5. Product audit
5.1 General
Process variations and low process capabilities tend to have a direct effect on product quality and, consequently, the compliance with customer requirements. In a product audit, it is possible to determine deviations from the customer requirements and to directly draw conclusions with regard to the influencing processes. Taking the detected deviations into account, it is possible to investigate and analyze the priorities in terms of the problem processes and to implement corrective action. The processes can be investigated, analyzed in key areas and continuous improvements achieved.
The supplier is always obliged to carry out product and process audits on their own on a regular basis. Volkswagen also carries out product audits for certain priorities before the process audits at the supplier to evaluate important product characteristics from the point of view of the customer and to identify critical processes.
The task of the product audit is to inspect products that are ready for shipment in terms of their compliance with the specified customer-relevant characteristics, to draw conclusions with regard to the parts / as-delivered quality, to trace deviations back to the defects in the process that cause them and to initiate corrective action, where necessary.
See VDA Volume 6 Part 5 for details.
5.2 Execution and actions
The Volkswagen Group product audit is performed before the Process audit and refers to a few important characteristics that must be defined in consultation with the supplier. The characteristics are selected in a risk-oriented manner according to possible fault category A and or B (see table). It is not possible to include long-term tests in the audit. The latest results that the supplier can provide regarding these products can be used in this regard, if necessary. The most important characteristics can refer to, for example:
• Characteristics that deviate from the customer requirements
• (complaints from the past)
• Dimensions (initial measurement, function, assembly)
• Material
• Function
• Visual appearance
• Product identification