This decision tree belongs to the warranty root-cause feedback guide. Because the chain crosses three departments, the usual question of "who owns this?" has three answers, and the tree turns them into one introduction.
Three owners, one decision
The loop from field failure to engineering fix passes through three departments, and each keeps its own records in its own system.
| Department | Records it owns | Head who can describe them | Can that head authorize a licensing discussion? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service or aftermarket | Claims, approvals, field and technician reports | Aftermarket or service director | Rarely; the natural starting contact |
| Quality | RMAs, teardown results, lab conclusions | Quality director | No; informs the discussion |
| Engineering | Change orders, build revisions, PLM records | VP of engineering | No; informs the discussion |
| Executive team | Company commitments | CEO | Yes, within what contracts allow |
| Legal | Dealer, installer and customer agreements | General counsel | Advises; reviews before records are discussed |
Starting with the aftermarket director works because they sit at both ends of the loop: claims arrive in their system, and post-change claims show whether engineering's fix worked. They can say how much of the chain survives without asking anyone else.
The decision tree, branch by branch
| Branch | Question | If yes | If no or unclear |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Is the aftermarket director willing to describe the chain at metadata level? | Go to 2 | Ask who chairs warranty cost reviews; start there |
| 2 | Are field reports written by independent dealers or installers? | Note dealer agreements for counsel; go to 3 | Go to 3 |
| 3 | Do complaint or service records name patients, end users or customer staff? | Note privacy review; go to 4 | Go to 4 |
| 4 | Is the company a contract manufacturer, or part of a group? | Note which entity controls the records; go to 5 | Go to 5 |
| 5 | Has the CEO agreed to take an introduction? | Submit, with the director named as the records contact | Do not submit yet; ask the director to raise it |
The fastest path is a manufacturer that services its own products with its own technicians: no at branches 2, 3 and 4. Equipment sold and serviced through dealer networks usually picks up a note for counsel at branch 2, which slows the path but does not end it.
Branches that bring in legal or privacy review
Dealer and installer reports. NHTSA's compendium defines a field report as a written communication from a manufacturer's employee or representative about equipment that has left the manufacturer's direct control. In practice those representatives are often independent dealers, and their reports may be governed by dealer agreements. Counsel reads the agreements; the partner only records who writes the reports.
Medical device complaint and servicing records. U.S. device manufacturers must keep complaint records with investigations and corrective actions, and servicing records naming who serviced the device, under 21 CFR 820.35. Those records exist because of a regulatory duty, which is not the same as a right to license them, and they can include information about patients or users.
Names in reports. Technician reports and complaint files often name customer staff or end users. The European Commission describes personal data as any information relating to an identified or identifiable living individual, including a name. Where EU or similar rules apply, privacy review is a normal step and says nothing bad about the records.
Contract manufacturing and groups. A brand owner may control design and claim records that a contract manufacturer holds; a parent company may hold rights to a subsidiary's systems. Counsel confirms which entity can speak.
How to frame the first conversation
Ask the aftermarket director three things, in this order:
- "For a real failure, could you trace the claim to the lab finding and the engineering change?"
- "Who signs off on each of those records today?"
- "Would you raise a licensing discussion with the CEO?"
A yes to the third question sets up your introduction. Integrators who work in field service will recognize the pattern from the field guide to field service work orders. Advisors who meet manufacturers through transactions may find the rep and warranty insurance broker page relevant. Why reviewed decisions like these matter for model training is covered in what RLAIF is and human feedback and review data.
What only SourceX's rights review can answer
- whether dealer- and installer-written reports can be included
- what patient, user or customer details must be removed
- which entity holds the rights in a group or contract manufacturing setup
- buyer interest in root-cause records, and any offer
Why data rights matter explains why those answers decide whether a discussion goes anywhere. The system map for these records shows which keys join the three departments' systems.
For SourceX, an introduced company needs 50+ full-time employees at peak (contractors excluded), a documented operating history, rights to license 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. Partners never request claim files, lab photos or PLM access, and sign the Channel Partner Agreement before submitting introductions. The first valid introduction within the 90-day window is credited when the company submits a verified application.
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.
When the aftermarket director has brought in the CEO, who can agree, and you have noted any dealer, privacy or group questions for counsel, register as a partner, confirm the company against who qualifies and read the program terms.