Q&A - Hardware Returns - FR

The Contact Us function at the top of every page on the tl9000.org website is the preferred means for asking questions and receiving answers from the subject matter experts of the TIA QuEST Forum. Over the last few years many questions have been answered through this means. The number of each question is the ticket number in the Contact Us tracking system.

These questions generally relate to the Hardware Field Returns (FR) measurements - ERI, YRR, LTR, and BRR.

Question 20984 — My category is 7.7.1. What do I do to report BRR instead of FR?

Answer — BRR is used for categories where tracking returns or replacements of a product is very difficult or impossible after the initial period of usage in the field. FR is used for products where returns can be tracked throughout the general availability period.

NOTE: BRR applies only to certain categories and not all categories when a return rate measure is applicable. FR is still reported in most categories when a return rate measure is applicable. Consult Table A-2 to determine which measurement you will report. You will report either FR or BRR but not both. You can also look at the data submission template for your category to determine which measurement you will report.

Question 9026 — Field Replaceable Unit Returns (FR) #3 Counting Rule states "Customer returns are counted when received by the selling organization or third-party repair/logistics agency." For reporting purposes do we submit this data in the month the product was physically received at our location, or do we report it in the month the customer reported the problem?

Answer — In order to accurately place the returned unit in the correct FR population, ERI, YRR, or LTR, the serial number, ship date, or other tag on the unit must be known by the organization. Typically, a customer reporting a hardware failure to request a return authorization will not know this information. Sometimes, they may even have an incorrect part number. This is the reason for rule 3, to ensure the accuracy of the identification of the unit. Therefore, the return is to be reported in the month that it is received by the organization or third-party agency that captures the required information.

Question 10135 — Is ERI > 100% valid? Will it be accepted by the MRS? Would an advisory be issued for one or more instances of this condition?

Answer — Since an MTBR of less than one year is certainly possible and the ERI measure, like all of the FR measures, is annualized, there is a possibility that the calculated value could be over 100%. This would be accepted by the MRS and there would be no advisory issued.

Question 10318 — I have a question on how to count the number of units shipped while calculating the ERI. According to the TL 9000 Measurements Handbook (7.1.4 Counting Rule exclusions 4), returns from laboratory or FOA systems are not to be counted. My question is whether to count the units delivered internally within the company (internal orders) and to prospective customers for evaluation (during the general availability phase) in the number shipped.

Answer — Any shipments for which the returns would be excluded from the FR calculations should be excluded from the population numbers.

Question 12098  — For FR data, our unit is chassis. We began tracking chassis shipped by serial-number in December 2018. Therefore, anything shipped after December 2018 can be matched to its original shipping date, if returned. Regarding units in the field, we can count the number of units shipped starting with January 2016 to use as the denominator in the FR calculation. We can’t get a count of units in the field prior to January 2016. In the month of June, for example, 10 chassis were returned, but only 2 were shipped after December 2018. Therefore, we can only find the original ship date for 2 out of the 10 chassis returned to use in the FR calculation. It made sense to include the other 8 chassis in the LTR measure, however we don’t have the corresponding units in the field (shipped) to use as the denominator. Therefore, we can’t calculate an accurate percent of units returned per units in the field. I believe that the only accurate measure we can get will be based on those chassis that were shipped after December 2018 and have a corresponding ship date the falls within the appropriate category, 6 months, 7-18, and beyond.

Answer — First to answer your direct question, if prior to TL 9000 certification you did not have a method implemented to track when a unit shipped, either by serial number, warranty expiration date, or some other means, then all data for units shipped prior to the date a method was implemented should be excluded from the FR data. In your case this means no shipments or returns of units without serial numbers should be included in your TL data.

We do have one other comment. From your statement “our unit is chassis”, we assume this to mean that when the customer returns one of your application servers, the entire unit is returned and there are no field replaceable units within the chassis. If there are any, such as storage assemblies, that can also be replaced in the field and returned, then those would need to be tracked also.

Question 12229 — When we are notified of a field failure or defect (the date of the failure) we issue an RMA number to the customer. Then we have to wait for the product to arrive before we can verify the serial number and begin the repair process etc. Sometimes it take several weeks before we actually get the defective unit, so I may have already submitted data for that month to TIA QuEST Forum. Only when I have the serial number can I tell if this was an early life or long-term failure. In these cases, do I simply resubmit data for the month of the failure when we receive the unit and can trace the original ship date?

Answer — The delay in receipt of units returned from the customer for repair has been factored into the ERI, YRR and LTR time periods. As noted in rule 7.1.4 b) 3) "Customer returns are counted when received by the selling organization or third-party repair/logistics agency." So, it is correct to wait until the unit is actually received before it is counted in the FR measures. This eliminates the issue of differences in the information provided by the customer at the time the RMA is created and the actual unit that is received.

Question 12265 — I have a question on TL 9000 data submission. In past years, we only select one project/product for TL 9000 data submission, other projects to different customer were not included. Now we would like to add other project/products under same category for data submission. As they are under same category, when calculating short term returns rate, should I collect the shipments of all projects in past 6 months shipment, or just use the previous project's shipment data only?

Answer — The population base should be the same for all of the sub-elements submitted for a given measurement. If you are including a new product set in your submitted data, it should be included in all portions of that data. In this case the ERI population and returns should be based on all applicable products shipped in the previous 6 months.

Question 12834 — Counting rule 7.1.4 b) 10) states “If a returned product contains multiple FRU’s, each individual FRU shall be counted separately. Want to confirm that numerator and denominator counting (as one unit or multiple FRUs) must be equal.

Answer — Yes, the counting of FRUs must be consistent when counting shipments and returns. Individual FRUs are counted on shipment and on return.

Question 12976 — For category 3.2.5 does FRs = FRsy?

Answer — category 3.2.5 is Fiber to the User. In this category FRs is the total number of normalization units as specified by Table A-2. If you look there the normalization unit is 'subscriber' meaning the number of subscriber connections the equipment can support so FRs is the total number of subscriber connections possible (not necessarily in use) in the equipment shipped during the one-year basis-shipping period. FRsy is the number of FRU's shipped in that same equipment in the one-year basis shipping period. The only way FRs could equal FRsy is for each FRU to support only one subscriber connection. That is very unlikely. In fact, FRs should be much greater than FRsy in most cases.

Question 13067 — I have a question with regards to 3.2.2.1.2.2 (DWDM and WDM). I know I shall report Return Rate by Optical Channel, but I do not know if I should report the shipping data by Unit or by Optical Channel (FRs, FRsi, FRsy, FRst)?

Answer — As you have noted the normalization unit for 3.2.2.1.2.2 for FR is optical channels. FRs shall be reported in terms of optical channels. FRsi, FRsy, and FRst are all to be reported in terms of the total number of units within the applicable populations.

Question 13169 — In the book TL 9000 Quality Management System Measurements Handbook Table 7.1-3 FR Data Table, you mention to report FRri, FRry and FRrt as "Number of returns from the ERI, YRR and LTR respectively. When you say "Number of returns" are you referring to the number of pieces or units which were returned, or number of returns which were made by the customer

Answer — Per the glossary definition of 'Return' in the TL 9000 Measurements Handbook, a return is “any unit returned for repair or replacement due to any suspected mechanical, electrical, or visual defects occurring during normal installation, testing, or in-service operation of the equipment.” As per 7.1.4 b) 1) “All Returns except as noted in 7.1.4 c), Counting Rule Exclusions, are counted.