AS9100 Approved Supplier List (ASL) Requirements

[sideoiler]

We recently finished our AS9100 re-cert audit and got sited for ordering from a supplier that was not on our ASL. My question is, what is the requirement for approving suppliers who's product / service has nothing to do with the finished part. The one that we got nailed for was MSC, which I was under the assumption that approval was not need based on the nature of services provided. I can understand companies like McMaster Carr and Grainger, because they also supply material and fasteners on top of shop supplies.
Any insight on this matter is greatly appreciated!

Regards,

Chris

 

[Big Jim]

The need is not simply how it effects product, but how it effects your quality management system.

 

[sideoiler]

The need is not simply how it effects product, but how it effects your quality management system.

So playing devils advocate, are you implying that a supplier and mundane and insignificant such as Costco or Sams Club who provide us with the most basic shop supplies, need to be approved?
My interpretation was basically a .750 end-mill is a .750 end-mill, and if its in the correct packaging / material / length per your purchase order, what is there to validate?
I guess Im not understanding how quality comes into play for suppliers of this nature?

 

[Golfman25]

Actually I think you need to be careful with distributors. They sell the "name brands." And that, the brand, is what you want to qualify if necessary, IMO. If you use a Komet (or other brand) tool bit, who cares if you buy from Granger, Costco, or Bob down the street.

In your case, depending on your machining process and products it is a long stretch to worry about generic end mills from a supply house. Good luck.

 

[PaulJSmith]

My interpretation was basically a .750 end-mill is a .750 end-mill, and if its in the correct packaging / material / length per your purchase order, what is there to validate?
I guess Im not understanding how quality comes into play for suppliers of this nature?

So, you're suggesting that an end-mill of inferior quality would not affect the quality of your product?
Do these tools from this supplier have the same lifespan as tools from an "approved" supplier?
Same number of cutting cycles before sharpening?
Are they made of the same materials?
Do they break more frequently, potentially causing non-conformances?
Is their service and delivery of the same quality as those of your "approved" suppliers?
Are you ever stuck waiting for deliveries, with the resultant down-time affecting your promised delivery dates?

If none of these things are an issue with them, then why are they not an approved supplier?

You should be validating more than just the product you purchase from your suppliers. Many things can impact the quality of your finished product, both directly and indirectly.

 

[Big Jim]

So playing devils advocate, are you implying that a supplier and mundane and insignificant such as Costco or Sams Club who provide us with the most basic shop supplies, need to be approved?
My interpretation was basically a .750 end-mill is a .750 end-mill, and if its in the correct packaging / material / length per your purchase order, what is there to validate?
I guess Im not understanding how quality comes into play for suppliers of this nature?

I would suggest that you re-read the requirement from the standard.

"The type and extent of the control applied to the supplier and the purchased product shall be dependent upon the effect of the purchased product shall be dependent upon the effect of the purchased product on subsequent product realization or the final product."

This shows that you need not have a "one size fits all" method of determining how to approve a supplier. You determine the level of control (but not no control).

"The organization shall evaluate and select suppliers based on their ability to supply product in accordance with the organization's requirements."

This points out that suppliers need to be approved. You don't get a "bye" because you think that some things don't need any control.

You should look at whatever criteria you are currently using to approve suppliers and determine if you have some flexibility to have lower criteria for some suppliers and higher criteria for others depending on how they or what you are buying impact final production.

 

[dsanabria]

We recently finished our AS9100 re-cert audit and got sited for ordering from a supplier that was not on our ASL. My question is, what is the requirement for approving suppliers who's product / service has nothing to do with the finished part. The one that we got nailed for was MSC, which I was under the assumption that approval was not need based on the nature of services provided. I can understand companies like McMaster Carr and Grainger, because they also supply material and fasteners on top of shop supplies.
Any insight on this matter is greatly appreciated!

Regards,

Chris

Can you write down the exact wording of the auditor's NCR?

 

[JohnI]

We recently finished our AS9100 re-cert audit and got sited for ordering from a supplier that was not on our ASL. My question is, what is the requirement for approving suppliers who's product / service has nothing to do with the finished part. The one that we got nailed for was MSC, which I was under the assumption that approval was not need based on the nature of services provided. I can understand companies like McMaster Carr and Grainger, because they also supply material and fasteners on top of shop supplies.
Any insight on this matter is greatly appreciated!

Regards,

Chris

We also have the same issue, but we are on the opposite side being a supplier. We supply equipment that is ISO 9001 and ISO 17025, but we are not. We provide appearance measurement devices used in quality. We are engineers and also have Masters degrees, thus we understand quality better than most, yet companies say they cannot purchase a product that is ISO 17025 made in Western Europe from us. Thus I share your frustration with the pyramid scheme that is being created and being followed blindly, yet I have no strong solution as companies are scared to ask the same question you ask. We see no logical or quality related reason to all this except to force companies that are ISO to purchase from others that are ISO to extend the reach of the organization. To say that we should also be ISO 17025 for a very small company such as ours would be financially detrimental with no added benefit internally.
I say if you find the same product, from the same manufacturer, same model, same box at Costco, buy it. I also believe that Costco's Quality Management is most probably superior to most other companies, thus that has no bearing on this subject.

I look forward to your responses.

Regards to All.