Preservation
Plain-language summary
Protect the product from the process of getting it to the customer: identification, handling, contamination control, packaging, storage, transmission/transport — preserved to the extent conformity requires.
What the clause is really asking
Preserve outputs during production and service provision: covers identification, handling (including contamination control), packaging, storage, condition control and protection during transmission or transport.
What auditors look for
Auditors walk stores and despatch: rust prevention on machined surfaces, stacking damage, expired shelf-life items, ESD handling where relevant, packaging matching what the customer agreed, FIFO actually operating.
Typical evidence
Storage condition controls; FIFO/expiry systems; packaging specifications; handling instructions; transport damage records.
How to comply — recommendations
Define preservation per product family (one line each: pack, store, shelf life, handling) and audit your own stores quarterly — corrosion, damage and expiry are found by walking, not by documents.
Common nonconformities
Rust on premium machined parts; FIFO claimed but oldest stock buried; expired adhesives in use; packaging improvised when agreed packaging runs out.
Related clauses
IATF 16949: extended by 8.5.4.1
In the book
Chapter 8 — Operation — Where the Product Is Won or Lost treats this clause family in full: what it is really asking, what auditors look for, the evidence that satisfies, how to make it work on a real floor, and where companies stumble.
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