Ok this started a few months ago but it came to a head today. Little back story about prints in question.
When the customer brought the prints in we looked at them and found that they couldn't be right as in if you use his numbers to construct a model they can't all fit. Think defining all 3 sides of a triangle but not using math to reference the 3rd side. So it took me (production manager) my coworker (plant supervisor) and the owner to get him to understand we can't make these to "print". If we were allowed to fudge one number(on a clearance angle) we can make it work. He says OK and we reluctantly start making them only a couple of each though since PS and I don't think this is going to end well. We tell him we have some samples and to get an ok from his customer. They work so we run em'.
So that what we were doing for each new size we run a sample set get the customer ok and bang them out. Well about a 1 1/2 months ago the customer decided that this was not fast enough so he brought us the print that they were checking it with. That's right they were not even checking the parts with a caliper or anything they would put a print over a light box throw our part up and if the holes and outside profile fit it was good. Internally checking +/-0.005 to the print that they gave us but he says check it with the print and run it no need to do the test cycle. So we ended up doing both check it with a caliper and the first few with the print.
So we are working with the original dimension prints and these light box prints that have no other information on them, no part number no rev nothing just a shape.
So he comes in picks up 50 of the latest parts brings them to the customer and they reject them. He brings them back and say customer rejects them here is the light box print they used. We throw them up and ya our holes don't match. So we get out the measuring tools and start measuring to see where we went wrong and damn it our numbers match the print to +/-0.003 MAX. So now were scratching our heads why don't these parts match. We get out our lightbox print and they are bang on.
Call the customer to come see what we found walk him though how to measure the parts show him our light box print and then the one he originally gave us he sees we are right to the print we have.
So as it turns out the end customer changed the drawing with an updated revision AFTER they sent the parts out to get made. They never told our customer and they never told us. They just rejected the parts when they came in.
So now here is the discussion between the PS and I. We agree that we want to remake the parts but I say we should not have to eat the entire cost of these now scrapped parts because we made the parts to print and its not our fault that they changed their mind after the fact without telling anyone. He says we should just shut up eat it this time but next time this customer comes in we will think about either getting our money back with added cost or just telling him no if he doesn't like the price.
So what would you do?
Just eat the cost and maybe make it up later?
Try to get at least partial payment for what is technically a good order?
When the customer brought the prints in we looked at them and found that they couldn't be right as in if you use his numbers to construct a model they can't all fit. Think defining all 3 sides of a triangle but not using math to reference the 3rd side. So it took me (production manager) my coworker (plant supervisor) and the owner to get him to understand we can't make these to "print". If we were allowed to fudge one number(on a clearance angle) we can make it work. He says OK and we reluctantly start making them only a couple of each though since PS and I don't think this is going to end well. We tell him we have some samples and to get an ok from his customer. They work so we run em'.
So that what we were doing for each new size we run a sample set get the customer ok and bang them out. Well about a 1 1/2 months ago the customer decided that this was not fast enough so he brought us the print that they were checking it with. That's right they were not even checking the parts with a caliper or anything they would put a print over a light box throw our part up and if the holes and outside profile fit it was good. Internally checking +/-0.005 to the print that they gave us but he says check it with the print and run it no need to do the test cycle. So we ended up doing both check it with a caliper and the first few with the print.
So we are working with the original dimension prints and these light box prints that have no other information on them, no part number no rev nothing just a shape.
So he comes in picks up 50 of the latest parts brings them to the customer and they reject them. He brings them back and say customer rejects them here is the light box print they used. We throw them up and ya our holes don't match. So we get out the measuring tools and start measuring to see where we went wrong and damn it our numbers match the print to +/-0.003 MAX. So now were scratching our heads why don't these parts match. We get out our lightbox print and they are bang on.
Call the customer to come see what we found walk him though how to measure the parts show him our light box print and then the one he originally gave us he sees we are right to the print we have.
So as it turns out the end customer changed the drawing with an updated revision AFTER they sent the parts out to get made. They never told our customer and they never told us. They just rejected the parts when they came in.
So now here is the discussion between the PS and I. We agree that we want to remake the parts but I say we should not have to eat the entire cost of these now scrapped parts because we made the parts to print and its not our fault that they changed their mind after the fact without telling anyone. He says we should just shut up eat it this time but next time this customer comes in we will think about either getting our money back with added cost or just telling him no if he doesn't like the price.
So what would you do?
Just eat the cost and maybe make it up later?
Try to get at least partial payment for what is technically a good order?