| Since I've been around the quality field for a | | | | So imagine how the relationship environment felt |
| quarter-century now, I've seen tremendous | | | | when there was a problem, and I was sent in to |
| improvements in technology and hardware, | | | | analyze the conditions and before leaving arrive at |
| equipment and design along with increased | | | | a solution that wouldn't cost our company any |
| awareness of the difference between accuracy | | | | time or money. If there was a clear process |
| and precision. But interestingly enough, one area | | | | issue, it became an instant blame situation. I had |
| has seemed to stay virtually the same. | | | | already set the condition of blame because they |
| The relationship side of business has always been | | | | should have identified the problem and stopped it |
| complex, largely because we were taught our | | | | before product was delivered. Or, it seemed that |
| business and our personal lives shouldn't mix. In | | | | way to me... |
| other words, the people involved in any type of | | | | One particular situation comes to mind as I write |
| an endeavor were considered to be an extension | | | | this and it had to do with a dimensional |
| of the process and were there for the effect and | | | | discrepancy on a molding that was being used on |
| not the cause. Which is actually a demeaning | | | | the outside of a vehicle. It was felt by our group |
| condition which is never tolerated in a social | | | | that the variance in molding width was causing a |
| setting, but is the daily experience of many who | | | | paint masking line to be exposed. Phone calls were |
| turn ideas into the products our customers pay | | | | initiated in a white hot effort to set the blame |
| for. | | | | before the actual conditions were realized. The |
| I am a quality systems lead auditor and work | | | | short of a long story was the actual cause of the |
| directly with a supplier base that provides | | | | defect was shared between supplier and |
| materials and services to my company allowing | | | | customer by width variance and paint line |
| our overlay and machined products to meet the | | | | misplacement. But the initial barrage of blame |
| nuclear industry requirement 10CFR50 Appendix B | | | | communication caused a real strain on the |
| that is required by our customer. | | | | relationship with this supplier and caused more |
| This type of business relationship situation has | | | | problems as our contract with them went along. |
| traditionally been adversarial due to the different | | | | My point in this is pretty straightforward...the |
| levels of understanding and interpretation of the | | | | relationship is the most important issue and |
| specification by both the customer and the | | | | guarding and maintaining it becomes the primary |
| supplier. One way to really strain a relationship | | | | objective for all concerned. |
| with a partner company is to just "show up" to | | | | I have a collaborative approach when I approach |
| check for process compliance to a standard that | | | | an audit or a visit with a supplier. I am constantly |
| isn't commonly understood, or at best understood | | | | confronted with the "audit syndrome" of the |
| on several different levels. I was actually taught in | | | | expectation of finding something wrong, and it can |
| the early years of my vendor surveillance training | | | | take a little effort to get past the wall of blame |
| that conflict was good, and cut through the bullshit | | | | expectation, but it my experience is that any and |
| to get at the truth of what might actually be | | | | all effort made in this regard pays mega dividends |
| going on. Suppliers were never honest and | | | | for both parties. |
| forthcoming, but always had something to hide. | | | | |