Approved Supplier List - Customer Approved Suppliers

I've recently been hired by a small aerospace machine shop to transition their QMS from ISO9001:2008 to AS9100 RevC. They are 3rd party registered to ISO. Their current Quality Procedure for approved suppliers states that if a supplier is customer approved (not just customer delegated), they have no approval requirements, and the supplier is not added to their ASL. A third party registrar approved this system.
I understand the standard to mean that Approved Suppliers are the suppliers this company uses, regardless of who else approves them. Most of our suppliers are approved by some of the larger aerospace companies. Does that really eliminate the need for us to have them on our ASL, and do anything more than verify product conformity of what we purchase? I've never seen this interpretation of the standard, and am meeting resistance to change current policy. Any feedback that would be helpful.........

Re: Approved Supplier List

I would expect to see the supplier added to the ASL regardless as the ASL is to be used internally to designate what types of product may be purchased from a given approved supplier. If they are not on the list, how will you know that they are an approved supplier and how will you know the “scope of the approval” and what you can purchase from them?

Re: Approved Supplier List

lorider said:

I've recently been hired by a small aerospace machine shop to transition their QMS from ISO9001:2008 to AS9100 RevC. They are 3rd party registered to ISO. Their current Quality Procedure for approved suppliers states that if a supplier is customer approved (not just customer delegated), they have no approval requirements, and the supplier is not added to their ASL. A third party registrar approved this system.
I understand the standard to mean that Approved Suppliers are the suppliers this company uses, regardless of who else approves them. Most of our suppliers are approved by some of the larger aerospace companies. Does that really eliminate the need for us to have them on our ASL, and do anything more than verify product conformity of what we purchase? I've never seen this interpretation of the standard, and am meeting resistance to change current policy. Any feedback that would be helpful.........

Click to expand...

How would your organization know if a customer has disapproved a supplier and they are no longer in their ASL? Do you have a process to check the status of the suppliers, via the customer's ASL's?
I can tell you that my expectation (based on AS9100 B or C) would be for your organization to maintain your own ASL, with scope of approval, etc.

Re: Approved Supplier List

Page 21 of AS9100C

"The organization (your company) shall
a.) Maintain a register of its suppliers that includes approval status... and scope of approval."

I think that says it all.

Re: Approved Supplier List

All good responses, and all were part of my original argument for the procedure change. It's good to hear that I'm on the right track, and will just have to continue to encourage the change. The resistance is based on keeping the system simple, but I don't believe this is an area open for interpetation.
thanks for your feedback

Re: Approved Supplier List

In their defense, the organization isn't certified to AS9100 now, and ISO 9001 has no requirement for an approved supplier list at all. ISO 9001 does require records of evaluation of suppliers against established criteria though.

When your QMS is certified to AS9100, they must be on the approved supplier list (register). Game over.

Hello,

I fully agree to my senior friends in their opinion for supplier approval and would like to draw attention to AS9100 B clause 7.4.3.The clause states "Verification by the customer shall not be used by the organization as evidence of effective control of quality by the supplier and shall not absolve the organization of the responsibility to provide acceptable product, nor shall it preclude subsequent rejection by the customer. "

So, forget about customer approval,even if the product is verified by customer,still you are responsible for the product.

Again,if you see clause 7.4.1,it states "The organization shall be responsible for the quality of all products purchased from suppliers, including customer-designated sources. "

So finally you are responsible for purchased products and through approval process you are selecting and implementing controls on your supplier.Also, note that the customer sometimes gives a list for approved suppliers and it is the organisation's responsibility to select it's supplier from the list.

These can also be a point for your arguement to convince your colleagues that the organisation need to implement supplier approval process,even for customer approved suppliers.Hope,you could manage your colleagues by this time with the inputs from my senior friends.

You have strongest army for your support from the forum,if you have right cause.Sure,you will get better weapons now to fight.I am confident of your success.

GOAL!! Thank you all for your input. I printed out your replys and gave them to the Quality Manager here. I can move on to the next task now. I felt a little like Bill Clinton trying to define the word "it's" (maintain a register of "it's" suppliers...)!
Since I'm new to this shop, it may take a few of these discussion before they have confidence that I'm knowledgeable in the standards. (Even tho that's the reason they hired me). I hope you don't mind if I use your expertise for back up every now and then.
Again, thanks. I'll be back.

Lori

Thanks for letting us know what the results were.

Feel free to "use us" frequently - and stick around and help others too.

lorider said:

I've recently been hired by a small aerospace machine shop to transition their QMS from ISO9001:2008 to AS9100 RevC. They are 3rd party registered to ISO. Their current Quality Procedure for approved suppliers states that if a supplier is customer approved (not just customer delegated), they have no approval requirements, and the supplier is not added to their ASL. A third party registrar approved this system.
I understand the standard to mean that Approved Suppliers are the suppliers this company uses, regardless of who else approves them. Most of our suppliers are approved by some of the larger aerospace companies. Does that really eliminate the need for us to have them on our ASL, and do anything more than verify product conformity of what we purchase? I've never seen this interpretation of the standard, and am meeting resistance to change current policy. Any feedback that would be helpful.........

Click to expand...

If a non QMS certified supplier is approved by 'X' customer he doesnot automatically be qualified to supply all customers' needs.He is approved for only one customer.But he may be listed in your ASL with a qualification "Approved for 'X' customer only".
V.J.Brahmaiah