The impact of customer-specific requirements on supply chain management

Abstract

The complexities of being a supplier to motorcar manufacturers, also known as original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), provide an array of challenges to component manufacturers. Customer-specific requirements (CSRs) add to the convolutions of a supplier’s quality management systems when producing components for the various motor manufacturers. The catalytic converter industry (CCI) forms part of the component supply chain in the motor industry. The CCI consists of a plethora of suppliers to produce the catalytic converter. This paper focuses on three of the five main suppliers, namely the ‘monolith substrate manufacturers’, the ‘coaters’, and the ‘canners’. Most OEMs required that critical and strategic suppliers should be ISO/TS 16949:2009 certified. ISO/TS 16949:2009 refers to an internationally recognised specification, specifically adapted for the motor industry. The specification indicates the minimum requirements and also makes provision for additional requirements known as CSRs that can be specified by the OEM.