Seeking: Approved Supplier (Vendor) Log Example

[db]

Too many suppliers

I ran into this a couple of years ago. My response was much like Al's and Iso Guy's. But I dug a little deeper and found out that Their AVL was just a list of everyone they had ever bought things from (about 200 companies). There was no classification of what vendor supplies what. Just a list of the 200 +/- names.

When asked how they approve suppliers, they only commented that they buy off the approved list. They seemed to have little idea of what it takes to be placed on the list, other than "we have to do business with you". There were no plans to determine if vendors should stay on the list.

The company called me to see if we could talk to the registrar and resolve the issue. The "too many suppliers" ended up being a basic failure of 4.6.2 a) (QS).

 

[Al Dyer]

ISO GUY,

Sorry I wasn't clearer in my last line. I totally agree that type of action should first go through the auditor, then the registrar, and then the RAB. I guess I have been doing it so long that I know the registrars and their internal as well as contracted auditors. In the past I have had no problem with "firing" the auditor and calling the registrar and telling them to send someone else.

The last time I did this is when a company called P.J. was the registrar (not my choice). They said they would send out another auditor that might have some "differing" views on our compliance. We might as well have been audited by a monkey with a pencil behind his ear. (didn't mean to disparage monkeys)

As always, they work for us and we pays the money.

 

[6MARINE]

Pgapro said:

Thanks, Mike.. $25 doesn't seem too much to ask and quite understandable.

What has been used in the past by us was deemed somewhat insufficient and the only NCR we received this past assessment we had in March.

The auditor said we had TOO many vendors and the ones we did have were not being accessed as he would have liked. So I am trying to find a better form or way to provide a list that will fall into compliance for ISO9000:2001 requirements.

Pgapro,

You should report the auditor to the registrar. To audit is to "listen" , not to interpret or suggest

 

[CarolX]

Re: Too many suppliers

db said:

I ran into this a couple of years ago. My response was much like Al's and Iso Guy's. But I dug a little deeper and found out that Their AVL was just a list of everyone they had ever bought things from (about 200 companies). There was no classification of what vendor supplies what. Just a list of the 200 +/- names.

Dave,

Our AVL is just that, a list of all supplier's we do business with, no other detail. But we have a system for adding new suppliers and a review the performance of the key suppliers.

Just another angle...

CarolX

 

[db]

But we have a system for adding new suppliers and a review the performance of the key suppliers.

And therein lies the difference!

 

[Randy Stewart]

Who to monitor?

Are my feelings for auditors that apparent Mike?????

Yep, I was rolling up my shirt sleeves ready to go until I read db's post about the # of suppliers!

I ran into the same thing here trying to develop a list of "approved" suppliers. When I requested the list it was 315 pages (green bar paper) going back 16 years! Way back when we had a military contract and still had the company that sold us the "special" bolts used for the assembly. The contract had expired 14 years prior! There may be some substance to what the auditor found.
I don't see where a NC is justified as yet, but if the situation (as described above) exists, how do you monitor their performance??? How often is the list verified or reviewed?
What we did was put in a definition of what suppliers we were going to monitor and why.

Supplier -- Company or individual which provides our company with parts materials or services. Major suppliers are designated by management as having significant potential impact on quality. Only major suppliers will be included on the approved supplier list in order to be monitored and graded on performance.

Very standard definition, nothing fancy, but it does cut out the Office Depot and toilet paper suppliers for us. Additionally, it lets the audior know that you have assessed your system and determined what is beneficial to you! That you recognize the difference between impact and non-impact suppliers.

Add New Supplier to Approved List
Purchasing Manager places new suppliers on the Approved Supplier List identifying their status as one of the following:
a. Potential Preferred Supplier: a supplier with excellent capability
b. Acceptable Supplier: satisfactory capability
c. Probationary Supplier: acceptable on a short-term basis if needed.

Purcahsing Manager must document all corrective actions required to achieve satisfactory capability levels. Where an approved subcontractor list is held by a customer, the Purchasing Manager can add customer designated suppliers to the TDM Approved Supplier List based on customer recomendation.

Now for the lecture Mike mentioned!!!!

 

[M Greenaway]

I have just scrapped the approved vendor list at my new company, as like many other AVL's its an utter farce.

The purchasing people select vendors from the mainframe computer system, they never refer to the AVL - they even have scant knowledge of its existance.

The process of supplier evaluation is now that ALL new suppliers are formally requested to be put onto the mainframe by use of a standard form, which comes via QA prior to going to Accounts for uploading to the mainframe.

In effect the database of suppliers on the mainframe is the approved vendor list, i.e. all vendors on the mainframe are approved. Now obviously the assessment that is done of vendors varies greatly from whether they supply bespoke products, or non-product related business services.

ISO9001:2000 does not require you to have a list, just that you evaluate suppliers and keep records.

As to the comment of too many vendors - no comment (others have said enough).

 

[Claes Gefvenberg]

Ditto

Martin,

That's exactly word for word what we did too.

/Claes

 

[Sam]

Martin,
Ditto

 

[tomvehoski]

I could see where it could be a nonconformance if there was just a list and no backup information. I have seen many places "grandfather" suppliers and say suppliers as of a specific date are automatically approved. I don't like this system.

I normally use a one page form that someone (normally purchasing and/or quality) completes to determine status. I don't use rigid approval rules, but the basis can be any combination of:

Past performance (write down good/bad and track NC/CAR)
ISO Certification (I know - not necessarially a good measure, but a start)
Customer Requirement
On-site audits.

Just jot down notes on each area, attach backup documentation of certificates and audit results and assign a new date to check up again (1-3 years normally, barring problems).

For small places I don't even bother with a list - no point putting 3 suppliers on a list. Otherwise the list is just to summarize and organize things.

Tom