Quality notification
A Q-Note number, addressed to one supplier record.
Q-NoteSupplier Quality · Corrective Action
8D Supplier Quality
The 8D problem-solving method (D1–D8) in supplier quality: from team and problem description to corrective actions and closure.
The 8D methodology provides a structured approach for investigating quality problems, identifying root causes, defining corrective actions and documenting the resolution of a supplier quality issue. ESS Hub keeps that process as a structured record between the quality team and the supplier; it does not by itself guarantee 8D compliance.
Process
From supplier complaint to corrective action
The steps as they exist in ESS Hub today: the quality team opens a quality notification addressed to the supplier; the supplier sees it in its workspace with the status 8D requested, works through the eight disciplines and submits the 8D report; the report then awaits the quality team, which can be asked for clarification from the record; D8 closes the loop. There is no automatic e-mail notification step, approval gate or rejection loop in the product; follow-up happens on the shared record.
01Quality issueDefect found at the customer
02Supplier complaintQuality notification (Q-Note) with part, plant, due date
03Supplier notificationStatus 8D requested · visible in the supplier workspace
048D processD1–D8 worked through by the supplier
05Corrective actionsD5 corrective actions · D6 implementation · D7 prevention
06Review / follow-up8D submitted · awaiting the quality team · clarification
07ClosureD8 closure
Steps as supported in ESS Hub today8D process in navy
Complaint record
Supplier complaints in ESS Hub
Supplier complaints are managed within the Supplier Quality context as quality notifications. What the complaint carries in ESS Hub today:
Part and plant
The part number and the receiving plant the issue concerns.
Part · plantDescription
What was found, in how many pieces, in which lot.
DefectDue date
When the supplier's response is expected.
Due dateStatus
For example 8D requested, then 8D submitted.
Status8D workflow
The eight disciplines with their state and a note per discipline.
D1–D8Method
The 8D process
8D is a problem-solving method organised around eight disciplines. ESS Hub has dedicated D1–D8 sections in the 8D workflow of every quality notification: each discipline shows its state — done, current or open — and a note on what was done, using the names shown here. The disciplines are worked through in sequence by the supplier; ESS Hub records their state, it does not enforce a separate mandatory system step per discipline.
01D1 TeamCross-functional team
02D2 Problem descriptionDefect scope
03D3 ContainmentImmediate actions
04D4 Root causeAnalysis
05D5 Corrective actionsAgreed measures
06D6 ImplementationMeasures in place
07D7 PreventionRecurrence prevented
08D8 ClosureReport closed
Discipline names as they appear in the ESS Hub 8D workflowD8 in navy
Collaboration
Buyer and supplier collaboration
One report, two organisations. The supplier and the quality team look at the same quality notification and the same discipline states. The supplier submits the 8D report — a root cause and corrective action summary — from the record and can request clarification from the quality team; the quality team follows up on the same record and, when the report is complete, D8 marks the closure. Approval, rejection and resubmission steps are not separate workflow functions in the product; questions go through the record, not through mailboxes.
01BuyerQuality team
02Quality issue / complaintQuality notification opened
03ESS HubSame record for both sides
04SupplierWorks through D1–D8
058D responseRoot cause and corrective action summary submitted
06ESS HubStatus 8D submitted · awaiting the quality team
07Buyer reviewFollow-up on the record
Verified behaviour: submit 8D report · request clarification · status · D1–D8 statesESS Hub in navy
Evidence
Documentation and evidence
Corrective-action processes need evidence: what was found, what was contained, what the root cause was, which measures were taken. In ESS Hub this documentation lives in the 8D report itself:
- the note per discipline — for example team nominated, suspect batch quarantined, sorting active — recorded as the supplier works through D1–D8
- the submitted 8D report with its root cause and corrective action summary and the submission date
- the 8D template the supplier downloads from the record so the report follows the expected structure
- clarification requests from the supplier to the quality team, from the record
Separate file attachments, images and a document version history on the complaint are not part of the current product.
Status
Status and ownership
Every quality notification in ESS Hub carries a status — for example 8D requested when the quality team opens it, 8D submitted when the supplier has submitted the report — and a due date for the supplier's response. Inside the report, every discipline has its own state: done, current or open. The supplier's dashboard counts open 8D reports and items awaiting the customer; the enterprise dashboard counts open 8D reports and items awaiting the enterprise.
Ownership is organisational: the notification is addressed to one supplier record, and the supplier's users work on it in the supplier workspace. A named responsible user per complaint is not a field in the current product.
Method
Root cause and corrective actions
The purpose of the report is the chain from containment to prevention: what was done immediately (D3 Containment), why the problem occurred (D4 Root cause), which measures correct it (D5 Corrective actions), whether they are in place (D6 Implementation) and how recurrence is prevented (D7 Prevention). In ESS Hub each of these is a discipline with a state and a note, and the submitted report carries the root cause and corrective action summary.
Root-cause tools such as Ishikawa diagrams, 5-Why or FMEA integration are not functions of ESS Hub; the supplier uses its own methods and records the result in the report.
Context
Connected Supplier Quality
8D is part of the wider ESS Hub Supplier Quality environment alongside APQP, PPAP and Supplier Scorecards. Certificates and supplier audits are kept in the same quality workspace. The diagram shows product context, not an automatic process flow.
Supplier Quality
APQPQuality planningPPAPProduction part approval
ComplaintsQuality notifications
8DCorrective action D1–D8
Supplier ScorecardsMonthly performance ratingSupplier visibilityQuality records visible to the supplier and to the quality team
Product context, not a process flowComplaints & 8D in navy
Supplier Quality in ESS HubPlatform
Connected to the supplier relationship
Supplier quality exists within the same supplier collaboration platform as procurement, logistics and finance. Each area keeps its own process and records; what they share is the supplier context, the workspaces and one sign-in. No automatic dependency between the areas is implied.
- Procurement
- Sourcing and ordering context: RFQs, purchase orders, forecasts and scheduling agreements. Procurement in ESS Hub
- Logistics
- Call-offs, ASN, packaging and labels for the same supplier and plants. Logistics in ESS Hub
- Quality
- Quality notifications, 8D, APQP, PPAP, certificates, audits and scorecards. Supplier Quality in ESS Hub
- Finance
- Supplier invoices and payment status. Invoicing in ESS Hub
- Supplier
- One supplier record with its users, roles and workspaces across all areas. Supplier Portal
References
Quality issues linked to parts and deliveries
A quality notification in ESS Hub is tied to:
- one supplier record
- a part number
- a plant
with a due date and the description of the defect (pieces affected, lot). The part and plant are the same objects the supplier sees on its call-offs and shipments. A direct link from the complaint to a specific purchase order, delivery, ASN or shipment is not part of the current product.
Performance
8D and Supplier Scorecards
8D and Supplier Scorecards are both available within the ESS Hub Supplier Quality environment, giving quality teams complementary views of corrective-action activity and supplier performance. 8D response time is one of the four indicators on the supplier scorecard, next to on-time delivery, PPM and ASN accuracy. The scorecard indicators are published monthly from the customer's performance measurement; an 8D report does not change the supplier's score automatically.
Record
Traceability
A structured record answers the questions an e-mail thread cannot: which part and plant, which supplier, what the status is, what was done at each discipline and whether the issue was closed. In ESS Hub the quality notification carries its status and due date, each discipline its state and note, the submitted report its summary and submission date; questions and clarifications go through the record.
Platform-wide, enterprise administrators have an audit trail of actions in the portal, and business records carry their status and dates instead of being reconstructed from mailboxes. Infrastructure-level logging and compliance topics are covered in the vendor assessment.
Product evidence
8D in ESS Hub
Automotive
Designed for automotive supplier quality
- Supplier quality. In automotive supplier relationships a defect is handled as a structured issue between the customer's quality team and the supplier, not as an exchange of e-mails.
- Part-related issues. The complaint is tied to the part number and the receiving plant, so both sides talk about the same object.
- Corrective actions. The eight disciplines separate containment from root cause, corrective and preventive measures.
- Root-cause analysis. D4 records the result of the supplier's analysis; the method is the supplier's.
- Traceability. State and note per discipline, status and due date on the notification, submission date on the report.
- Buyer/supplier collaboration. Both organisations work on the same record, with clarification requests instead of separate threads.
8D is one of the supplier-quality methods used in automotive supply chains, not a requirement in every situation; ESS Hub records the process where the customer's quality process asks for it.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is an 8D report?
An 8D report documents the structured resolution of a quality problem in eight disciplines: team, problem description, containment, root cause, corrective actions, implementation, prevention and closure. In supplier quality it is the supplier's structured answer to a customer complaint.
Does ESS Hub support 8D?
Yes. Complaints & 8D is part of the ESS Hub Supplier Quality environment: the quality notification carries the 8D workflow with the eight disciplines D1–D8, each with its state and a note on what was done, and the supplier submits the 8D report from the record.
Does ESS Hub support supplier complaint management?
Yes. A supplier complaint is a quality notification (Q-Note) in ESS Hub, addressed to one supplier record, with part, plant, due date, description and status; supplier and quality team work on the same record.
Can suppliers respond to quality complaints in ESS Hub?
Yes. The supplier submits the 8D report from the complaint — a root cause and corrective action summary — and can request clarification from the quality team from the record; the 8D template can be downloaded from the record.
Can 8D documentation be managed in ESS Hub?
The 8D report itself is managed in ESS Hub: the eight disciplines with their state and notes, the submitted root cause and corrective action summary, and the downloadable 8D template. Separate file attachments on the complaint are not part of the current product.
Can buyers track 8D status?
Yes. The quality team sees the status of every quality notification and the state of each discipline inside the report; open 8D reports and items awaiting the enterprise are counted on the dashboards of both sides.
Does ESS Hub support D1 through D8?
Yes. The 8D workflow in ESS Hub shows the eight disciplines as they are — D1 Team, D2 Problem description, D3 Containment, D4 Root cause, D5 Corrective actions, D6 Implementation, D7 Prevention, D8 Closure — each with its state (done, current, open) and a note on what was done.
Can complaints be linked to suppliers and parts?
Yes. A quality notification is tied to one supplier record, a part number and a plant, with a due date and the description of the defect. Links to a specific purchase order, delivery or ASN are not part of the current product.
Are 8D and Supplier Scorecards connected?
Both are available within the ESS Hub Supplier Quality environment, and 8D response time is one of the four indicators on the supplier scorecard. The scorecard indicators are published from the customer's performance measurement; an 8D report does not change the score automatically.
Does ESS Hub support APQP and PPAP as well as 8D?
Yes. APQP, PPAP, complaints and 8D reports and supplier scorecards are all part of the ESS Hub Supplier Quality environment.
Is ESS Hub designed for automotive supplier quality?
Yes. ESS Hub is built for automotive and manufacturing supplier collaboration; the 8D method, the quality notification tied to part and plant, and the certificates and audits kept next to the issues follow automotive supplier-quality practice.