ISO 9001:2015 - Warranty management

Hello!

Newbie here, sorry if I do not use the right words.

I'm working in a small company that is not certified in ISO yet, but it's impacting as some of our customers do have it.

currently I'm tangled in the warranty management process.

1) We make a product, ship to the customer, it's installed and...
2) during the warranty period fails.
3) Customer requests to have it checked on site. (the request includes a waiver that we can invoce them if the issue is not covered by the warranty)
4) We sned our techniciand there and checks the failure, and two things can happen:
4.1) the failure is covered by the warranty terms. It's repaired at no cost for the customer.
4.2) the failure is not covered by the warranty terms. and a cost is generated by the visit (warranty terms does not include visiting issues that are not covered by the warranty, imagine...a lighting strike that fries a machine....)
Here the customer has 2 choices:
4.2.1 To repair the failure by themselves based on the diagnosis we did on the visit
4.2.2 Request us to repair it.


My question and doubt is... I think that ISO 9001:2015 states that for every service requested a purchase order must be created. (at least it's what my customer says), BUT they argue that during the warranty period no purchase order should be generated by them as usually those repairs have no cost (so no invoice). The issue is that if 4.2.1 happens, my company should invoice the customer but... they did not create a purchase order number... and here the arguing starts...


So... basically my question to you is .... do you think that my customers using iso 9001:2015 should provice us with a Purchase order number ALWAYS (no matter if the product is in warranty period or not) as their request might generate an invoice?
That would mean that most of the Purchase orders during warranty period will need to be cancelled/closed by them as most of them will ve free of charge)

because... the other option seems to me much more... non compliant, (request purchase order number AFTER we work is done, and we know it's not covered...)


thanks!

 

Thanks!

So, from this seems that the complain from our customers are just... a way to avoid paying for invoices...

Finally my goal is to have a happy customer setting good ground rules with them, so everyone knows wht to do and what to expect.

I'm referring to the scenario where the customer request our visit for a product that's under warranty period, we go to the site, check why it's defective and find out it's not covered by the warranty terms, for example, they forgot to plug it in. in this case a cost has been generated and we dont want to assume it, we want to charge the customer for "wasting our time" ;D

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Maybe the matter should be centered more from a pruchasing point of view than a warranty point of view, let me see if I can explaimmyself:

Scenario where a customer organization requires purcahse order number for paying invoices.
ultimatelly, what the customer does when a product is defective is our services checking and repairing the product. What they expect also is taht if it's covered by the warranty it does not have cost.
It could be easy if it were like this;
A) product is in warranty period: we will not charge the cuestomer ever, so ... no purchase order number is needed from them
B) product is out of the warranty period: we will charge for the repair always, so purchase order is always needed.

BUt the grey area is when it's in warranty period (so customer might assume it will have no charge) BUT once checked by us, issue is not covered by warranty terms. SO if the customer expects to be free of charge they will not open a purchase order for the warranty request... and we do the job, when trying to invoice they will say "hey, no purcahse order, no payment", and be sluggish providing the purchase order number now that the product has been already fixed...

anyhow, this is becoming a metaphorical discussionnow that I know that "purchase order" is not a mandatory part of the purchasing process under ISO 9001:2015

thanks!

 

Good day @ifrifr ;
Consistent with the good counsel that @Andy Nichols has provided...

Your organization's commercial group likely needs boiler plate (standard contract verbiage) “terms and conditions “ / “rules of engagement “ authored in cooperation with your customer to either …

1- require PO prior to ANY service/engagement (seems challenging/ confrontational), or….

2- have warrant notification/investigation/resolution process clearly defined and submitted invoices (as result of NTF [No Trouble Found] ), to be paid by customer (ie PO after the fact if that’s what customer’s system requires).

Best of luck.

Be well.