Page 247 - The Handbook for Quality Management a Complete Guide to Operational Excellence

234 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 235

additional training to use your system. Also, the vendor may want some
type of compensation for changing their established way of doing things.
If at all possible, let the ven dor use their own systems.
Statistical process control should be used by the vendor to ensure lot-
to-lot stability. When statistical control is established, there is little need
for end-process final inspection at the vendor location or incoming receiv-
ing inspection at the buyer’s location.
If special record keeping will be required, this needs to be clearly
defined. For example, most major defense items have traceability and
configuration control requirements. Government agencies, such as the
FDA, often have special requirements. Automotive companies have record-
keeping requirements designed to facilitate possible future recalls. The
vendor may not be aware of some of these requirements, and it is to your
mutual benefit to discuss your specific needs early in the process.

Post-Award Surveillance
Our focus up to this point has been to develop a process that will mini-
mize the probability of the vendor’s producing items that don’t meet your
requirements. This effort must continue after the vendor begins produc-
tion. However, after production has begun the emphasis can shift from an
evaluation of systems to an evaluation of actual program, process, and
product per formance.
Program evaluation is the study of a supplier’s facilities, personnel,
and quality systems. While this is the major thrust during the pre-award
phase of an evaluation, program evaluation doesn’t end when the con-
tract is awarded. Change is inevitable, and the buyer should be kept
informed of changes to the vendor’s program. This may be accomplished
by providing the buyer with a registered copy of the vendor’s quality
manual, which is updated routinely. Periodic follow-up audits may also
be required, especially if product quality indicates a failure of the quality
program.
A second type of surveillance involves surveillance of the vendor’s
process. Process evaluations involve a study of methods used to pro-
duce an end result. Process performance can usually be best evaluated
by statistical methods, and it is becoming common to require that statis-
tical process control (SPC) be applied to critical-process characteristics.
Many large companies require that their suppliers perform statistical
process control studies, called process capa bility studies, as part of the
pre-award evaluation. (See Chap. 9 for further details on process capa-
bility studies.)
The final evaluation, product evaluation, is also the most important.
Product evaluation consists of evaluating conformance to requirements.
This may involve inspection at the vendor’s site, submission of objective

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