Exclusion to Purchasing - AS9100 Clauses 7.4.1 & 7.4.2

[quality1]

Hi Cove friends,

We're preparing for our AS9100 certification coming up soon and would like your opinion if we're allowed to exclude 7.4.1 & 7.4.2 or not?

Our purchasing group is in another country (Canada), the factory is in the US.

The US group receive orders/requirements from customers and communicate these requirements to purchasing to procure materials.

Selection, evaluation, re-evaluation of suppliers is a joint effort between US functions and Canadian purchasing group.

Verification of purchased materials is done at the US factory and any noncomformance found is then communicated to purchasing to correct with the supplier.

I will discuss this with our CB soon, but would like your thoughts to exclude or not?

Thank you,

 

[qusys]

Re: Exclusion to Purchasing 7.4.1 & 7.4.2

I think you shall demonstrate that you have in place these kind of relations , by means of procedures, QMS process mapping. As to verification is done by your organization and so you shall include into your QMS, for example.
It is clear the cooperation with Corporate headquarters that should be audited as well as remote functions , if they are not AS9100 certified yet. This is not the unique case but it could also impact other function ( at Corporate Level) such as Human resource.

 

[pearson114]

Re: Exclusion to Purchasing 7.4.1 & 7.4.2

Who is defining information such as the following:

- the identification and revision status of identifications, drawings, process requirements, inspection/verification instructions and other relevant data?
- the requirements for design, test, inspection, verification, use of statistical techniques for product acceptance etc etc ?

If you complete the verification of purchased product activities then personally I can't see how exclusion of Purchasing can be an option. But I may be wrong.

 

[Sidney Vianna]

I will discuss this with our CB soon, but would like your thoughts to exclude or not?

According to the ISO Guidance document on outsourced processes, you are "outsourcing" the processes to a corporate function. So, you CAN NOT exclude the outsourced processes, and, technically, you should be able to demonstrate that you are "controlling" how the processes are being effected.

Your CB might require evidence that the corporate function satisfies the applicable requirements of the standard and/or require to assess those processes themselves. Otherwise, they don't have enough evidence that your system complies with the standard, and, thus, it can not issue a certificate.

Please let us know what your CB told you concerning this scenario.

 

[quality1]

Hi,

So I presented our case to the CB and they said it was OK to exclude 7.4.1 & 7.4.2 initially (made me really confused). When the auditor was at our facility this week, auditor did not agree with the exclusion so clarification was needed and quick answer is NO we cannot exclude due to " "the outsourced" process in this case Purchasing is needed for the QMS which the organization chooses to have performed by an external party. Thank you experts -you're ABSOLUTELY right from your post!

 

[pearson114]

Thanks for the update quality1