Plant Audits

Arriving at a supplier's plant to audit the operations process is an activity that causes much anxiety for the supplier (at least the first couple of times).  Generally it is done when there are problems identified in the flow of operations.  There may be office related (i.e. engineering) or  production related (i.e. manufacturing).  Both areas must be addressed.

(Courtesy: www.pooltechservices.co.uk)

An engineering audit may uncover errors in design.  I have audited several supplier's while working at Boeing.  One supplier had a different type of CAD software than Boeing was using (that in itself was a problem).  This particular supplier had several issues with the 3D models that the Boeing team helped uncover that might have been missed if not for the audit.

All specifications and inspection criteria must clearly be flowed down from the prime contractor to the supplier.  I saw this issue happen during the same audit trip and this time it was Boeing's fault that the correct specifications were not imparted to the supplier.

It's also valuable to ensure that the supplier's engineering team is in sync with its manufacturing team. You can usually tell how this relationship is going during a kickoff meeting day one of your plant visit.  If relations between the two appear distant or aloof, then there is trouble.

For the manufacturing side, all aspects of the process are reviewed.  Do the machines break down often?  If the break, how long is the downtime?  Are the mechanics and machine operators properly trained?  What are the specific training plans for each operation?  Is the layout of the plant optimized?  All questions that need answers.  And that is just the start.

Some people are afraid to respectfully challenge the supplier.  During my audit trip, one of my fellow Boeing engineers continually challenged the supplier about all aspects of production.  He did it in a polite but assertive manner.  But the supplier eventually got tired of him and later told him he was not welcome back to the supplier's plant.  That engineer eventually became a Boeing manager because he embraced due diligence in seeking to make the operation more efficient.

Typical Supplier Manufacturing Plant - courtesy www.logicpol.com)