Which 'customer' in 8.2.4 Monitoring and Measurement of Product?

[qualitymanager]

This one is for the experts:

The middle paragraph in clause 8.2.4 Monitoring and Measurement of Product reads "Records shall indicate the person(s) authorizing release of product for delivery to the customer".

Since the ISO/TC176 Interpretations stopped in Aug 2006 (http://www.tc176.org/Interpre.asp), I turn to you guys to give me your interpretations - does this usage of "customer" mean one external to the QMS, or does it cover the range given in the ISO 9000:2005 (particularly wrt Internal Customers)?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Sidney Vianna]

Obviously the intent of word customer is to refer to an "external" customer.

While ISO 9000:2005 does mention "internal customers", as I have addressed in another recent exchange, a valid example of an internal customer is a Ford engine assembly plant shipping products to a Ford car assembly plant.

The idea of one department (or process, or assembly line) being an internal customer to another department has never been the intent of ISO 9001. Departments have processes, not systems. Organizations have systems.

And don't forget:

 

[qualitymanager]

Thanks for the quick reply Sidney (blessings to you & the other night owls out there ).

The question is in the abstract, but I can see a situation where there may be difficulty in applying your answer above:

I'm working with a company which has Section W going for API Q1 certification, and Section D is outside of the QMS. External customer P requires all work of a specified type done for Section D be carried out by a Q1-certified supplier. Section D (not required to have Q1-certification) directly provides services to External customer P.

None of the output provided by Section W is usable by the external customer. 90% of the output from Section W goes to Section D; the remaining 10% is for external customers other than P, none of whom currently require Q1-certification from Section W.

As such, we have defined the customers of Section W along the 90/10 split. However, as both Sections W and D are within the same legal entity, Section D is considered an Internal Customer to Section W (the basis for this stems from ISO/IEC 17025 in one of the early clauses where it speaks about labs being a legal entity or part of a legal entity).

Further comments are appreciated.

 

[Stijloor]

This one is for the experts:

The middle paragraph in clause 8.2.4 Monitoring and Measurement of Product reads "Records shall indicate the person(s) authorizing release of product for delivery to the customer".

Since the ISO/TC176 Interpretations stopped in Aug 2006 (http://www.tc176.org/Interpre.asp), I turn to you guys to give me your interpretations - does this usage of "customer" mean one external to the QMS, or does it cover the range given in the ISO 9000:2005 (particularly wrt Internal Customers)?

Thanks in advance.

Look at 3.3.5 in ISO 9000:2005.

Stijloor.

 

[qualitymanager]

Thanks for the reply. I'll check it tomorrow (I don't have a copy any more ) and hopefully sort it out to my satisfaction.

 

[JaneB]

Look at 3.3.5 in ISO 9000:2005.

Stijloor.

Indeed yes. Qualitymanager, this is clear from the fact that the document Stijloor refers you to is quoted as a Normative Reference in the Standard itself.

Any questions about the definition of a particular term should start with the definition given in ISO 9000!!

 

[Stijloor]

Thanks for the reply. I'll check it tomorrow (I don't have a copy any more ) and hopefully sort it out to my satisfaction.

You'll be very satisfied.

Stijloor.