I can feel your pain. We are QS-9000 TE registered right now, and have had the same type of issues. I believe that you are asking about a supplier that is not on your customer approved source list and they are not 9K2K, etc. Best also to check the IAIG the "C9" Sactioned Intrerpreations for QS-9000
To help you save alot of aggregation, and to only focus on the "9" that are not we have written into our procedure what we can.
We have not, to this date have received (1) customer to sign off (waiver) to use a particular supplier that is not (ISO-9001:2000 etc.). We have tried and tried and tried, and the customers are VERY RELUCTANT in my case to give me a waiver (they don't want responsibility).
How we have handled this.... we use the attached Supplier Evaluation sheet. Suppliers falling under "Mom & Pop" as defined in our procedure, or as "Part of a Large Corp. who are not 9K2K certified, we show that we performed a site audit on them (using our RAB Certified Lead Auditors). Remember if you use a distributor they do not fall under this, they do not need to be 9K2K certified. YTheir waiver is that they are a distributor.
We have in our procedure, what we classify as mom and pop shop. "Mom and Pop Shop":
1. A shop that is not registered to a current version of the ISO 9000 Quality Management Series of Standards, excluding ISO 9003; plus any requirements specified by the customer.
2. Employs twenty (20) or fewer employees.
3. Can not be a part of a larger company.
D"istributors": Suppliers at which no added manufacturing value is added to parts or material.
Our procedure states:
XYZ selects subcontractors on the basis of their ability to meet subcontract requirements including the quality system and any specific quality assurance requirements.
Suppliers must meet minimum requirements as defined below.
Subcontractor quality system development with the goal of subcontractor compliance to QS9000 TE requirements, and
Subcontractor assessment by the OEM customer, or
Subcontractor assessment by an OEM customer-approved second party, or
Subcontractor assessment by an accredited third party certification body / registrar, or
Subcontractor assessment by XYZ, or
Subcontractor assessment / certification waiver by XYZ Company (Reference IASG Sanctioned QS-9000 Interpretations: 03/31/03: C9).
And when all else fails, we have showed our internal auditor evidence through the Supplier Evaulation form that we had requested this waiver and have no response. We also showed that these suppliers were reviewed (audited).
Sorry this jumps around a bit.....