Interpretation of Customer Specific Requirements of Continental - Records Retention

Debate about the retention period of Records.

This is the Customer Specific Requirements of Continental. Kindly interpret what does it mean.
"The Supplier shall be obligated to document and maintain Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) documentation, annual layout and validation records, tooling records, traceability records, engineering records, corrective action records, quality performance records and inspection and test results. in minimum the listed documents shall be archived over at least 15 years after Continental production has been terminated and tooling scrap authorization has been granted. Records shall be available to Continental upon request. The above periods are considered "minimum". All retention times shall meet or exceed the above requirements and any governmental requirements."

I undertand that counting of 15 years is after the transaction of continental to us, been terminated.

Re: Interpretation for the Records Retention

Hi!

Counting starts after production is stopped, tooling scrapping decision is made with approval from Continental.



Thanks,
Amit

Re: Interpretation of Customer Specific Requirements of Continental - Records Retenti

Totally agree with Amit

15yr clock starts:

BottledWater said:

after Continental production has been terminated and tooling scrap authorization has been granted.

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Not your production for Continental, but Continental's production...AND when they have signed off to scrap the tooling (which always comes later, and has a date by the signature).

Digitize the records, store them on a RAID5 drive. Cheap, easy, no space wasted.

Re: Interpretation of Customer Specific Requirements of Continental - Records Retenti

Please remember that a contract is a two ways street and it is within you business rights to counter this requirement based on your needs also. In this case you could counter with 15 year retention after last order placed for procured part number.

Re: Interpretation of Customer Specific Requirements of Continental - Records Retenti

IMO, storage is so cheap and easy these days...it can cost more to negotiate than to just say "yes".

Re: Interpretation of Customer Specific Requirements of Continental - Records Retenti

Ninja said:

IMO, storage is so cheap and easy these days...it can cost more to negotiate than to just say "yes".

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In essence this relates not to storage costs but the cost of managing the stored items and being able to retrieve the data in the future. Remember Microfiche and 5 ½ floppies? We are in business to protect our companies by negotiating contacts fairly to the benefit of both parties.

Re: Interpretation of Customer Specific Requirements of Continental - Records Retenti

Understood.
I'm in business to make money. That's why I suggested what I did. It's only one way to skin the cat, there are countless others including negotiating revised requirements.