79: Material/Parts and Product Issue
Definition/Typical Issues
This major root cause category addresses issues related to raw materials, intermediate products, and finished products.
Was the problem the result of inadequate control of changes to procurement specifications or purchase orders? Did product acceptance requirements fail to match design requirements or were they otherwise unacceptable?
Note 1: The Material/Parts Issue (#80-86) section only applies to raw materials and parts, whereas the Product Control and Acceptance Issue (#87-93) section applies to manufactured/finished products.
Examples
Example 1
- A large tank was fabricated using an incorrect grade of stainless steel because the buyer was offered a better price on the lower grade of steel, and the personnel who signed off on the order did not detect the change. As a result, the tank failed prematurely.
Example 2
- A contract to purchase logs from a supplier did not include late delivery penalties. As a result, the supplier was routinely a week or two behind schedule.
Example 3
- Acceptance criteria specified that a moisture test should be performed on a sample of each shipment of powder. The warehouse was not told who was supposed to do the test. As a result, the material was shipped to a customer without the test being performed.
Example 4
- Because of a snow storm, product could not be shipped on schedule. The warehouse was full of finished product, so it was temporarily stored in narrow aisles in the process area. Some of the product was damaged when an operator ran into the skids with a forklift.
Typical Recommendations
- Procurement specifications should not be changed without review and approval by knowledgeable personnel.
- Ensure that acceptance requirements are documented and match the design requirements.
- Provide proper environmental conditions for raw materials to ensure quality.
- Ensure that appropriate maintenance is performed on equipment and parts in storage.
- Eliminate stock for parts/materials that are no longer used in the plant.
- Provide personnel with the capability to implement the inspection requirements.
- Provide directions for unpacking items so that they are not damaged by the customer.
- Provide proper packaging of products to avoid damage during shipping.
Cross-References
| Version 10 Element(s) | |
|---|---|
| Node ID | Node Name |
| 85 | Product/Material Control |
| 93 | Procurement Control |
| Maritime Element(s) | |
|---|---|
| Node ID | Node Name |
| 105 | Vessel Spares/Stores Issue |
| 112 | Purchasing Issue |