This is an exact quote from our Registrar
- SUPPLIERS: Suppliers are defined as providers of: a) production
materials, b) production or service parts, or c) heat treating, plating, painting or other finishing services., directly to Chrysler, Ford, General Motors or other customers subscribing to this document. See SITE.
- SUBCONTRACTOR: Subcontractors are defined as providers of production materials, or production or service parts, directly to a SUPPLIER to Chrysler, Ford, General Motors or other customers subscribing to this document. Also included are providers of heat treating, painting, plating or other finishing services. See SITE.
- SITE: Site is defined as a SUPPLIER OR SUBCONTRACTOR location at which value-added production processes occur. "Site" also includes distributors of parts manufactured by other companies.
A SUPPLIER is often referred to as TIER 1 and a SUBCONTRACTOR is often referred to as TIER 2. A TIER 1 SUPPLIER provides products, materials or manufacturing services directly to Ford, GM, Chrysler or those customers listed on page 79 of QS9000 3rd Edition. These CUSTOMERS are often referred to as an OEM. A TIER 2 SUBCONTRACTOR provides products, materials or
manufacturing services to SUPPLIERS.
The reference to SUBCONTRACTORS in the sanctioned interpretation for SUBCONTRACTOR DEVELOPMENT only refers to TIER 2 sites WITHIN the aforementioned customer or OEM's supply chain.
EXAMPLE: A Tier 1 supplier named ACME Widget Company, which provides fiberglass molded parts to Navistar, a customer subscribing to QS9000, must develop their subcontractors (Tier 2 companies) as described in the Sanction Interpretation C9. A QS9000 certified provider of the raw fiberglass to ACME Widget Co., which would be considered a TIER 2 in the supply chain,
does NOT have to develop their subcontractors as described in Sanctioned Interpretation C9.
When another Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) not listed on page 79 of QS-9000 and not GM, Chrysler or Ford, requires their suppliers to obtain and maintain QS-9000, this sanctioned interpretation does NOT apply.
Whether Suppliers (Tier 1) elect to have their Subcontractors (Tier 2) certified, assessed periodically by an OEM customer-approved second party or 3rd party registrar or assessed by the OEM is up to that supplier. When a QS-9000 certified SUPPLIER (TIER 1) elects to "qualify" their SUBCONTRACTORS on their own, they must obtain WRITTEN Approval from ALL the customers or
OEMs affected by that SUBCONTRACTOR'S product, material or service. In ALL cases the requirements on the SUPPLIER and the SUBCONTRACTORS must be met by
December 31, 2002.
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I have confirmed this with them in two seperate communications.
Dave