Define quality before a disagreement defines it for you.
A manufacturing quality agreement documents how the customer and supplier will control specifications, inspection, documentation, changes, nonconformance, traceability, corrective action, and product acceptance.
Responsibilities should be explicit enough that both parties
Applicable Documents
Define drawings, specifications, standards, purchase requirements, approved samples, revisions, and other controlled references.
Inspection
Identify incoming, in-process, final, first-article, test, sampling, or reporting requirements and who performs them.
Material Control
Define approved grades, certifications, traceability, substitutions, storage, identification, and special handling where necessary.
Special Processes
Clarify expectations for heat treatment, plating, coating, welding, testing, outside processing, or other controlled operations.
Nonconformance
Define segregation, notification, disposition, rework, repair, deviation, concession, and scrap responsibilities.
Records
Specify which inspection, material, process, traceability, corrective-action, and production records must be retained.
Provide current requirements, approve requested changes, communicate acceptance criteria, and resolve technical questions.
Manufacture to controlled requirements, maintain process records, identify nonconforming product, and communicate changes or issues.
Outside processors may need approval, flow-down requirements, certifications, traceability, and controlled changes.
Define who can approve deviations, repairs, process changes, substitutions, rework methods, or specification exceptions.
Establish how quality escapes, recurring issues, delivery-impacting problems, or serious nonconformities are communicated.
Changes to materials, tooling, equipment, process location, outside processors, inspection methods, software, packaging, or manufacturing sequence may affect product performance or production risk.
Inspection Reports
Dimensional results, test data, sample inspection, first articles, or final acceptance records may be required.
Material Certifications
Material identity, chemistry, mechanical properties, heat numbers, lots, or certificates may be retained where applicable.
Traceability
Records can connect finished product to material, lot, process, operator, equipment, supplier, or production date where required.
Corrective Action
Quality agreements may define when formal containment, root-cause analysis, corrective action, and verification are expected.
Confirm manufacturing capability, inspection systems, change control, records, capacity, and operating discipline before relying on a supplier for production.
Supplier Qualification →