A bad supplier lot runs through eight steps: inspect it at receiving, contain it, decide what to do with it and tell the supplier, issue a SCAR, review the cause, prove the fix, update the part history and scorecard, and audit the source. This free field book, The Supplier Trail, follows one made-up lot, 55102 from Dunmore Fastener Co., through all eight steps and 11 tools, one chapter per step.
Prefer to read offline? The whole book is one short PDF.
Short on time? The Monday Board is the whole book as eight actions on one printable page (also as a PDF).
The eight steps
- 01The Lot ArrivesReceive and inspectHow to run receiving inspection so a bad supplier lot shows itself at the dock: what the report must capture, how to decide hold, accept or reject, and the mistake to avoid.
- 02Contain ItRed tag and quality alertHow to draw the containment fence around a nonconforming supplier lot: tag every container, log it, and tell every downstream department before the next shift.
- 03Decide and TellDisposition and supplier noticeA bad lot has five dispositions: return, sort, rework, waiver or scrap. How to decide, record a waiver with a quantity and end date, and tell the supplier in writing the same day.
- 04Ask for the FixThe SCARA supplier corrective action request says what you need back and by when. What goes in a SCAR, the dates and owners, and why to track it from the day it is issued.
- 05Find the CauseThe supplier 8DHow to review a supplier 8D response on three legs, occurrence, detection and system, and why a cause that stops at retraining the operator is not enough.
- 06Prove the FixVerificationAn approved plan is a statement of intent. How to set the proof before the next lots arrive, use your own receiving data and keep tightened inspection until the window closes.
- 07Update the RecordPart history and scorecardA bad lot belongs in two records. How the part history and the supplier scorecard differ, what to enter in each, and how the record decides your next inspection and audit.
- 08Audit the SourceSupplier auditAudit the thing that failed, not a generic questionnaire. How to write audit questions from the SCAR cause and close the trail so one lot number appears in every record.
Questions people ask
What is this field book?
It is a free book by Chris Martin that follows one made-up bad lot, lot 55102 from Dunmore Fastener Co., through the eight steps a real supplier problem goes through. Each chapter covers one step and ends with what to do on the floor Monday.
What are the eight steps of a supplier problem?
Receive and inspect the lot, contain it with a red tag and quality alert, decide the disposition and tell the supplier, issue a SCAR, review the supplier 8D, verify the fix, update the part history and scorecard, and audit the source.
Do I need ShopFloorOps tools to use it?
No. Every chapter teaches the step itself, so you can use your own forms. The tool sidebars show ShopFloorOps tools, which I make and sell.
Is the field book free?
Yes. Every chapter is free to read here with no signup, and the whole book is available as a free PDF. There is also a printable one page Monday Board.
Is lot 55102 a real lot?
No. The supplier, the part, the lot and the people are a made-up example used to show how the steps connect.
Start somewhere else
The supplier, the part, the lot and the people in this book (Dunmore Fastener Co., FB-8120, lot 55102) are a made-up example. The tool sidebars show ShopFloorOps tools, which I make and sell. Every chapter teaches the step itself, so you can use your own forms.