Verification of Specifications and Qualified Source Lists Prior to Use
Published .
Applicable Standards
Related
- AS9100
- AS13100
Topics
- procurement
- supply-chain
- specification
- requirements-flowdown
- qpl
- qml
- risk-management
During procurement planning for a build-to-print assembly, a team reviewed the engineering requirements flowed down by the customer. The technical data package specified a particular industry standard for a material process and required a specific electronic component from a Qualified Products List (QPL).
A discrepancy was identified where the specified standard appeared to conflict with another similar standard, causing confusion over which was correct or current. Concurrently, the specified component part number could not be found on the official QPL database, raising questions about its qualification status.
Key Takeaways
- Proceeding without clarification introduced a significant risk of creating non-conforming hardware.
- Halting the procurement process to formally clarify the requirements with the customer's engineering authority was necessary to prevent the use of unapproved materials or components.
- A discrepancy was identified where the specified standard appeared to conflict with another similar standard, causing confusion over which was correct or current.
Best Practice
Organizations must implement a robust process to halt procurement and production when discrepancies are found in specified standards, materials, or source qualifications. All such ambiguities must be formally resolved with the design authority before proceeding to prevent non-conformances.
Reflects the recommended position based on community discussion and expert review.
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