The need
In mechanical engineering, customers often ask for the certificate of the material used, under the EN 10204 standard. Type 3.1, the most common, is validated by an inspection representative independent of manufacturing.
- ReceiptSupplier lot entered
- CertificateAttached to the lot
- ManufacturingLot consumed on the order
- Finished productOwn lot or serial
- DeliveryCertificate found
The method
- At receipt, create or enter the supplier lot of the material.
- Attach the certificate to the lot, not only to the receipt.
- Consume that lot on the manufacturing order.
- Find the certificate from the lot of the delivered finished product.
What makes it fail
A certificate filed in a shared folder, a bar offcut returned to stock without its lot, or consumption entered at the end of the week: the chain breaks at the first missing link.
Limits
The ERP stores and links documents; it does not check their compliance. Reading the certificate remains a human quality check.