Purchasing: Do we need to evaluate even C class suppliers before giving them business

[Raam]

7.4 Purchasing

The system requirement is suppliers should be selected and evaluated based on their ability to supply product.

My question is : do we need to evaluate even C class suppliers before giving them business. Is the evaluation mandatory for them.


Thanks for your views.

[M Greenaway]

Raam

By classifying your supplier as C class havent you already done some form of evaluation ?

Can you expand on what C class means, and how you derive such a grading ?

[Raam]

Thanks for your response.

C Class here denotes the value of the purchases made with the particular supplier. No grading or evaluation done.

Hope this clarifies

7.4 Purchasing

7.4.1 Purchasing process
The organization shall ensure that purchased product conforms to specified purchase requirements. The type and extent of control applied to the supplier and the purchased product shall be dependent upon the effect of the purchased product on subsequent product realization or the final product.

The organization shall evaluate and select suppliers based on their ability to supply product in accordance with the organization's requirements. Criteria for selection, evaluation and re-evaluation shall be established. Records of the results of evaluations and any necessary actions arising from the evaluation shall be maintained (see 4.2.4).

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You establish the criteria, they can be different if you have different levels of suppliers as in your situation. I would surely have a different level if evaluation for a direct production material supplier than one that supplies off the shelf tooling items.

[Scott]

For our certification we had to do quite a bit of work on this area.

We compliled a list of all suppliers we have used in the last 6 months.

Then we ranked them on quality of service to include on-time delivery, accurate delivery, customer service (after sale), etc.

Review that list prior to every order to ensure they are an approved vendor.

Audit purchase documentation internally.

Check product on arrival to ensure it meets requirements.

Document all pertinent quality data to use in evaluating the next order.

So to answer your question we evaluate all vendors.

This was a good start for us at least. Hope it helps.

[Raam]

Clarification requested from Mr. Al Dyer


Thanks for your response. Can we waive off the supplier evaluation if suppliers supply proprietory items/ less critical items going into our product.

Thanks

[M Greenaway]

Raam

Again you seem to have answered your own question in your post.

By saying a supplier supplies less critical items you have carried out some form of evaluation.

Supplier evaluation could mean anything from supplier audits to questionnaires, or a simple desk top review of the supply, its criticality to the end product, and the supplier. From your evaluation you then decide what controls you put on your supplier.

[Raam]

What I mean by less critical is, the component is functionally less critical to the product to which this goes in. My question is, shall we say supplier evaluation (in terms of his system and technical capabilities) is not required.


I think I am much more specific now.

Thanks