction! Why add to the bureacracy? Just ensure this has the correct level of detail.....which shouldn't create more changes etc as you describe. If it does, I'd suggest you have another issue, than the amount of 'detail' which is the root cause.....

Ok - very good points, will re-visit and address holes.

Regarding records,
Quotes are retained by the person who issued them, which is dependent upon their knowledge of the product and customer relationship.
PO's are retained by production control who should also have a copy of the quote for review.
Record retention is addressed in the Control of Records procedure, which is currently referenced at the end of all procedures.

(all records will be maintained and archived according to control of records).

I thought the reference was a bit redundant and wanted to take it out, but maybe it's necessary.