Standardizing Supplier Approval Across US Sites
The Challenge
The absence of a unified supplier approval process has created misalignment across the customer’s US operations. Suppliers may be approved by one site but fail to meet the expectations or compliance needs of another. This inconsistency is further strained by limited funding for onsite supplier assessments, reducing the customer’s ability to verify supplier capability and risk firsthand.
Impact
- Suppliers added to the ASL without cross-site validation
- Conflicting approval criteria across business units
- Increased risk of supplier nonconformance
- Reduced confidence in supplier capability and reliability
- Limited ability to perform onsite assessments due to funding constraints
Solution
The engagement focused on establishing a standardized, enterprise-level supplier approval process. This included defining common approval criteria, implementing a unified risk assessment model, and creating governance around ASL additions. Recommendations also addressed funding strategies and prioritization models for onsite supplier assessments.
Outcome
The customer gained a consistent, Quality-driven supplier approval framework that ensures suppliers meet the requirements of all US sites before being added to the ASL. The new structure saved an estimated $5000 per supplier assessment, improves supplier reliability, reduces risk, and strengthens alignment across business units while enabling more strategic use of onsite assessments.
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Our Approach
The Results
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