Customer processes Versus our Process

[Nugent]

Our company holds the ISO 9001:2000 certification, however we have a number of customers who document their own processes. E.g have there own process for handling 'End user complaints' which they define as 'Escalations'. Some of these end user processes are not controlled however the customer owns and changes these as they wish. They then email us the updated process.

It certainly doesnt make sense for us to take these processes and control them in a accordance with our Doc control templates however if audited are we ok to say this is the customer process, we don't control it and it doesn't have any ID, review date, docuement history..

Any comments would be appreicated

Martina

 

[Randy]

Their's is their's and yours is yours and unless their's is part of your QMS or there is some contractural mandate from your customer you don't have to do anything.

Now if there is a mandate, then their process is a customer requirement under 7.2.1 & 7.2.3 and they need control as a document of external origin under 4.2.3.

 

[Nugent]

Thank you so much for this information, it makes sense. I'm glad to finally have an answer to this, it's been plaguing me for a while.
Cheers!

 

[AndyN]

Yeah, what Randy said!

 

[Randy]

Hey, go for it Nugent.

Remember this tid-bit....It's only as complicated as you make it and it stays as simple as you want it.

 

[JaneB]

Their's is their's and yours is yours and unless their's is part of your QMS or there is some contractural mandate from your customer you don't have to do anything.

Now if there is a mandate, then their process is a customer requirement under 7.2.1 & 7.2.3 and they need control as a document of external origin under 4.2.3.

But if you DO have to use any of their documents and they aren't controlled when you get them, it's relatively easy for you to do at your end.

Don't waste time applying your own template, etc. Just make sure you can identify them, & the status. eg, you could mark them them when received & store in one place so you know which one is the latest you got.

An example of a way of doing it simply would be by writing something like 'received on 23rd August 08' on the document (if received in hardcopy) or adding to the filename (if electronic) etc.

You can't make them control them, but you must.