Page 243 - The Handbook for Quality Management a Complete Guide to Operational Excellence

230 P r o c e s s C o n t r o l S u p p l y C h a i n M a n a g e m e n t 231

• The buyer should objectively evaluate the seller’s quality performance.
This evaluation should be done in an open manner, with the full
knowl edge and consent of the seller. The buyer should also keep
the seller informed of his relative standing with respect to other sup-
pliers of the same product. However, this should be done in a man-
ner that does not compromise the position of any other seller or
reveal proprietary information.
• The buyer should be prepared to offer technical assistance to the seller,
or vice versa. Such assistance may consist of on-site visits by buyer or
seller teams, telephone assistance, or transfer of documents.
Of course, both parties are obligated to protect the trade secrets
and proprietary information they obtain from one another.
• The seller should inform the buyer of any known departure from historic
or required levels of quality.
• The buyer should inform the seller of any change in requirements in a
timely fashion.
• The seller should be rewarded for exceptional performance. Such rewards
can range from plaques to increased levels of business.

The basic principles of ethical behavior have been very nicely sum-
marized in the Code of Ethics for Members of the American Society for
Quality, which is available on their Web site.

Scope of Vendor Quality Control
Most companies purchase several types of materials. Some of the materi-
als are just supplies, not destined for use in the product to be delivered to
the customer. Traditionally, vendor quality control does not apply to these
supplies. Of those items destined for the product, some are simple items
that have loose tolerances and an abundant history of acceptable quality.
The qual ity of these items will usually be controlled informally, if at all.
The third cat egory of purchased goods involves items that are vital to the
quality of the end product, complex, and with limited or no history. Pur-
chase of these items may even involve purchase of the vendor’s “exper-
tise,” for example, designs, application advice, etc. It is the quality of this
category of items that will be the subject of subsequent discussions.
Vendor quality is aided by cooperation between Product Design, Pur-
chasing and Quality functions, as shown in Table 11.1.

Evaluating Vendor Quality Capability
When making important purchases, companies often seek assurances they
are making the right decision. The vendor quality survey has traditionally
served as the “crystal ball” to provide this assurance. To some degree this

11_Pyzdek_Ch11_p227-240.indd 230 11/9/12 5:13 PM