What would you do after a supplier process changes?
Find which parts and assemblies need review after a coating change.
The question
In this fictional project, a supplier proposes moving the coating cure for an avionics mounting plate to a second site to shorten lead time.
- Supplier proposalNew cure site. The part drawing revision stays the same.
- Incoming reportMeasured dimensions meet the drawing.
- Project procedureEngineering and quality must review this process change before any parts made under it are installed.
“What would you do after a supplier process changes?”
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A strong answer, step by step
Open each step in turn. This is one strong answer, not the only one.
Step 1: What does the incoming report establish?
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Treat the drawing revision as proof that the process stayed the same.
Tempting, but it misses something. The supplier explicitly proposed changing the cure site.
Record what passed and request process and lot evidence.
The strong move. This separates the dimension check from the process review.
Reject the idea before checking the supplier evidence.
Tempting, but it misses something. A review can evaluate the proposal and retain the schedule option.
See how a strong candidate says it
“It shows the measured dimensions meet the drawing. Check the changed cure process, site evidence, lot identity and approval record separately.”
Why it works: The dimensions describe the measured shape. They leave the new process and its approval open.
Step 2: How would you handle the lead-time benefit?
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Ask the owners to review the process before parts are installed.
The strong move. This preserves the option without treating the proposed date as approval.
Use the new process first and document it later.
Tempting, but it misses something. This skips the project’s stated review before installation.
Repeat the dimensional check as the sole condition for use.
Tempting, but it misses something. That check cannot show how the change affected coating performance.
See how a strong candidate says it
“Keep the faster option in the schedule review. Wait for the engineering and quality decision before allowing installation from that process.”
Why it works: The project procedure assigns the release decision to the review owners.
Step 3: Which parts and assemblies do you include?
The receiving record shows 14 parts made with the changed process. 5 are fitted in 5 identified ground-test assemblies, 7 are in stores and 2 were consumed as destructive test samples. There is no recorded change approval.
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Set aside only the seven in stores.
Tempting, but it misses something. Five other parts are already in identified assemblies.
Count 12 and remove the consumed samples from the record.
Tempting, but it misses something. The samples remain part of the lot history and its evidence.
Trace all 14 to their current status and notify the decision owners.
The strong move. This accounts for the installed parts, stock and used samples.
See how a strong candidate says it
“Reconcile all 14. Stop further use of the seven in stores and the five affected ground-test assemblies. Retain the records of the two consumed samples and notify engineering and quality.”
Why it works: The lot record covers installed, stored and consumed parts. It gives the scope of the review.
Step 4: What would you give the review owners?
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Send the trace and evidence with the missing decision identified.
The strong move. The owners can review the actual changed lot.
Release the fitted assemblies after a second dimension check.
Tempting, but it misses something. The process change still needs its own review.
Assume all supplier lots used the same process.
Tempting, but it misses something. Use the verified lot records to determine the scope.
See how a strong candidate says it
“Share the lot and assembly IDs, the test sample records and the available process evidence. Ask engineering and quality to decide how to handle the affected parts.”
Why it works: This gives the owners the evidence and identifies the unresolved approval.
The answer, in short
- Decision
- Trace the full lot and take the affected parts to the review owners.
- Because
- The process change reached stores and ground-test assemblies before an approval was recorded.
- What would change it
- A verified approval, evidence tying parts to a different lot, or the review owners’ decision.
Common traps
- Treating an unchanged drawing as an unchanged process.
- Counting only parts still on the shelf.
Check your answer
- What was the change?
- Which records identify the lot?
- Where are all 14 parts?
- Who decides what happens next?
Last reviewed Nov 11, 2026