What is the role of a Quality Auditor in maintaining a Lean supply chain?

All answers to this question.

In a JIT environment, you are no longer just auditing for "conformance to specs"—you are auditing for process stability. A supplier might produce a good part today, but if their process is erratic, they’ll eventually send you a bad batch that stops your line. Look for their CPK (Process Capability Index) values; if they are barely hitting 1.33, they are a risk. Another red flag is a lack of Visual Management on their shop floor. If they can’t see their own problems in real-time, they won't catch them before the parts reach you. You should shift from periodic audits to a "Supplier Quality Engineering" partnership where you help them improve their own internal controls.

   Answered 2025-01-19 by Kimberly Evans

That's a great point about process stability. But how do we handle the "Late Delivery" aspect during a quality audit? Is that technically part of a Quality Auditor's scope?

   Answered 2025-01-21 by Charles Baker

• Charles, in a Lean world, Delivery is a Quality attribute. If a part arrives late, it has a quality of zero because it can't be used. During your audit, look at their "Schedule Attainment" metrics and their maintenance logs for critical machinery. If their machines are constantly breaking down (low OEE - Overall Equipment Effectiveness), their delivery will inevitably fail. An auditor should check if the supplier has a robust TPM (Total Productive Maintenance) program. If they don't maintain their equipment, they are a high-risk vendor for a JIT system, regardless of how good their lab samples look.

     Commented 2025-01-23 by Kimberly Evans

Always check the Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ) at the supplier's site. If they have high internal scrap rates, it's only a matter of time before that scrap ends up in your shipment

   Answered 2025-01-25 by Patricia Young

• Patricia is right. A supplier with high scrap is a supplier with an out-of-control process. It's the biggest red flag there is in a Lean supply chain audit.

     Commented 2025-01-26 by Mark Thompson