Responsibility for maintaining safety standards is crucial, and it is necessary to document who should be accountable for safety-critical bulk materials and catalog items. This includes considering the responsibilities of OEMs versus Tier 1 suppliers and understanding the impact of build-to-spec versus build-to-print scenarios on safety classifications and FMEA processes.

The team is developing a guideline to consolidate existing knowledge and best practices into one reference document for managing safety-critical bulk materials and catalog items. This comprehensive guideline will provide the industry a recommendation, not a mandate, to be referenced in sourcing agreements.

The guideline will compile knowledge from various sources, including industry experts, to benefit the entire supply chain. The guideline will differentiate between supplier agreements and responsibilities. Its goal is to ensure good processes, bill of design, and bill of material are maintained. Additionally, it will clearly state recommendations for Built to Spec, Built to Print, Statement of Requirements, etc., and outline the suggested responsibilities for both parties.

The team is seeking volunteers from bulk material suppliers, OEM and/or tier 1 materials engineering, battery packs suppliers, and supplier quality.

The team will meet every two weeks for two hours starting in January 2025.

Contact quality@aiag.org for more information.