Potential suppliers will be assessed utilizing a standardized process through the use of our
supplier assessment tool .
The aim of our assessment process is to allow an assessment team to get a comprehensive, constructive and objective view of the supply base.
Choosing the right supplier, with integral cost in mind at the beginning of new project activities, is essential to ensure a long-term supply of products at the right price, quality and service levels.
How We Use the Assessment Tool
The aim of our supplier assessment tool is to estimate the total quality environment of the supplier – vision and alignment of resources, focus-five ability, quality systems and continuous improvement as well as process control and improvement. The assessor, using our tool, will look at product development capability, financial well-being of his or her company, ethical business practices and competitive concerns as well.
The tool is designed to be detailed enough to allow for consistent results from a large number of assessors in the same environment. All our purchasing organizations and their counterparts in our quality organizations have had appropriate training to ensure that the tool produces consistent and objective conclusions.
Criteria in the score sheets are weighted according to their importance in finding the right suppliers, and there is no minimum score of acceptance or failure for suppliers assessed with our tool.
The Results
The assessment tool in itself offers a roadmap to excellence for suppliers. Our purchasing organizations follow a Plan/Do/Check/Act process for supplier improvement action plans and follow-up audits.