Change: Relaxed Requirement
Procedure Required: NO
Record(s) Required: Review of Customer Requirements (Ref. 7.2.2)
Comments:
This section requires the organization to determine:
a) requirements specified by the customer, including the requirements for delivery and post-delivery activities,
b) requirements not stated by the customer but necessary for specified or intended use, where known,
c) statutory and regulatory requirements related to the product, and
d) any additional requirements determined by the organization.
Guidance:
I suggest paraphrasing the wording of the standard in your Quality
Manual.
Comments:
This section requires the organization to review the requirements
related to the product prior to the organization's commitment to supply
a product to the customer (e.g. submission of tenders, acceptance of
contracts or orders, acceptance of changes to contracts or orders) and
ensure that:
a) product requirements are defined,
b) contract or order requirements differing from those previously expressed are resolved, and
c) the organization has the ability to meet the defined requirements.
Records of the results of the review and actions arising from the review must be maintained. Where the customer provides no documented statement of requirement, the customer requirements must be confirmed by the organization before acceptance. Where product requirements are changed, the organization must ensure that relevant documents are amended and that relevant personnel are made aware of the changed requirements.
Guidance:
I suggest paraphrasing the wording of the standard in your Quality
Manual. Almost any record can serve as a record of customer
requirements
(e.g., entering the order into the computer database, issuing a work
order, etc.). I suggest defining in your Quality Manual (or procedure)
"what" serves as your record of reviewing customer requirements. If the
record can exist in several different forms (e.g., entering the order
into the computer database, issuing a work order, etc.), then I suggest
listing all of these methods in your quality manual (or procedure) as
being acceptable under your quality system.
CAUTION - Phantom Requirement:
Although not specifically required in the standard, some ISO 9000
auditors expect the record of the review of customer requirements to
positively identify the individual who performed the review. The basis
for this interpretation relates to the auditor being able to verify
that
the individuals performing the review are both authorized (as per
section 5.5.1) properly trained and
qualified (as per section 6.2). I
suggest defining in your Quality Manual (or procedure) "which"
positions
(job titles) are authorized to review customer requirements.
Comments:
This section requires the organization to determine and implement
effective arrangements for communicating with customers in relation to:
a) product information,
b) inquiries, contracts or order handling, including amendments, and
c) customer feedback, including customer complaints.
Guidance:
I suggest paraphrasing the wording of the standard in your Quality
Manual. Prepare your sales personnel (or whoever handles communication
with customers) to be able to discuss this type of communication with
your ISO 9000 auditor. If your company sends "Order Confirmations" to
customers, this would certainly be considered a form of "customer
communication".
CAUTION - Phantom Requirement:
Communication of "product information" to customers could be described
as advertising. Some auditors
(including myself) are using this requirement of the standard as a
basis for examining product advertisments, product specification sheets
, web sites, etc. to ensure that the information being communicated to
customers (existing and potential) is accurate.
|
Copyright © 2003 by Richard C. Randall This Page Last Revised: |
|
