Definition Key Supplier - Definition of

ranparn

Registered
Where in the standard does it state the criteria for being a Key Supplier? Or is this defined internally in our QMS? Our management team is struggling with which of our suppliers qualifies as a Key Supplier.
 

ScottK

Not out of the crisis
Leader
Super Moderator
Section 8.4 is all about what many refer to as "suppliers" . The standard does not define what a "key" or "critical" supplier is.
That's up to the organization. You don't need to if you don't want to.
Or you can classify them by spend. Or risk to business. Or call any single source suppliers "critical".
the important think in ISO9001 is to make decisions like this based on risk
 

Randy

Super Moderator
You define it as it suits your needs and guess what, you can't be told your wrong because it isn't defined anywhere else.

Orrrrrrrrrrr....A key supplier is where you get what you need to unlock everything.
 

L.Soad

Involved In Discussions
In my company we have like 600+ suppliers and no purchasing dept. i'm going with some critical suppliers (that will require evaluation), and non-critical suppliers.
I've defined critical suppliers if:
- supplier is in a monopoly situation
- supplier's product (or service) is a vital element of our product (laboratories analysis in our case, that we use to produce «environmental conformity reports» for the government)
- it is our IT supplier (all our IT is outsourced)

That way, we have «only» 50 suppliers that need evaluation and re-evaluation (which is still a lot for a company without a purchasing dept.)
 

Randy

Super Moderator
In my company we have like 600+ suppliers and no purchasing dept. i'm going with some critical suppliers (that will require evaluation), and non-critical suppliers.
I've defined critical suppliers if:
- supplier is in a monopoly situation
- supplier's product (or service) is a vital element of our product (laboratories analysis in our case, that we use to produce «environmental conformity reports» for the government)
- it is our IT supplier (all our IT is outsourced)

That way, we have «only» 50 suppliers that need evaluation and re-evaluation (which is still a lot for a company without a purchasing dept.)

Sounds good and if you've no problems with this methodology don't fix it.
 

optomist1

A Sea of Statistics
Super Moderator
in large part depends of part/device/assembly/service they provide as well as they volume they do so, and of course the ease with which one can source the same to another qualified source
 

L.Soad

Involved In Discussions
Sounds good and if you've no problems with this methodology don't fix it.
I did not implemented this methodology yet, it is going to be hard to implement it, since it is « added extra work» for my coworkers.
 

RoxaneB

Change Agent and Data Storyteller
Super Moderator
I did not implemented this methodology yet, it is going to be hard to implement it, since it is « added extra work» for my coworkers.

I can understand their perspective...however, your role and that of senior leadership is to explain how this so-called extra work is actually value-add work...or perhaps risk-avoidance work. What happens to your business (i.e., the ability to meet your clients' requirements) if one of these critical suppliers fails to provide your organization with the product/service it provides? Hopefully, the evaluation methodology you have in place will mitigate these risks.

Now if anyone answered "nothing" to the "what happens" question, I might question why that supplier is considered critical, but that's a different discussion. ;)
 
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