Supplier certificates

A supplier certificate records the supplier, component code, certificate type, expiry date and attached certificate. Its operational record links the evidence to an inspection. An authorized inspector submits that evidence for the selected record. The workflow validates the supplier and component details, the certificate type, expiry and attachment, then submits the linked inspection to the responsible reviewer.

That handoff gives the reviewer the certificate in the context of the quality decision. A supplier name or attachment in isolation does not identify the inspection that should use it. The operational link matters when the same supplier ships multiple components or a component is inspected more than once.

• Source. Supplier and component code identify whose evidence applies to which component.
• Document. Certificate type, expiry date and the attachment let the reviewer inspect the evidence itself.
• Operational link. The certificate points to an inspection, which moves into review after the submission is validated.

For an incoming inspection of a component, the Inspector selects the inspection and records the supplier and component code from the received material. The certificate type explains what evidence has been supplied. The date and attachment allow the reviewer to compare the document with the inspection subject before deciding the inspection.

Choose how component codes and supplier names are entered so the certificate can be found again. Agree which certificate types the team needs for incoming work and when an expiry date matters to an inspection decision. Decide who is allowed to submit the certificate and who reviews the inspection that follows. Keep the supplier document with the quality case rather than relying on an unattached copy in an inbox.

For the first operating cycle, use one real incoming case with a certificate and a check that refers to the component requirement. The team should be able to find the same inspection from the certificate and from the review queue. Agree where a reviewer records a failure discovered in the certificate evidence.

Attach a certificate to a selected incoming inspection. Confirm that the supplier, component, type and expiry date match the file. Submit the certificate, then open the linked inspection as the Quality Reviewer. Check the requirement results and supplier evidence together before the acceptance or rejection decision. If the scope fails, follow the inspection into its linked nonconformance.

Try a case with an incorrect component code or missing attachment during rehearsal. The team should correct the certificate record before it is used as evidence for review. The corrected record should still point to the intended operational inspection.

• Supplier certificates by expiry — Certificate dates, suppliers and components beside their inspections.
• Inspections awaiting review — Inspection cases submitted for a reviewer decision.

See supplier evidence and inspection review.