Check the Supplier Before Approving the Order.
Use a requirement-based supplier checklist covering identity, process, documents, capacity, commercial terms and the checks still needed before approval.
Use a supplier qualification checklist against a specific purchase. A completed company questionnaire is useful only when its answers establish whether the relevant site, process and commercial terms can meet that requirement.
Put mandatory requirements at the top. Record evidence beside each answer, then decide whether the supplier can proceed, needs further checks or should be removed from consideration. Keep the buyer’s approval decision separate from the supplier’s assurances.
The Qualification Review Sheet
For each row, record the answer, source, date, reviewer and unresolved action.
| Area | Questions for the reviewer |
|---|---|
| Identity and site | Is the contracting entity clear? Which facility will perform the work? |
| Manufacturing role | What is made directly, assembled, traded or subcontracted? |
| Process capability | Which evidence connects the actual process to our specification? |
| Quality control | How are requirements, inspection results and non-conformances controlled? |
| Documents | Does each required document cover the correct product, site and period? |
| Capacity and timing | What schedule is proposed for our product and delivery window? |
| Commercial terms | Are MOQ, payment, delivery, tooling and exclusions workable? |
| Samples or trials | What was tested, against which criteria, and what remains untested? |
| Continuity | Which production steps or inputs depend on another party? |
| Approval | Who accepts the remaining risks and authorizes the next step? |
Use “not provided” or “not yet checked” where appropriate. An empty field should not read as a completed check.
Test Broad Claims Against the Purchase
A general product catalogue is an invitation to investigate. Ask which product examples and processes relate to your specification. A quality-system document may describe a wider operation; check its scope and then examine the controls relevant to the item you intend to buy.
For capacity, state the product, quantity, proposed order pattern and required date. Ask the supplier to explain the schedule it is offering. General monthly output, unused equipment and an announced expansion do not establish a production slot for your order.
Define What a Sample Will Prove
Agree the specification and acceptance checks before requesting a sample. Record how it was made, what was measured and any deviations. Where repeat production matters, identify the remaining process or production checks rather than treating one accepted sample as the end of qualification.
A trial can help resolve a particular question. It still needs a controlled scope, review criteria and a person responsible for assessing the result.
Use Site Checks Where They Matter
Consider a site check when an important uncertainty cannot be resolved through documents or a trial. Set the questions in advance: process control, site identity, subcontracting, production readiness or another requirement-specific issue.
Do not mark a row complete simply because a visit occurred. Record what was observed, what evidence was collected and what the observation does not establish.
Record the Qualification Outcome
Finish with one of these decisions and explain why:
- Proceed to the next step: mandatory requirements for that step are supported; remaining actions have owners.
- Hold: a material question remains unresolved and must be answered before proceeding.
- Decline: a mandatory requirement is not met and no accepted alternative exists.
Use approval conditions precisely. “Suitable for a sample request” and “approved for an order” mean different things. A qualification record should make the permission being requested clear.
Merillgrove can help identify the qualification gaps that matter to an existing supplier decision. Share the requirement, the supplier information and what your business is considering approving.