Jana,

I've really missed our interesting conversations. You know how I feel about
incoming inspections. I needn't repeat they should be abandoned entirely.
You know how I feel about DFM/CE and the highly manufacturable designs that
should come from their processes. You also know that I revere good supplier
evaluation and qualification processes and procedures. Hell, is there anyone
who doesn't know how I feel and does it matter?

In the good old days, besides the other MIL documents I've discussed, there
was another named MIL-I-45208. When a supplier couldn't conform to some
other requirements assuring process control was being effected, some
customers allowed inspections to be performed.

In all cases, inspections performed - whether at incoming, in process, or at
final - required results to be correlated with customer contract
requirements as drawings and/or specifications. Again, in all cases, when
defects were found, exceeding acceptance criteria, corrective action was
required. Sound familiar - as in ISO 9000? Anyway, if corrective action
yielded defects, contracts were cancelled at some point.

Customer incoming inspections could be used to find defect, but it was
highly desirable, to continue good supplier/customer relations, that they
were caught at least at final. Another inspection technique was using source
inspectors at the supplier site to assist in finding defect or approving
specified quality. You may think in these terms.

But, as Daan has said, and everyone in the free world knows, you can't
inspect quality into product. In this light, how much abuse does one have to
endure before something affecting adverse quality is done. Do you change the
design, process, or both? It's up to the customer and when the right
decision is made, life is better as quality improves.

MIL-Q-9858A (another AAAAAA) is available in the paper back version
(actually .pdf) from you local SITNET dealer. It's just for interest's sake.

Enjoy Jana,

Earl

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