What Should a Supplier Include in a Concession Request for Tower Internals?

Sometimes a supplier produces an item that does not fully meet the specification but believes it is still technically suitable.

Instead of silently shipping it, the supplier can submit a concession request.

A concession is not the same as pretending the requirement never existed.

It is a formal request for the purchaser to accept a known deviation.

State the Requirement

The concession should first show the original requirement.

Example:

Approved distributor plate thickness: 5.0 mm.

State the Actual Condition

Then state what was actually manufactured.

Example:

Actual plate thickness: 4.8 mm measured at identified locations.

The buyer should not need to reconstruct the difference from several attachments.

Explain Why It Happened

The supplier should provide enough context to understand whether the condition resulted from:

• raw-material tolerance;
• manufacturing error;
• supplier substitution;
• design interpretation.

This helps determine whether the issue may affect other items.

Provide Technical Justification

The most important part of the concession is explaining why the item remains acceptable.

Depending on the issue, justification may include:

• structural calculation;
• hydraulic review;
• corrosion review;
• dimensional fit check;
• material compatibility analysis;
• test results.

A statement saying:

“We believe it is okay.”

is not sufficient for an important deviation.

Define the Affected Quantity

Is the deviation present in:

one item, ten items, one production lot, or the complete order?

The concession must clearly identify the scope.

Identify Commercial and Schedule Impact

The supplier may provide alternatives.

For example:

Option A: accept as-is, no schedule impact.Option B: replace, additional 14 days.

This information helps the purchaser make an informed decision.

Do Not Bundle Unrelated Deviations

One concession should not hide several unrelated technical issues.

Separate concessions make:

review, approval, and future traceability easier.

Purchaser Disposition

The purchaser may:

• approve;
• approve with conditions;
• reject;
• request additional evidence.

Approval should be documented.

A verbal approval should be avoided for material deviations.

Conditional Acceptance

A concession may be accepted subject to conditions.

For example:

Accepted provided additional dimensional inspection confirms no other sections are below 4.8 mm.

The condition must be verified before closure.

Update Final Documentation

An approved concession should remain part of the final quality record.

If it changes the as-built condition, relevant drawings or data should also be updated.

Engineering Takeaway

A concession request allows the purchaser to make a deliberate technical decision about a known deviation.

It should state requirement, actual condition, affected scope, technical justification, alternatives, impact, and requested disposition.