PPAP ownership - What can I do to protect my company's information

[julietavalles]

Does anyone have any idea what can I do to protect my company's information in a PPAP? Everytime I send a PPAP, I am basically telling my customer in detail the way its products are made.

Most customers declare ownership on PPAP's, will it be enough to protect my processes and specifications with a CONFIDENTIAL statement in my PPAP?

Thanks ...

 

[Howard Atkins]

In Europe it is accepted that FMEA's do not have tp be produced for this reason.
The FMEA really contains your propriety information.
The control plan shows the process and Part Process Approval Procedure is PPAP.
There are a number of alternatives:

1. A pre submission confidentiality agreement.
2. Presentation in person with some documents not left at the customer.
3. Agreement in advance that the submission is complete and can be examined at the suppliers organization.
   [/list=1]
   See attached german type warrant where the question is "FMEA carried out"
   
   If a run@ rate is carried out then this information will be seen.
   
   I trust that this will help

 

[JohnR]

Sensitive Information

Were from Michigan and we actually do the same thing. When we submit a PPAP we have a disclaimer that the FMEA contains proprietary information and is available for viewing at our facility. We haven't gotten any flack from anyone for it yet and we supply parts to all three automakers.

Also, anyone who visits our facility is required to fill out a confidentiality agreement due to the nature of the process.

John R.

 

[A. Stuart Dyer]

I agree with all comments, my concern is when all of our PPAP/APQP data will be required to be submitted to a big 3 database. We all know how secure databases are!!!!!

Sounds like a "small" conflict of interest to me.(read scarcasm) An FMEA is an internal plant document that definitively shows how the process works and is controlled and should not leave the facility. Sure, the customer may want to see it so either take a copy or ask them to visit you.

I suspect they will want to visit you so they can get out of the office for a couple of days and spend 2 hours with you.

Al...

 

[Chemlab]

PPAP ownership

We do the same thing and put a FMEA statement in the PPAP that says it is confidential to the manufacturing process and will be made available to the customer for review. Usually there is no trouble from this. However, I did have a customer in Australia that said, "OK. Get on a plane and come down here so we can review it."

Chemlab

 

[Bill Ryan - 2007]

I have gotten around the "proprietary" issue on our PFMEAs by using two definitions: Failure Mode = something measureable on the part/product; Failure Cause = something measureable in the process. My customer has already defined "Failure Modes" via the part drawing and the "Failure Causes" are generic machine parameter settings and tool conditions which are monitored. My "submission" PFMEAs do not contain any of our "Business Operating System Failure Modes".

I have had more trouble with the Control Plan by stating a reference to Operator or Setup or TPM instructions instead of documenting the actual settings. Now if a customer wants to see the Setup instructions (for example) I need to send them the "Proprietary letter" stating they are more than welcome to come to our facility to review our instructions.