Restart Checklist for Suppliers Developed and Available

If there is one thing that is certain about the effects that COVID-19 is having on the industry it is that there are a whole lot of issues that need to be addressed, particularly as companies are determining the ways and means to get back into production.

Inside FCA SHAP. FCA has announced that it plans to bring up most of its plants the week of May 18. Suppliers need to be ready. (Image: FCA)

While the timing seems to be nearly fluid, there is the solid fact that bringing back facilities under the conditions where the virus is still out there is not as simple (not easy: simple) as it otherwise might be: it is one thing if a plant goes down because of a strike or even a fire; the COVID-19 situation puts a whole new layer of things that have to be taken into account for restart.

Key recovery steps. (Images: QAD/ Quistem)

To that end, and to help out the supplier community, Terry Onica, director of Automotive for QAD, and Cathy Fisher, president of Quistem, have developed an “Automotive Operational Restart Readiness” checklist.

Key drivers for the operational restart.

It highlights key operational areas, looking at the risks and the actions that need to be taken so that there is a higher level of confidence that workers are protected and customer product quality and delivery requirements are fulfilled.

Addressed in the checklist are:

1. Contingency plans
2. Inventory
3. Immediate customer delivery requirements
4. Immediate delivery plan, including transportation
5. Supplier inventory and near-term delivery plan
6. Availability of outsourced processes
7. Temporary process changes
8. Product/process re-qualification plan
9. Accuracy of work instructions
10. Workforce availability and training
11. Equipment, tooling and gaging
12. Facility infrastructure
13. Communication plans.

If you’re interested in learning about this re-launch approach, you can learn what you need to know by going here.

Things are happening quickly. But you’ve got to get it right and this can help.