Compliance with Customer Requirements - TS 16949:2009 Requirements

[dubrizo]

Hi all,

My organization is currently going through a Surveillance Audit and the auditor is really doing a deep dive into one of our customer's Supplier Requirements Manual.

My question is this: Does TS 16949:2009 state anywhere that customer requirements are to be strictly adhered to? I know the new rev speaks to integration of customer requirements into the QMS, but is there anything in the 2009 standard that stipulates such?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Sidney Vianna]

My question is this: Does TS 16949:2009 state anywhere that customer requirements are to be strictly adhered to?

it states that in so many places, I am surprised you ask the question. For example in 5.2, it blatantly states: "...Top management shall ensure that customer requirements are determined and are met with the aim of enhancing customer satisfaction..."

If you don't plan to strictly adhere and deliver on any customer requirement, that should have been discussed and agreed upon with the customer, before the order was accepted.

 

[Marc]

Sidney is correct. I'll just add that meeting all customer requirements in every company/industry is required, not just a TS 16949 requirement, unless specifically otherwise stated.

Understanding your customer's Supplier Requirements Manual is essential and also should have been evaluated/understood prior to acceptance of an order/contract. Any deviation or exclusion of customer requirements should be documented and agreed to prior to contract acceptance.

 

[Golfman25]

It's become a real point of emphasis. I have always argued that it should be published quality requirements which change the standard in some way -- similar to what the big three have published. The problem is boilerplate customer manuals. A lot of what they say they want, they don't really want. You'll generally know when they want something. We had an auditor tell us we had to use an electronic apqp system because the supplier manual said so. Problem was that in order to use it the customer had to give us authorization, which they didn't do. They can be a million gotchas in those things.

 

[dubrizo]

We had an auditor tell us we had to use an electronic apqp system because the supplier manual said so. Problem was that in order to use it the customer had to give us authorization, which they didn't do. They can be a million gotchas in those things.

This is essentially what I'm running into during the audit. While my organization has a general plan to reduce defects which make it to the customer, one of our customers stipulates a "glide path", which the auditor is saying must be separate from the plan which is already in place for our entire customer base.