Purchasing

This is a mixed bag of good business practice with a throwback to the prescriptive past.  It is a three part element; purchasing process (the good bit), purchasing information and verification of purchased product (the throwbacks).

The process is very open ended and enables the organisation to deal with purchasing decisions as they see fit.  The standard reads; an organisation will ensure that purchased product conforms to specified purchase requirements.  The type and extent of control applied to the supplier and the purchased product is dependent upon the effect of the purchased product on subsequent product realisation or the final product.

Rather simple really.  Whilst a documented procedure is not required, I would always have one to ensure authorities levels are defined or referenced and to give an overview of the process involved.
Then more importantly is the review of suppliers.  In a previous version of the standard, this had its own sub element and was the fixation of many auditors trying to get companies to rate suppliers on some sort of convoluted machination.  Thankfully no more.  Just good business practices.  I wouldn’t have a standalone procedure (unless warranted by the complexity) but if you have a purchasing procedure (or at least a process), the review and acceptance of supplier should be an integral component.

The standard talks about; a company evaluates and selects suppliers based on their ability to supply product in accordance with company requirements.  Criteria for selection, evaluation and re-evaluation are established.  Records of the results of evaluations and any necessary actions arising from the evaluation are maintained.  The sting being, records must be generated.  Don’t get hung up on questionnaires, audits reports, etc (of course, unless warranted) but at least identify the records that are generated that verify the review activities.  These can include minutes of meetings, emails, etc.  I also like a supplier list and reviewing it in management review meetings.

The rest of this element is trite.  Make sure you address the requirements in your process or procedure, but if you have robust purchasing processes, you will cover them as a matter of course.
The standard says; Purchasing information describes the product to be purchased, including where appropriate a) requirements for approval of product, procedures, processes and equipment, b) requirements for qualification of personnel, and c) quality management system requirements.  A company ensures the adequacy of specified purchase requirements prior to their communication to the supplier.  And it then goes on to describe; verification of purchased product.  A company has established and will implement the inspection or other activities necessary for ensuring that purchased product meets specified purchase requirements.  Where a company or its customer intends to perform verification at the supplier's premises, company will state the intended verification arrangements and method of product release in the purchasing information.

My head hurts.  Perhaps I should have made this blog a two parter.