ISO 9001 Clause 8.5.3, “Property belonging to customers or external providers,” focuses on the responsibility of an organization to ensure the proper care and control of a customer’s or external provider’s property. Here’s an explanation and an example:
Explanation of Clause 8.5.3 Property Belonging to Customers or External Providers
- Property Identification: The organization must identify, verify, protect, and safeguard customer or externally provided property. This property could include materials, components, tooling, samples, drawings, credit card information, or equipment supplied by customers or external providers.
- Traceability and Documentation: If traceability is a requirement, the organization must establish and maintain procedures to ensure the identification and traceability of a customer’s or external provider’s property.
- Care and Maintenance: The organization cares for customer property while under control. This includes ensuring that customer property is adequately maintained, preserved, and, when necessary, safeguarded.
- Reporting of Loss or Damage: If customer property is lost, deteriorated, or damaged, the organization must report this to the customer and maintain documented information.
Manufacturing Company Example of Clause 8.5.3
A manufacturing company that produces customized machinery for industrial clients. In this context:
- Customer-provided Components: If a customer provides specific components, drawings, tooling, or raw materials for the machinery, the manufacturer must carefully identify and segregate these items in its inventory.
- Traceability: The machinery may have critical components the customer provides, and traceability is crucial. The company establishes a system to trace which customer-provided components are used in each machinery unit.
- Maintenance and Safeguarding: If the machinery requires testing or calibration using customer-provided equipment, the company ensures that these tools are regularly maintained and calibrated to guarantee accurate results.
- Loss or Damage Reporting: If any customer-provided components are damaged or lost during the production process, the company follows documented procedures to promptly report these incidents to the customer.
ISO 9001:2015 Clause 8.5.3 Property Belonging to Customers or External Providers
Clause 8.5.3 of ISO 9001, property belonging to customers or external providers, highlights an organization’s obligation to guarantee the appropriate protection, handling, and management of property provided by customers or third parties.
