Vehicles (Outsourced Process)

[AndyN]

Ithalion; Do you have (or have ever had) systemic issues with transportation which have affected your techs' abilities to perform service?

 

[Ithalion]

Well, we've had a car break down, but it is easy to rent another car and only be delayed 2-3 hours tops.

 

[AndyN]

It's the same effect as if a major accident shut down the highway! Now, no-one would be crazy enough to suggest that the highways were an outsourced process, would they? My experience of field service tells me, don't make a monster and then feed it!

 

[Big Jim]

BigJim, would you disagree with AndyN then and say I should be listing it as an Outsourced Process?

Strictly on the face of it, it is an outsourced process. As to if you would ever have any flack about it in an audit, I think it depends on the auditor.

I also think there is very low risk that it would become an audit issue. It is up to you to determine if you want to make more of it or not.

I was answering the question as to if it was outsourcing or not, and it is. Andy was going further and answering the question as to if it was something you should worry about or not.

To Andy's point, I know of very few companies that worry about vehicle maintenance except for maybe fork lifts.

 

[LUV-d-4UM]

An ?outsourced process? is a process that the organization has identified as being needed for its operations and quality management system (QMS), but one which it has chosen to be carried out by an external party outside the managerial control of your facility and may not be subject to the same QMS as your organization.

Examples of such processes include: - strategic planning done at head office; purchasing or design done at head office or another location; heat treating; painting; welding, calibration; testing; sort; human resources; information technology; etc., peformed by an outside organization. A manufacturing company may outsource welding, heat treatment or painting of product. A software company may outsource software development. A bank may outsource check clearing services.

Being part of your organization, activities done at the head office are not outsourced. They are activities done at remote location.