Process outputs and results
Plain-language summary
Whether what actually leaves the process — quantity, quality, on-time delivery, and final release — meets the customer's requirements.
What the clause is really asking
This sub-element closes the loop on production by examining the result: does the finished output conform, is it correctly released and identified, is the right quantity delivered on time, and is nonconforming product reliably kept from shipping? It confirms that all the upstream control actually translates into good parts reaching the customer.
What auditors look for
The auditor examines final inspection and release, packaging and labelling, traceability of shipped product, on-time delivery and quantity performance, and how nonconforming or held product is prevented from leaving. They review customer-facing results — PPM, complaints, deliveries — and check that the output genuinely matches what the customer specified, including any agreed special requirements.
Typical evidence
Final inspection/release records; packaging and labelling per customer spec; shipping/traceability records; on-time-delivery and quantity data; nonconforming-product containment at the exit; customer PPM/complaint data linked back to the process.
How to comply — recommendations
Make final release a real gate: conforming, correctly identified, packed and labelled to the customer's specification, with traceability intact and nonconforming product unable to ship. Monitor delivery quantity and timing as quality characteristics in their own right. Watch customer-side results and feed any escape straight back into the process. The output should prove that the whole chain — inputs to results — did its job.
Common nonconformities
Final release inconsistent or bypassed under pressure; packaging/labelling not matching customer spec; traceability lost at shipping; on-time/quantity issues not treated as quality; nonconforming product able to escape; customer complaints not linked back to root cause.
Related clauses
IATF 16949 8.6 (release of products), 8.5.2 (identification/traceability), 8.7 (nonconforming output), 8.5.4 (preservation); ISO 9001 8.6, 8.5.2, 8.7
Qlause provides interpretive guidance only and is not a substitute for the standard. Refer to your licensed copy of the relevant standard for the authoritative text.