Supplier 8Ds and SCARs are a crucial aspect of overall quality in your organization. Without them, you could be wasting resources and decreasing customer satisfaction on something that wasn't even your fault in the first place.
It's important to include 8Ds and SCARs in your supplier requirements so you can curb some of the consequences of supplier problems that have snuck into your operations. It all comes down to making sure they are finding root cause and permanent solutions. They can then take what they learned and apply it to other relevant sites/products/processes and hopefully, you'll experience less problems internally, which is beneficial for all parties.
Here are some ideas on how 8Ds and SCARs from suppliers can help your organization and your customers:
Improve Quality
This one's obvious, but probably most important. If you require your suppliers to complete 8Ds/SCARs that means their baseline quality is improving with every problem you experience. If you are sure they're finding the root cause and permanent solutions and then taking their learnings and implementing them across their corporation, you will see their products improve. Better supplies means you can create better products that will outshine your competitor's.
Eliminate Repeat Supplier Problems
Repeated supplier problems can cause frustration both internally and with your customers. If you know that when a supplier problem arises, the root cause will be found and a solution implemented, you can feel more confident that you're delivering the best product possible.
Save Time
If you're suppliers are causing problems, you could be wasting your time and money to chase them up and solve them. By requiring them to submit 8Ds and SCARs, you can rest assured that the problem is truly solved and will not occur again. This will free up your staff time to get back to their own jobs.
Improve Supplier Accountability
Although required, sometimes getting your suppliers to create and submit 8D reports seems impossible. Following up with dozens or even hundreds of suppliers is daunting without a system or process in place. But, if you want to save time and money in the long run, implementing a system or process that ensures supplier 8Ds and SCARs are completed will be well-worth the initial investment.
If suppliers know that you're going to hold their feet to the fire, they'll perform better. If they know that you're the squeaky wheel, you're going to get their best work. Staying consistent in your requirements and expectations for 8Ds and SCARs will keep your suppliers consistent as well.
Supplier Performance Measurement Tool
You can use suppliers' 8Ds/SCARs to measure their performance by seeing which suppliers put thought and care into their responses, who has experience and who may be lacking a world-class quality emphasis. You can also see who submitted responses on time (or at all). This will give you better tools to decide where to award your business in the future.
Do you have experience in this area? If so, please let us know what we forgot about in the comments!
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