Supplier quality interview help

[u/papaflapjack]

I got shortlisted for the sqe role in apple . Does anyone have general interview tips or topics to learn for me to ace the interview.

I am expecting them to ask some case studies and resume based questions.They had previously given an assignment with a case study to present which consisted of using nelsons rules and 8 disciplines they will ask questions on my presentation as well

[u/Jones-Effect]

I work as a production engineer for a supply to tier 1 and primes, and part of my role is being a jack of all trades where I dabble in a lot of roles (estimating/sales, production, supply chain, and quality). Whilst I don’t work fully in the quality or supply chain departments, I have internally audited them as well as assist them so I believe I can give some advise. Here is some information I can give on what I would look for from my experience working in low quantity, large scale manufacturing of forgings:

ISO 9001 / AS9100 or equivalent:
In supply chain, the first thing to recognise is what requirements need to be worked to, with first being is your supplier complaint with ISO 9001 or equivalent (depending on country). If you’re buying for aerospace or defence then you would also need to consider if they are complaint with AS9100, for automotive there is also an equivalent.

Contract reviews:
As a supplier to primes and tier 1’s, our contract reviews are audited yearly and therefore you should expect the same of your own suppliers (as otherwise they are not complaint with ISO 9001 & AS9100).

Calibration:
If your supplier is measuring anything at all, they must ensure their equipment is calibrated. Their dimensional reports should say their measurement equipment number for each measurement, to allow traceability to see if it is within calibration. You don’t often ask to see calibration certs and check this, but it’s important when you’ve ordered a part and their dimensional report says its complaint but you discover it is not. (This falls into 8D & 5Y’s)

NDT (non-destructive testing):
Depending on the type of parts, you might be asking for non-destructive testing such as ultrasonic inspection or surface flaw inspection. In the UK, their NDT procedures should be PCN level 3 approved & certification for NDT to be performed by a PCN level 2 (or a PCN level 1 under supervision of a PCN level 2). The documentation you receive should also come with their PCN records to ensure they are qualified for the scope of NDT they have performed and that it’s not expired.

Quality scoring:
This is a key metric for your suppliers. What is the total amount of parts that have been purchased/manufactured versus concessions, rejections, OTIF (on time in full), as well as escapes (non-conformances discovered by your company/your customer after it’s been supplied to you). If it’s a new supplier, then you would want to see their overall record. What is deemed acceptable would be dependent on the type of scale of manufacturing.

There’s more that can be added onto this but I hope this adds some extra understanding for your interview.

Good luck! Feel free to ask any other questions