Faking Data - Refusing to sign Falsified PPAP Submission package

I have a serious non-conformance problem and I would like to hear what others think. I have a measurement out of specification on a PPAP and I have discovered that it has been out of specification for years. The parts are out of spec., but have been in use for years and the company decided it was best not to tell the customer. New samples will be modified so the unsuspecting technician who is doing the measurement report will get good results without knowing that they are faked.


I have the privilege of signing the PPAP when it is finished.


I will quit my job before I sign faked data. I can probably avoid signing for the data. There are others who would be willing to. But as the head of quality I can't see how I can avoid taking responsibility for somebody else signing a faked measurement report. If anything, I think letting somebody else sign is worse than signing myself. I would be knowingly letting somebody else do my dirty work. I can't see how that is any better.


How would others handle this? The economy is bad and I have a baby on the way, I don't want to be unemployed, but can't see any other way out.


Advice would be much appreciated.

Re: Faking data

All I can say is that if something happens it is going to be your name on that list of co-conspirators in the lawsuit, are you willing to spend the rest of your life behind bars? Even if it isn't something that is going to put you in jail for life, are you willing to go to prison for 10-20 and be fined millions? This is serious stuff and you need to do some serious soul searching. You might want to talk to a lawyer and see what your options are.

Re: Faking data

Is there no way to make these parts to print. If your company is "tweeking" the samples, they must know how to make the parts correctly. It strikes me as insane to ship parts that don't meet the customer's requirements without getting a deviation from him first. Nothing good can come from this.

Re: Faking data

qualityguy70 said:

How would others handle this? The economy is bad and I have a baby on the way, I don't want to be unemployed, but can't see any other way out.

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Is top management aware of the situation? Depending on the severity of the issue, this could bring the whole organization down. Are there safety implications? If so, from a liability perspective, there is much at stake.

The issue is too serious for being avoided being discussed with top management. If they are part of the cover up, you should be doing a lot of research on whistle blower protection.

Dealing with a dilemma such as this can eat you from the inside. Stress can be unbearable, but being part of a cover up which might be putting lives at risk is NEVER the solution. As importantly as being able to support your incoming baby financially, you must be able to leave him/her an ethical legacy.

Re: Faking data

Making the parts to print would be expensive and an even bigger problem is that they may not work as well. We could ask for a drawing change; but the customer may start asking questions and we already have trouble with this customer so sales refuses.


It has been about two weeks since a customer accused us of faking data in a PPAP. As near as I can tell, the root cause has been in retirement for a year or two. This is just cleaning up an old mess.


I will not sign nor can I stand by and let somebody else sign for me. I just don't see any option but sign or quit. Legally, I don't see how I can be forced to sign, but somebody else doing the dirty work is still a strike against my integrity.

Re: Faking data

“No man can purchase his virtue too dear, for it is the only thing whose value must ever increase with the price it has cost us. Our integrity is never worth so much as when we have parted with our all to keep it.” - Ovid

Re: Faking data

Hate to say it, but if your management is allowing this to happen. You more than likely will lose you job. I refused to sign a PPAP due to the part being out of spec. I refused to sign, the plant manager signed. three days later I was let go "for not being a team player and doing what was best for the company".

The following Monday the customer (local) call me at home wanting to know why I sign two PPAPs and did not sign the 3rd. Also why I was no longer with that company. I just told them it was not hard to figure out. :ca: They found out quickly when the parts did not fit.

Just over a year later, headquarters shutdown that plant, it seems the books were cooked also.

Everyone has to make a choice and I made mine and never worried about it. Everything is good.

Greg

Re: Faking data

They can't just fire me; however, my letter of resignation would remove any need to fire me anyways. I'll try to talk things over with the manager involved. He is reasonable and I will have my letter of resignation on me just in case it is needed.


I hate to see this happening to anybody else; but it is reassuring to know that I am not the only one who has faced this. I suspected this day would come.

Re: Faking data

qualityguy70 said:

They can't just fire me; however, my letter of resignation would remove any need to fire me anyways. I'll try to talk things over with the manager involved. He is reasonable and I will have my letter of resignation on me just in case it is needed.


I hate to see this happening to anybody else; but it is reassuring to know that I am not the only one who has faced this. I suspected this day would come.

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If they can't just fire you, I would not sign it and not worry about it. I would love to be in that case. Drawing unemployment can become a bear if you resign and they decide to fight it. I was in a right to work state which means also right to fire for any reason as long it does not have to do with gender, age, religion, etc...

I would strongly suggest you not resigning due to the unemployment issues that MAY!!!!!! arise.

Greg

Re: Faking data

Being fired would mean over a year of being payed more in unemployment than I made in most jobs I have had. Quitting would mean I can get welfare; which I will avoid at all costs. Realisticly, I would expect a new job on the wrong side of the country. Not a good situation with a young wife and baby.


That's the kicker here. I am sure I can avoid signing the PPAP. I just don't see how I can avoid the ethical responsibility of letting somebody in a lower position do my dirty work.


I am not in the US. so firing me would be hard anyways and I don't expect to be that lucky.