Supplier CoC

[xnabelle]

Hello everyone! I need some help clarifying compliance:

We purchased some parts from a supplier, knowing they were going to be purchasing those parts from somewhere else. The thing is that they provided us with a CoC that doesn't match the lot numbers we received. When we reached out to them they said that the lot numbers would match the original supplier's CoC, and they provided the original CoC. My concern is that if we get audited for example, our system says we purchased from supplier A, but the CoC that matches the lot number is supplier AB. The question is: if we keep both CoCs from supplier A and AB, would that be compliant with AS9100? I really appreciate the feedback. Thank you!

 

[Ed Panek]

Help me understand. The first CoC was inaccurate? The second one is valid? If so, the first one is not relevant. You can document it in their supplier file that "Received incorrect CoC", use your QMS risk assessment or non-conformance policies to determine what you must do then. You can reject the shipment or create a record of how the shipment was brought into conformance. You have to document that customer or product safety and effectiveness are not involved.

 

[ChrisM]

" they provided us with a CoC that doesn't match the lot numbers we received"
What Lot numbers? Does the CoC state clearly whose lot numbers, the manufacturer's or your supplier's? How is the Lot number indicated on/with the item supplied to you? It could be that both CoC's are valid - the manufacturer's with their Lot Number and your supplier's with their Lot Number.... and what you then need from your supplier is the correlation between their Lot Number and the Manufacturer's Lot Number. If they do this by stating both Lot Numbers on their CoC, it's all clear and there is nothing to be concerned about.

 

[mattador78]

Had a similar thing happen with us, I was sent the third party suppliersnCOfC informatio which hadnt been attached to the tins i recieved they just had the orginal information provided by the manufacturer. I just requested the orginal CofC information and quarantined the items until i recieved it. They had just shipped the items out to us on the same day they had recieved it and not stuck their own information on as we would normally recieve the tins. It happened once in 60 deliveries and i had my certs i needed by the next day logged it moved on.

 

[xnabelle]

Help me understand. The first CoC was inaccurate? The second one is valid? If so, the first one is not relevant. You can document it in their supplier file that "Received incorrect CoC", use your QMS risk assessment or non-conformance policies to determine what you must do then. You can reject the shipment or create a record of how the shipment was brought into conformance. You have to document that customer or product safety and effectiveness are not involved.

The first CoC has different lot numbers than the ones we received, this is the CoC from supplier A (which is the supplier we purchased the parts from) and then there is another CoC from supplier AB (where the parts originally came from) that does match the lot numbers. I like what you said about documenting it in some way to prove the link and that we resolved the situation. Thank you!

 

[Ed Panek]

Ok depending on your SOP that will determine what you do. If you judge this first error from Supplier A to be serious you can act according to your Supplier SOP. If you judge it not as serious (Or not a systemic problem) then you could just issue a warning and document it in their files. If it reoccurs, then I think you need more formal approach.

If you have a long history of proper DoC from Supplier A that should help credit them that this was a one off for (Random reason)

What matters is You caught it, You contained it, you applied your SOP controls, its documented, you move on.