What a SCAR closure history contains
A SCAR is the customer's formal request that a supplier fix a nonconformity and stop it recurring. ISO guidance describes resolving a nonconformity in three parts: correction, analysis of cause and corrective action, with auditors verifying that the actions were effective. ISO/TC 176 defines corrective action as action to eliminate the cause of a nonconformity and prevent recurrence, and notes there can be more than one cause. A nonconformity report form can hold the root cause analysis, the correction, the corrective action, and separate verification of implementation and of effectiveness.
That structure is why a closed SCAR is more than a status. A full history shows the evidence that opened it, the supplier's reasoning, what changed, and whether later lots proved the change worked. The closure is a judgment that the cause was removed, made by a named person on measured evidence. The root cause analysis records page covers the analysis side of the same material.
Why a supplier quality redesign strands history
A redesign usually brings a new supplier portal, new SCAR forms, a new numbering scheme or a consolidated supplier base. Each change can strand old records without anyone choosing to discard them:
- A portal replacement typically migrates open SCARs and active suppliers. Closed SCARs, supplier attachments and comment threads can stay on the old portal until its contract ends.
- New forms change field names. Old closures may not map to new fields, so they are left as attachments or not moved at all.
- Supplier consolidation retires suppliers whose SCAR history then has no active record to hang from.
- Email-era SCARs from before the current portal often sit in shared mailboxes or spreadsheets that nobody owns.
The pre-redesign inventory
Record classes, time coverage, system owners and the real access deadline, kept at metadata level.
| Record class | Typical home | Coverage question | Owner to name |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defect reports and inspection evidence | Customer QMS | How many years, and are measurements attached? | Supplier quality head |
| SCARs as issued | Supplier portal or QMS | How many a year, and since when? | Supplier quality head |
| Supplier containment and root-cause responses | Supplier portal | Do responses stay readable after the portal contract ends? | Portal administrator |
| Implemented action evidence | Supplier portal, email | Are photos, revised drawings or process changes attached? | Supplier quality engineers |
| Verification results on later lots | Customer QMS | Was closure tied to measured results or only supplier sign-off? | Incoming inspection lead |
| Reopen events and closure approvals | QMS, email | Are reopenings logged, and by whom were closures approved? | Supplier quality head |
| Supplier scorecards | QMS or spreadsheet | Do scores reference SCAR numbers? | Procurement or quality analyst |
Check verification depth first
Verification depth separates a strong history from a weak one. Ask what share of closures required measured results on later lots, and roughly how many SCARs were ever reopened. A reopened SCAR is the most informative record in the set, because it shows a first fix failing and a second one being tested. A closure on supplier sign-off alone shows a promise, not an outcome. Neither answer disqualifies a company; both belong in the handoff so SourceX can judge the history quickly.
Find the access deadline and the limits
- Get the date from the contract. When does the current portal contract end, or the old forms retire? A project plan date is a guess; a contract date is a fact.
- Ask about supplier terms. Supplier agreements or portal terms may limit reuse of supplier-provided responses.
- Note restrictions. Customer-specific drawings, export-controlled parts and regulated products need flagging.
- Stop at the inventory. Do not recommend keeping data beyond the company's own procedures and authority, and never collect files, screenshots or portal logins.
The same discipline applies when a site closes and its quality files are at risk; the office closure checklist and manufacturing plant closure pages cover that trigger.
Does the company qualify, and what stays unknown?
The company needs 50+ full-time employees at peak (contractors excluded), a documented operating history, rights to license the records, and an authorized contact. Companies in the U.S., Canada and the EU qualify, as do companies in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, India, Singapore, South Africa, Latin America, the UAE and Saudi Arabia when at least 90% of the data is in English.
Unknown until SourceX reviews it: how supplier confidentiality affects rights (see why data rights matter), which SCARs a buyer would want, and any offer. If the company you have in mind is a supplier you buy from, read referring a supplier your company buys from first. Related record types sit under supplier expediting and the industries hub.
Go deeper on supplier corrective action closure
- Supplier corrective action exception examples: worked cases where a fix caused a new defect and the SCAR reopened.
- SCAR records across systems: a field map joining QMS, portal and inspection records.
- Who can license SCAR records: a short answer on which executive to introduce.
- SCAR closure referral brief template: a fill-in template for the introduction.
Next step
Refer a company. Earn up to $100,000. Default reward: 25% of Actual Supplier Payout, capped at $100,000 cumulatively per referred company. Eligibility and payment conditions apply, and a signed Schedule A or addendum can differ. A lead, meeting or signature alone does not trigger payment.
If a client is about to redesign its supplier quality program and years of verified SCAR closures sit in a portal that may be replaced, register as a partner, check the company against who qualifies, and read the program terms before you send the handoff.