Customer STA (SQE) Ignorance and Arrogance

Is Your Customer STA (SQE) Arrogant?

  • NA - but want to see the poll results.

    Votes: 11 40.7%
  • My STA (SQE) is a sweety.

    Votes: 1 3.7%
  • My STA (SQE) is OK.

    Votes: 4 14.8%
  • My STA (SQE) is tough, but fair.

    Votes: 2 7.4%
  • My STA (SQE) is arrogant.

    Votes: 2 7.4%
  • My STA (SQE) is arrogant and ignorant to boot!

    Votes: 7 25.9%

  • Total voters
    27

Jim Wynne

Staff member
Admin
#31
Wes Bucey said:
Do you say that because you only consider an abbreviation an "acronym" if it is pronounced as a word, versus saying the individual initials?
Example:
FMEA said as "FEE MUH" is an acronym
said as "EFF EM EE AY" IS AN ABBREVIATION

Both verbalizations being a representation of the abbreviation for "Failure Mode & Effects Analysis":)
Yes. All acronyms are abbreviations (to put a bit finer point on it, some are initializations) but not all abbreviations are acronyms. "Radar" is an acronym, as is "Scuba." My favorite acronym is "snafu." There are changes in the language that take place as a natural function of time and evolution, and most of them are harmless. For example, no one today refers to a single point of information as a "datum" and "data" is routinely used as singular. But when abuse of the language results in something useful being lost, we lose a little of what makes English so great--nuance.
Now I've strayed way off topic--but you asked.
 
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Marc

Hunkered Down for the Duration with a Mask on...
Staff member
Admin
#32
To 'clear things up here.... Sorry but I haven't visited this thread in a long while. I think it was Visteon who was using STA and this long past I can't remember what it stood for, but essentially this was meant as what is more commonly called a customer 's Supplier Quality Engineer (SQE). The folks at your supplier who 'counsel' and otherwise 'maintain' your with resect to quality issues.

I've relabeled the thread and poll to better represent what this thread started out about.
 

Helmut Jilling

Auditor / Consultant
#34
Marc said:
Well, to be honest I already have him on a leash now that the dust has settled. In addition, I doubt he's the Cove type. But I may clue him in just in case.

What gets to me is the defacto guilty. It comes as no surprise that many people are turned off by the attitude. One tries to start out by being friendly and communicative and this is what one gets, I suppose.

I'm not insinuating they're all bad but this one is a humdinger.

As far as 'fudging' numbers being routine - I have no problem agreeing that it probably is a problem here and there, but I hear this in the first real talk with the fellow and it blew away any respect or concern I have for the guy. That's why I got him on a short leash quick (I have some tricks up my sleeve, too). He's still being testy but has backed off and apologised twice.

I asked the question above as I really am curious if a lot of people feel trod upon by their STA and what comments or stories folks may have.

As a last comment, I included the ignorant part because it surprised me how little he knows about what's going on, particularly within his company.
Remember the old saying that it takes a con to know a con? I think many of them are so accustomed to fudging and stretching, they just assume their hardworking suppliers are too. When you ad inexperience or ignorance to the mix, it ain't pretty. Can you say declining market share...?
 
A

aravindkrish

#35
I am a SQE ( previously a Production Engineer)..handling mechanical suppliers. I am seeing the other side of the coin, say for example, I came to know, that the supplier is not meeting the print in most of the dimensions because engineering asked for it/engg approved because of process constraint. I am trying to update the prints and ask for a data from supplier what all the dimensions needs to be changed. the supplier gives me a list and i go to my engg and start the process. with in a week, quality finds one dimension out of spec for which the supplier says "this has process constraint", that is exactly what i wanted to capture but the supplier has ignored, or not captured. Now I have to change gears and take up a route which makes him understand the seriousness..but if I do that I will be termed as arrogant... how do u handle these...is there any SQE in this forum...
 

Wes Bucey

Quite Involved in Discussions
#36
aravindkrish said:
I am a SQE ( previously a Production Engineer)..handling mechanical suppliers. I am seeing the other side of the coin, say for example, I came to know, that the supplier is not meeting the print in most of the dimensions because engineering asked for it/engg approved because of process constraint. I am trying to update the prints and ask for a data from supplier what all the dimensions needs to be changed. the supplier gives me a list and i go to my engg and start the process. with in a week, quality finds one dimension out of spec for which the supplier says "this has process constraint", that is exactly what i wanted to capture but the supplier has ignored, or not captured. Now I have to change gears and take up a route which makes him understand the seriousness..but if I do that I will be termed as arrogant... how do u handle these...is there any SQE in this forum...
Other answers may be a bit slow in coming this week - many folks in the USA are taking the entire week between Christmas and New Year's Day for a holiday.

The situation concerning the adversarial relationship between SQE and supplier has two major factors. If you can alter those factors, the relationship becomes much more friendly and open.
  1. Bidding and selection process of suppliers. When customers force their suppliers into an "auction" for the business, ruthlessly switching suppliers based on initial cost, rather than net cost in place (after considering all the soft costs of dealing with a supplier), suppliers rightly view ANYTHING said or done by the customer's representatives with suspicion.
  2. Attitude when nonconformance is detected. When customers play the "blame game" and ascribe ALL nonconformances as being the fault and responsibility of the supplier, suppliers are less likely to be helpful than when the emphasis is put on solving the problem and eliminating fingerpointing entirely. Sometimes, the difference can be as simple as the phrasing used by the customer.
    Compare:
    "You screwed up, Mr. Supplier. Fix it!"
    and
    "This part is screwed up. How can we help figure out why and eliminate the cause so it doesn't happen again?"
 
M

Michael Walmsley

#38
Seriously, More often than not we are dealing with individuals that have very low self esteem. The resultant symptom is anger , ....
 
W

wslabey

#39
It depends

Marc,

Luckily, not all STA's are the same. Some have actually made us better, while others are flaming idiots who are simply consuming useful oxygen and exhaling CO2 when they are in a meeting room or in your office. I have thrown one out of my office and actually got into a shouting match.
 
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