Honda - What's different from US OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) requirements?

[bpritts]

I have a (personal) business situation where advice would be appreciated. Perhaps it may spark some useful philosophical discussion.

I am a quality consultant doing my first engagement (A TS16949 gap analysis) with a firm whose biggest customer is Honda. My previous experience is about 60% GM supplier, 20% Ford supplier, 20% other, but no Honda supplier experience. My only personal exposure to any Japanese co's has been a little experience with Isuzu. I have read a lot of the articles about Toyota, etc., but haven't any real world contact.

There are many threads on the Cove that suggest generally that Honda is a good company to work with, but relatively few specific technical comments on differences.

So, my question:

For those with GM experience, what was new, different, or surprising in dealing with Honda?

A possible follow-up question -- can those of us working with the US domestics learn something from this?

Thanks in advance,

Brad

 

[Marc]

Any takers on this one? Any Honda folks here with cross over experience?

I worked with Lucas a few years back and they supplied Honda with a part I was 'associated' with and did their equivalent of runoff - PPAP, etc. They had their own manual, even supplied special ID labels for PPAP and other parts. I can't cite any significant differences. Read their requirements and you have their recipe for the same stuff everyone does. Only the names are changed to protect the innocent! Or maybe to protect the guilty - Who knows.

I also worked with GM a few years back in airbag design and manufacture and they were - well, that's been 10 years ago so that's history.

Maybe someone else can cite some specifics - Sorry I can't help more.

 

[Atul Khandekar]

Brad,

This certainly won't cover all the possible aspects of the question you're asking. This is only about MSA.

The following is an excerpt from an email I received from a Quality Manager from a company in Indiana, US, during our discussions about Measurement Systems Analysis and my company software:

"....By the way, do you supply any Japanese companies, as our company is a Japanese transplant supplying Honda. And, for some reason the Japanese managers and engineers have never even heard of the MSA and GR&R methodologies. Honda of America has never required these methods (except of a few rare ocassions); moreover, there is no mention of these methods in the JIS standards. Currently, we are starting to get some requests for GR&R studies from some of the Honda engineers (American). So, I think that I can sell this to the Japanese; however, it will be difficult, as it is French to them. I am trying to convince our Japanese comrades that this (MSA verification) is a requirement for the new TS16949 standards. ..."

Not sure if this tells you anything. I'm sure more experienced folks will chip in with their views.

 

[bpritts]

Atul --

Appreciate the info. I have since had the opportunity to take a look at the Honda customer SQA manual, and can confirm your comment that there are no specific requirements for MSA. Honda subscribes to ISO 9001, so there would be a requirement to "plan and implement the monitoring, measurement...including determination of applicable methods, including statistical techniques..." (9001:200, 8.1). 9001:94 version was a little more specific (4.11.1 "Inspection, measuring and testing equipment shall be used in a manner which ensures that the measurment uncertainty is known and is consistent with the required measurement capability". So something is needed-- just not the specific methodology of the MSA manual.

Anyway, I appreciate your info.

Regards,
Brad

 

[D3bra]

Honda requirements

Honda is our main customer so our business is geared around their requirements. You may want to request their NMR (New Model Review)requirements from your engineering group. They tell you exactly what you need to have complete and at what stage it needs to be approved. Much of the NMR goes above and beyond PPAP or APQP.