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Hi folks - it's been a while - good to see the Cove going strong!
I have a question regarding the use of a source control drawing (as prepared by engineering to define specific manufacturer parts #s) vs the part approval process (to approve the use of a new part on an assembly, get it checked into our ERP system, etc)
We are a small engineering firm moving quickly towards manufaturing and we are trying to figure out the best way to handle approving acceptable alternate parts:
- we have a design that works, with specific manufacturer part numbers defined on approved, released and customer approved drawings - all good.
- we now want to approve acceptable alternates to parts - particulary electronic component parts (surface mount resistors, capacitors, etc) - often times the designer does not care what manufacturer the part comes, just that it is the right size, value, etc.
We could do this by preparing source control drawings for each part to identify the various manufacturers that purchasing can buy the part from, but this will take up a lot of engineering time, plus possibly a customer approval loop.....we could set up a part approval process (maybe a PPAP light? but an internal process) to approve when new parts are used on an assembly, but then these new parts would not flow up to the drawing?
I know a lot of big companies that do both, but I am hoping there is some middle ground here that I can make work for our situation - (we are like the little company doing big company stuff).
Any feedback is appreciated!
Daryl
I have a question regarding the use of a source control drawing (as prepared by engineering to define specific manufacturer parts #s) vs the part approval process (to approve the use of a new part on an assembly, get it checked into our ERP system, etc)
We are a small engineering firm moving quickly towards manufaturing and we are trying to figure out the best way to handle approving acceptable alternate parts:
- we have a design that works, with specific manufacturer part numbers defined on approved, released and customer approved drawings - all good.
- we now want to approve acceptable alternates to parts - particulary electronic component parts (surface mount resistors, capacitors, etc) - often times the designer does not care what manufacturer the part comes, just that it is the right size, value, etc.
We could do this by preparing source control drawings for each part to identify the various manufacturers that purchasing can buy the part from, but this will take up a lot of engineering time, plus possibly a customer approval loop.....we could set up a part approval process (maybe a PPAP light? but an internal process) to approve when new parts are used on an assembly, but then these new parts would not flow up to the drawing?
I know a lot of big companies that do both, but I am hoping there is some middle ground here that I can make work for our situation - (we are like the little company doing big company stuff).
Any feedback is appreciated!
Daryl
