Supplier Quality Manual
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Purpose
The purpose of this manual is to clearly define the requirements of Martin’s Rubber with respect to our Suppliers’ Quality Systems and practices in support of our Quality Policy.
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Scope
The contents of this manual apply to all suppliers of components, tooling, material, and services either directly or indirectly associated with Martin’s Rubber.
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Contract
For the purposes of this document, a contract should be considered as any mechanism through which Martin’s Rubber has engaged with the supplier in order to provide raw material or to perform work on our behalf. This may be in the form of a standard Purchase Order (PO) or an independent supplier agreement.
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Requirements
4.1 Quality Management System (QMS) Requirements
Suppliers should have a documented Quality Management System (QMS) in place that meets the requirements of ISO 9001 or relevant standards and includes the below:
- Documented quality policy and objectives
- Identification of key processes and their interactions
- Documented procedures for controlling documents and records
- Processes for identifying and addressing risks and opportunities
- Monitoring, measurement, analysis, and improvement processes
The Supplier minimum requirements can be found below:
- Manufacture of finished parts ISO9001
- Subcontractor of processes ISO9001
- Subcontractor of testing ISO17025 or ISO9001
- Materials ISO9001
- Maintenance & Calibration As appropriate
- Service External Provider As appropriate
- Other (must be detailed in scope) Martin’s Rubber Approval
For Suppliers that do not meet the minimum quality certification, the following requirements should be met for the Supplier to be authorised:
- Supplier is mandated by our customer, or the raw material/finished product/service can only be purchased from a single source.
- Supplier provides a product or service that has no direct or indirect effect on the products and services Martin’s Rubber provides.
- Supplier can demonstrate that they will meet and maintain appropriate level of quality requirements.
4.2 Additional Requirements
Right of Access: Martin’s Rubber reserves the right to access supplier facilities, processes, and records related to products and services provided to ensure compliance with contractual requirements and applicable standards.
Document Retention: Suppliers must retain documented information, including but not limited to, records of product/service conformity, for 10 years or as required by applicable laws and regulations.
Awareness: Suppliers must ensure that individuals involved in the provision of products and services are aware of:
- Their contribution to product or service conformity.
- Their contribution to product safety.
- The importance of ethical behaviour in all aspects of their work. Ethical behaviour includes, but is not limited to, policies around child labour, modern slavery, bribery, discrimination, harassment & bullying.
4.3 Information Supply & Contract Review
It is the responsibility of Martin’s Rubber to provide all necessary information in relation to any product being manufactured or service provided by the Supplier.
The Supplier must ensure they have all the information they require at the commencement of any contract and have thoroughly reviewed all the requirements to enable the on-time delivery of fully conforming product. During the contract review stage, the supplier shall examine all technical documentation, such as specifications, secondary operations, approved suppliers, drawings and CAD Data for feasibility; the supplier is required to inform Martin’s Rubber of any defects or risks during this process. If the supplier has any recommendations to improve the product, reduce the risk or propose an alternative method of manufacture, Martin’s Rubber is open to receive recommendations for review, initially through the buyer’s channel.
Where any ambiguity exists over any instruction, verbal or written, this should be taken up in the first instance with the buyer, who will either answer the question or give the contact details of the relevant personnel. It is the Supplier’s responsibility to clarify any ambiguities which may affect product quality or on time delivery prior to commencement of work.
All products should be supplied with conformance to the defined Martin’s Rubber specifications. Other specific requirements will be highlighted on the Martin’s Rubber purchase order
The supplier must ensure that there is an adequate flow-down of contract requirements to Sub-tier Suppliers.
Quality levels ensure the right level of documentation supplied and are detailed as follows:
- Level 1 – Item Traceability and Certificate of Conformity required
- Level 2 – Batch Traceability and Certificate of Conformity Required
- Level 3 – Order Traceability required
4.4 Suppliers Control of Sub-Contractors
It is the Martin’s Rubber Supplier’s responsibility to ensure that any subcontracted operations conform to requirements and specifications. The Supplier should use an effective quality system to ensure product meets requirements.
Where a Supplier of Finished Goods is to sub-contract the operation, process or procedure, the Supplier must seek approval from Martins Rubber Purchasing department and is expected to use a certified ISO9001 and approved external provider. It is the supplier’s responsibility to confirm that the parts meet specification before shipping to Martin’s Rubber by way of confirming process results through documentation and test results produced by the suppliers as specified in the associated specification on the drawing. Any non-conformance associated with parts not meeting specification will be attributable to the supplier as per 5.8.
4.5 Order Process
Before placement of any Order, Martin’s Rubber will require a full quotation for the scope of work to be completed. The supplier’s quotation should include all costs associated with the completion of the proposed package of work, with any non-recurring costs quoted separately. The supplier quotation must clearly state anything that is required from Martin’s Rubber, for example tooling or inspection equipment.
Orders will be confirmed by the issuing of a Purchase Order.
4.6 Delivery Requirements
It is expected that all goods will be delivered on the due date specified on the Purchase Order, which is the date that the Supplier will be measured against (see section 7 below). If the date cannot be achieved after contract commencement, then the Martin’s Rubber buyer should be informed immediately.
All goods delivered to Martin’s Rubber should be accompanied by a delivery note with the following information stated as a minimum.
- Supplier company name
- Supplier address
- Supplier contact name (in the case of query)
- Supplier contact telephone number
- Delivery note number (a supplier generated unique number)
- Martin’s Rubber purchase order number
- The full Martin’s Rubber part number (against each purchase order number)
- The quantity delivered (against each purchase order number)
Labelling on packages should include part number and all other relevant information to identify the specific batch, including but not limited to PO number.
Note that the quantity delivered should match each line number, for example if there are two purchase order lines for 12 units each and 14 units are to be delivered, 12 units should be shipped against the first line and 2 against the second line. Each batch of components should be segregated and will be receipted against the separate purchase order line to maintain traceability.
All delivered batches of components should be packaged and labelled separately; this applies whether delivering multiple batches of the same component or batches of different components.
Every delivery must have a physical or Electronic (Email) copy of all associated information.
For the instance where records are to be supplied via email, the supplier is to ensure that all documentation and completed forms are sent to [email protected]. A printed copy of forms is also to accompany each batch delivery if an email is not being sent.
Where batches are split, it is the supplier’s responsibility to ensure that a complete set of documentation is sent with each batch.
Any non-conforming components being delivered under concession must be separately packaged and labelled to include a copy of the completed concession (see section 5.15, 5.12).
Over delivery will only be accepted with prior approval from the Martin’s Rubber buyer. Any over delivery sent without approval will be assumed to be free of charge and only the order quantity will be booked in and cleared for payment.
4.7 Traceability
(Supply of Raw Materials, Finished Parts, Subcontracted Processes)
Unless otherwise stated in writing, Martin’s Rubber requires full material and process traceability regarding the manufacturing of all components for both batch and serial numbered parts. Full traceability is required for raw material and processing operations. Therefore, batch traceable components should be made from one batch of material and all items should be processed as one batch. If multiple batches of material are used, there should be a clear segregation of batches and CofCs delivered accordingly.
4.8 Equipment Control and Assurance
(Supply of Raw Materials, Finished Parts, Subcontracted Processes)
All equipment used during the process to manufacture, test and inspect must be suitable for function and capable of producing product to required specifications.
All equipment, including all measurement and test equipment, must be maintained, calibrated and inspected where applicable at suitable intervals to prevent equipment malfunction and degradation.
All measurement and test equipment should be calibrated with established frequency and be traceable to National Standards.
All records of equipment maintenance and calibration should be stored for a suitable period.
Equipment which is out of calibration must be quarantined and prevented from being used.
4.9 Process Controls and Assurance
(Supply of Raw Materials, Finished Parts, Subcontracted Processes)
The supplier’s quality system must provide adequate process control to ensure product conformance.
It is the supplier’s responsibility to notify Martin’s Rubber of changes to processes, products or servicing including changes of their external providers or location of manufacture and obtain our approval.
It is the Supplier’s Responsibility to Implement Suitable Process Control
Any process control documents that are generated must be traceable to component level.
Any equipment process controls must be maintained and calibrated at suitable intervals.
4.10 Product Identification
(Raw Materials, Finished Parts, Subcontracted Processes)
All items intended for delivery to Martin’s Rubber must be identified in a suitable manner as per the drawing. Metallic items should be labelled or engraved as per drawing. Storage, packaging and labelling methods must comply with common practices and in accordance with any specific requirements made on Martin’s Rubber Purchase Order.
4.11 Preservation of Product
(Raw Materials, Finished Parts, Subcontracted Processes)
Martin’s Rubber requests that its Suppliers have suitable practices to ensure the integrity of product from receipt to shipment. Suppliers should ensure that internal handling practices are suitable and consistent to prevent damage. Suppliers should have adequate storage practices. Suppliers should use appropriate packaging for logistics and shipment to prevent damage or deterioration of product. Suppliers should ensure that metallic components are adequately protected from corrosion.
General Material Storage Requirements
- All material must be stored in a clean, dry location
- All material must be clearly labelled
- All material must be adequately segregated to prevent mixing of material.
Storage, packaging and labelling methods must comply with common practices and any specific requirements made on Martin’s Rubber Purchase Order if provided.
4.12 Inspection and Testing
(Supply of Raw Materials, Finished Parts, Subcontracted Processes)
It is the Supplier’s responsibility to ensure the product meets specification and requirements. Where applicable the Supplier should implement suitable inspection and test capabilities to ensure that the parts conform to specification and to verify process effectiveness. Acceptance/reject criteria should be defined.
Where inspection and test activity are performed, the inspection and test requirements including any critical dimensions, sample sizes and methods used should be defined to ensure consistency.
Where applicable Martin’s Rubber may request inspection reports to be provided with parts.
Martin’s Rubber may inspect the Supplied parts and materials, and if these do not meet the requirements, a Rejection Note will be raised by [email protected]. The rejection will advise whether replacement of parts or a credit note is required.
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Deviations from Requirements
5.1 Control of Non-conforming Material
(Raw Materials, Finished Parts, Subcontracted Processes)
Suppliers shall maintain a documented process which specifies how non-conforming product is identified, quarantined, and reacted to. Also, Suppliers shall have a documented process which describes how the organisation prevents the unintended use of non-conforming material. It is expected that:
- All non-conformances that are identified should be recorded.
- Non-conforming material should be clearly labelled.
Non-conforming material should be segregated to prevent it from being mixed with conforming material.
All processes and activity used in rectification of non-conforming material must be documented, recorded and traceable to the component.
Martin’s Rubber will accept requests for concessions as per 5.9 Supplier Concession Process
5.2 Corrective Action Process
(Supply of Raw Materials, Finished Parts, Subcontracted Processes)
Martin’s Rubber requires its Suppliers to have a documented and effective Corrective Action Process that identifies the root cause of non-conformances and implements suitable actions as to prevent the re-occurrence of such issues. The process must be equally applicable to non-conformances found internally as well as those reported by the Customer. The supplier is liable for all costs to correct the non-conformance.
Supplier-caused non-conformances found at Martin’s Rubber will be documented using a Corrective Action Report which will be communicated to the Supplier for completion. Martin’s Rubber will expect the supplier to conduct an investigation and root cause analysis, and put in place the necessary corrective and preventive measures within 3 weeks.
5.3 Counterfeit, Unapproved or Suspected Unapproved Product Prevention
(Raw Materials, Finished Parts, Subcontracted Processes)
Where appropriate, the supplier shall establish and maintain counterfeit parts and material prevention, and a control plan to ensure that counterfeit parts or materials are not delivered.
5.4 Supplier Concession Process
(Raw Materials, Finished Parts, Subcontracted Processes)
A Supplier will not knowingly ship product that deviates from the drawing, specification, or design without prior written authorisation from Martin’s Rubber. It is the responsibility of the Supplier to initiate a Concession or Production Permit. This must be submitted to [email protected] or Martin’s Rubber buyer as soon as possible to ensure delivery dates are not affected. This is also applicable for test pieces, test results etc. Suppliers that wish to ship parts without test pieces and test results which are required, must first apply for a concession to do so. This process includes components with cosmetic defects which are deemed acceptable during manufacture or on completion by the supplier.
5.5 Scrap Process
(Raw Materials, Finished Parts, Subcontracted Processes)
If the component is deemed unacceptable, the scrap is to be de-faced and disposed of either by the supplier if the concession has been rejected in the first place, or at Martin’s Rubber if the concession has been initially accepted but parts deemed unacceptable after inspection at Martin’s Rubber. The component will then be de-faced and disposed of unless requested to be returned to the supplier by the supplier.
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Invoice Payment
Supplier invoices will be paid in accordance with Martin’s Rubber terms of payment, for all accepted goods (including items accepted on concession for all applications). For prompt payment, all invoices submitted to Martin’s Rubber must contain the following minimum information.
- Supplier company name
- Supplier address
- Supplier contact name (in the case of query)
- Supplier contact telephone number or email address
- Invoice number (a supplier generated unique number)
- Invoice date
- Delivery note number
- Martin’s Rubber purchase order number
- The full Martin’s Rubber part number (against each purchase order number)
- The quantity delivered (against each purchase order number)
- The unit price (against each purchase order number)
- The total invoice value.
Any invoice that features a variance to the Martin’s Rubber purchase order must be accompanied with documented evidence to justify this variance; failure to do this is likely to result in delayed payment.
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Supplier Management
Martin’s Rubber only use approved Suppliers who demonstrate the capability to provide the required goods and services. Several factors have influence when selecting suppliers to carry out work for Martin’s Rubber. The supplier will be evaluated against innovation, quality, delivery, support, cost and contract terms.
7.1 Supplier Approval
Martin’s Rubber has in place a standardised supplier initial assessment form. The initial assessment form will be sent to the Supplier for completion and is used to evaluate the Supplier in accordance with the requirements of this document.
7.2 Supplier Performance Monitoring – Scorecard Methodology
Martin’s Rubber measures its Suppliers’ Performance to aid decision making and continuous improvement. Suppliers will be monitored in terms of competitive pricing, delivered quality and on-time delivery performance.
Suppliers will be scored against all 5 areas of interest as specified and recorded on the Supplier Scorecard Report below.
- Innovation
- Quality
- Delivery
- Support
- Cost/Contract
A Supplier ‘Total Quality Score’ measure is calculated using a weighted average of these scores.
This measure is expressed as a final percentage and is used to categorise Suppliers against set standards; measures are regularly reviewed by Martin’s Rubber internal stakeholders.
Total Quality Performance Category Rating
≥ 80% Class A – Preferred
≥ 50% & < 80% Class B – Acceptable
< 50% Class C – Development Required
Where development is required, contact the Martin’s Rubber Quality Department [email protected] for guidance on a support plan to improve your rating.
7.3 Supplier Reassessment
Martin’s Rubber may decide to perform a Supplier assessment at any time or, for example, under the following conditions:
- Key Supplier
- Change of Scope
- Change of Premises
- Poor Supplier Performance
Suppliers will be notified in advance of Martin’s Rubber’s intent to perform a Supplier assessment. This assessment may include an audit of the Supplier, in which case a mutually convenient date will be agreed.
7.4 Removal of Supplier Approval
If a supplier fails to perform against any of the criteria stated above, then Martin’s Rubber reserves the right to limit the scope of supply or cease trading with the supplier (except for any pre-defined contractual obligations). In the normal course of business, the supplier may be offered the opportunity to rectify the situation without the need for disengagement. In the example of an unsatisfactory quality assessment then the supplier may be given a period to propose and implement corrective actions to any findings identified.
It should be noted that the essence of any contract between Martin’s Rubber and its Suppliers is based on continued competitive pricing, delivered quality and on-time delivery performance.
Version: 3.0
Prepared by: Georgios Petropoulos
Published Date :April 25
Uncontrolled if printed. Refer to controlled document
