Capturing Issues of Devices Past Lifetime

[Mark Meer]

Seeking some input/suggestions on how to incorporate data regarding product issues discovered outside the specified lifetime.

Up until now, we've been rolling these into our non-conforming product process, and issuing an NCR when these are reported. This way, data about the kinds of failures that the devices experience long-term are still recorded.

Strictly speaking, however, would these still be considered non-conformances. If the requirement is, for example, that "all moving parts last two years of use", and a device is reported to have a moving part failure after 3 years in the field, this is not technically a non-conformance, no?

Nevertheless, we'd like to still collect this data, and the NC process is a convenient way to do so (as all the data is the same). The problem is that, by documenting these as NCRs, our NC numbers no longer accurately reflect the number of units ACTUALLY failing to meet specified requirements.

Curious to know how others gather such data? Do you handle such cases as non-conformances, or do have a separate process?

 

[Ninja]

FWIW...I would likely open up a new category...something like "non-NCR reports".

If it weren't worth capturing, you'd already be ignoring it...
but lighting up this new category would keep your NCR stats intact and useful.

HTH

 

[Mark Meer]

FWIW...I would likely open up a new category...something like "non-NCR reports".

Yes, we'll probably end up doing this, even though the data will be identical as though they were NCR:

- They almost always stem from a customer complaint
- Disposition decision is recorded (often returned for servicing, or customer is informed they can continue to use as-is until failure).
- When serviced we log the source of failure (is it a particular part failure? is there evidence the unit was misused/mishandled?).

...exact same steps/documentation we'd do were the unit actually non-conforming.

Ah well, the change may be as simple as adding a "non-NCR" checkbox to our current NCR forms. Was just curious how others handled/documented similar scenarios...

 

[somashekar]

Yes, we'll probably end up doing this, even though the data will be identical as though they were NCR:

- They almost always stem from a customer complaint
- Disposition decision is recorded (often returned for servicing, or customer is informed they can continue to use as-is until failure).
- When serviced we log the source of failure (is it a particular part failure? is there evidence the unit was misused/mishandled?).

...exact same steps/documentation we'd do were the unit actually non-conforming.

Ah well, the change may be as simple as adding a "non-NCR" checkbox to our current NCR forms. Was just curious how others handled/documented similar scenarios...

... An opportunity here to exchange for a new upgraded model (If you have one introduced) at an attractive cost Vs repair servicing.
You retain customer and be able to handle the disposal part more scientifcally...