General overview of 8D process

The general idea of the 8D process from supplier perspective, is to conduct the complaint process with easy steps:

• fill the information at subsequent steps
• send it for approval 
• after approval - move to next steps and fill required information further
• above process will repeat until step 8D

IMPORTANT:

The steps mentioned above have strictly defined completion times, both for the supplier and the Buyer/QA. The default reaction times are shown in the table below:

In specific cases, these completion times can be manually adjusted by the Buyer/QA.

Complaint Process - Step by Step

EMAIL NOTIFICATION AND LOGGING INTO THE PLATFORM

Upon receiving an email notification about the creation of a new complaint, the supplier clicks on the link to be directed to the login screen of the Nextbuy platform.

After entering login and password, the supplier is taken to a view with a list of complaints that have been submitted to their company.

The view presents the complaints from newest to oldest. Another important piece of information on the list is the current status of the complaint, such as:

• D1 - new complaint. Steps D1 to D3 are awaiting completion by the supplier.
• Status color also matters:
  • Orange - the deadline for completing steps D1-D3 has not been exceeded.
  • Red - the deadline for completing steps has been exceeded.
  • Green - the steps have been accepted by the recipient.

CLAIM HEADER

By clicking on the complaint name, the supplier is taken to the detailed view of the submission. The header view is divided into 5 sections:

1. Basic Information - includes the reason for the complaint, the complaint number, and the relevant order number.
2. Claim Details - contains detailed information about the item/service being complained about, including the delivery date concerned.
3. Attachments - contains links to documents/photos attached by the QA team, showing the reason for the complaint.
4. Costs - if the complaint involves additional costs to the supplier, such information will be presented here.
5. Claim Deadlines - contains information about the deadlines for providing the necessary data for the steps in the complaint process.

IMPORTANT:

The information available in the complaint header is not editable by the supplier - it is for informational purposes only. To start the complaint process, the supplier must navigate to the D1 tab.

STEPS D1-D3 - Starting the Complaint Process

After navigating to the D1 tab, the supplier is asked to fill in the information about the team members who will participate in the complaint process from their side.

To start adding team members, click on the 'pencil' icon:

To add another team member, click on the '+' icon and fill in the required details such as:

• First Name
• Last Name
• Position
• Email
• Phone
• Department

To save the entered data, click on the green 'checkmark' icon.

After filling in all the personal details of the team members involved in the complaint process, the supplier should proceed to step D2.

To start entering data, similar to step D1, click on the 'pencil' icon.

The form is divided into four sections:

1. What? - The supplier should confirm which component/product/service the complaint pertains to.
2. Where? - The supplier should confirm the location related to the complaint.
3. When? - The supplier should indicate the date of the reported complaint.
4. How Big? - If the complaint is related to incorrect dimensions of the component.

After filling in the sections related to the complaint, the supplier should proceed to the form for step D3.

Step D3 contains three sections that the supplier should fill in concerning the conducted complaint:

1. Material at the owner's location
2. Material at the supplier's location
3. Material in transit

Entering data in all sections is mandatory - without this, the system will not allow to submit steps D1-D3 for approval by the Buyer/QA.

Important:

If no actions will be taken regarding a specific location/transit in the context of the conducted complaint, the section should be filled in with the following entries:

• Status - Select 'Not Applicable'
• Description - Manually enter 'Not Applicable'
• Completion Date - Leave the field blank
• Team Member - Leave the field blank

After correctly filling in the data, the supplier submits steps D1-D3 for approval by the Buyer/QA. To do this, click on the   button.

Now the process is awaiting approval by the Buyer/QA. If the person responsible for the complaint reviews the content of steps D1-D3 and approves them, the system will notify the supplier of the decision via email. The status of the complaint will be changed to , and the supplier can proceed to fill in steps D4-D5.

If the Buyer/QA decides to reject steps D1-D3 and request changes, the system will send such a notification to the supplier via email. The status of the complaint will be changed accordingly to .

A comment on the decision along with any possible attachments is now available for the Supplier by clicking the button and navigating to the 'History' tab and clicking on the 'paperclip' icon.

This window contains the comment on the Buyer/QA's decision and presents a list of attachments added to the decision.

After reviewing the content, the supplier should make the corrections indicated by the Buyer and resend steps D1-D3 for re-approval by clicking the  button again.

Step D4 - Root Causes

In this step, the supplier is asked to identify the root cause of the problem that led to the complaint. The view includes the following sections:

• Root Causes

• Percentage Contribution: If there are multiple sources of the problem, they should be listed and their percentage contributions proportionally assigned. Important! The sum of percentage points must equal 100% - otherwise, the system will not allow sending step D4 for approval.
• Problem Description: Here, the supplier must descriptively state what is or is not the cause of the problem.
• Complaint Causes: Options to select 'External/Internal'.
• Location: If it is possible to indicate the place where the problem originated, this field should be filled.2.Supplier's Decision - Complaint Rejection

• Supplier decision - rejection of claim - The supplier must decide whether to:

• Yes - Acknowledge the complaint and take responsibility. This answer will lead to the next steps in the complaint process, i.e., D5-D8.
• No - The supplier believes they are not the source of the problem reported in the complaint. This answer - upon Buyer/QA acceptance - will result in the end of the complaint process and its automatic closure at step D8.

• Questions

If the reported complaint pertains to the following questions, the supplier is asked to provide answers:

• What in the process caused the defective material?
• What in the process allowed the shipment of defective material? Both fields are optional for the supplier to fill.

• Root Causes - Attachments

The supplier is asked to attach documentation, photos, or other documents confirming the correctness of the root cause diagnosis. Adding attachments is optional to send the step for approval.

Submission and Approval

After filling in the sections mentioned above, the supplier should submit step D4 for approval by the Buyer/QA. The potential approval scenarios will be similar to steps D1-D3:

• D4 Approved: The supplier proceeds to fill in steps D5-D6.
• D4 Rejected: The supplier should review the comments and make the necessary changes in the D4 form. After making the corrections, the approval process is repeated.

Step D5-D6 - Permanent Corrective Actions and Their Verification

Step D5 - Corrective Actions

In step D5, the supplier is asked to present planned corrective actions. The aim of these actions is to ensure, in the short term, that the process or product is under control. The supplier selects optimal (permanent) corrective actions and demonstrates, based on tests and trials, that they solve the problem from the client's perspective.

The form is divided into two sections:

1. Improvements in the process that caused the material defect: The supplier indicates possible causes and describes the corrective action taken.
2. Improvements in the process that allowed the shipment of defective material: If the complaint concerns the shipment of the material, the supplier is obliged to fill in this section.

Step D6 - Verification of Corrective Actions

The effectiveness of the corrective actions is assessed in step D6, which is described as the verification of the effectiveness of corrective actions.

The form is divided into sections:

1. Implemented Permanent Corrective Actions: Here, the supplier indicates:

   • Status: The implementation status. The supplier can select one of the statuses: Implemented, Not Implemented, Partially Implemented, Canceled.
   • Corrective Action: The supplier provides details of the implemented action.
   • Completion Date: The date the corrective action was introduced into the process.
   • Assigned Employee: The person responsible for implementing the corrective action.

2. Verification of Implemented Permanent Corrective Actions: Here, the supplier fills in:

   • Verification Method: Options include Evidence Analysis, Real-World Observation, Practical Test, Other.
   • Verification Result: Description of the verification result.
   • Verification Date: The date the verification was conducted.
   • Assigned Employee: The person responsible for conducting the verification.

Submission and Approval

After completing the data in steps D5-D6, the supplier should submit them for approval by the Buyer/QA. The button to submit the forms  is available in step D6.

The potential approval scenarios will be similar to the previous steps:

• D6 Approved: The supplier proceeds to complete step D7.
• D6 Rejected: The supplier should review the comments and make necessary adjustments in the D5-D6 form. After making the corrections, the approval process is repeated.

Step D7 - Preventive Actions

Step 7D focuses on preventing the recurrence of the problem (preventive actions). This stage is also known as the determination and implementation of systemic actions to prevent the recurrence of the same problem.

The supplier is asked to fill in the following data:

• Position (Updated / Verified / Implemented): Depending on the preventive actions implemented, the supplier can select the following items:

  • Drawing
  • Specification
  • List of Key Features
  • D-FMEA / P-FMEA
  • Control Plan
  • Standard Work Instruction
  • Visual Aids, Samples
  • Training Completed
  • Verified and Validated Errors
  • Test Fixtures and Procedures
  • Preventive Maintenance
  • Added to Audit Plan
  • Product/Process Change Request
  • Gained Knowledge

• Description: Detailed description of the implemented action.

• Completion Date: The date the action was implemented.

• Assigned Employee: The person responsible for implementing the action.

To submit step D7 for approval by the Buyer/QA, at least one preventive action must be provided.

Submission and Approval

The potential approval scenarios will be similar to previous steps:

• D7 Approved: The supplier now waits for the complaint summary prepared by the Buyer/QA. Once completed, the supplier will be asked to approve this summary.
• D7 Rejected: The supplier should review the comments and make the necessary adjustments in the D7 form. After making the corrections, the approval process is repeated.

Step D8 - Summary / Team Efforts

The final step, 8D, involves evaluating the actions implemented in 7D and formally closing the actions and dissolving the team. Additionally, this step serves as a summary, documenting the results of the team's work in an 8D report and acknowledging the team's efforts. A PPM score is also assigned. This final step is completed by the Buyer/QA.

Upon completion of the summary, the supplier receives an email notification about the pending evaluation.

Supplier Actions:

1. Log into the System: The supplier logs into the system and navigates to step 8D, where the evaluation form along with potential complaint costs are displayed.
2. Review and Respond: After reviewing the evaluation, the supplier is asked to either accept or reject the summary.

Depending on the supplier's decision, they will:

• Approve: This confirms the supplier accepts the actions taken in steps D5-D7 and agrees to any associated costs (if specified). The complaint process is concluded.
• Reject: If the supplier has comments regarding the summary or potential costs, they should note them in a dedicated popup window. The complaint is then sent back to the Buyer/QA for review. After verifying the supplier's suggestions, the Buyer/QA sends step D8 back to the supplier for re-evaluation.

Approval Scenarios:

• D8 Approved: The supplier has accepted the complaint process summary.
• D8 Rejected: The supplier has rejected the complaint process summary.

Finally, if all steps have been approved and each step was completed within the specified deadlines, the status of the complaint is changed to 'Completed,' which concludes the complaint process.

Both the supplier and the Buyer/QA can download the complete 8D report in PDF format, print it, and submit it to the documentation department.