Purchase Order Problems? Contract Review Issues - Sheet metal industry

[silentrunning]

Besides the customers blue print, I think the most important document is the purchase order or contract. Why are they written so sloppy? I work in a job shop with approximately 300 active customers. One of my hats is to do the final contract review prior to the job being released to the shop. I see so many errors on customer PO's that I think it's a miracle that we don't have more problems. The biggie is no revision level stated for the part. The second is that there is no contact person or authorization person on the PO. Do others have these problems or is it unique to the sheet metal industry?

[Benjamin28]

Certainly not unique to only your industry. We have the same issue, we handle this by having core required information, if any is not present the job slips into a queue to clarify with the client...if every PO they send they also get a phone call sooner or later they get trained to do it correctly, and they certainly can't complain that we are thorough in ensuring their information and requirements are completely clear. It's a subtle way of saying to the customer "we need you to do this correctly".

[Jim Wynne]

Originally Posted by Benjamin28

Certainly not unique to only your industry. We have the same issue, we handle this by having core required information, if any is not present the job slips into a queue to clarify with the client...if every PO they send they also get a phone call sooner or later they get trained to do it correctly, and they certainly can't complain that we are thorough in ensuring they're information and requirements are completely clear.

Yes, sometimes customers need to be trained. There is a mindset in some job shops that customers should never be required to fix their errors, and I've never understood it. I think having standards and requiring customers to meet them is good.

[RCBeyette]

Originally Posted by silentrunning

Besides the customers blue print, I think the most important document is the purchase order or contract. Why are they written so sloppy? I work in a job shop with approximately 300 active customers. One of my hats is to do the final contract review prior to the job being released to the shop. I see so many errors on customer PO's that I think it's a miracle that we don't have more problems. The biggie is no revision level stated for the part. The second is that there is no contact person or authorization person on the PO. Do others have these problems or is it unique to the sheet metal industry?

The issue of how customer requirements become clear inputs into the manufacturing/production process is not unique to your industry or organization, silentrunning. Whether that gives you some degree of comfort or not, I can not say.

Who ever is placing or taking these orders should have the process of "proper and effective order taken" reinstilled....aka competency area. After all, if no one tells them there is a problem and provides a solution, how can the people involved become better?

[Ted Schmitt]

And I thought it only happened here.... haha...

The worst part is that you get by the customer when you ask or question his PO or drawing...

[Wes Bucey]

Originally Posted by tedschmitt

And I thought it only happened here.... haha...

The worst part is that you get by the customer when you ask or question his PO or drawing...

Yep - often a customer gets defensive and thus becomes offensive when you point out his errors and shortcomings. The only solution is to find a tactful way to make clear to the customer that your primary concern is getting his order right and that you want to eliminate any possibility for error which could delay his production.

To paraphrase Kermit the Frog - "It isn't easy [being green.]" (or being tactful to a customer who expects you to read his mind.)

[ralphsulser]

I think this is one reason there are sales reps. These are the customer contacts and their responsibility also includes clarifying what the customer wants and needs, which may be different. Companies need to know their key customers and make sure the communication lines are open and regularly contacted. I have worked in companies that had 100s of customers, but only about 16 were key accounts. Key account meaning over a million $ a year in sales. The contacts also may need communications by operations people too.
As a quality manager, I had to make sure we understood what the definition of the real quality requirements. These were industrial and commercial customers who do not have mountains of requirements like automotive and transportation companies.