Supplier Scorecard Generator
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Supplier Evaluation Framework
1. The Supplier Qualification Process
RFQ stage: qualify suppliers to receive your RFQ based on: minimum process capability, required certifications, geographic preference, minimum capacity (can they handle your volumes?), and financial stability signals.
Quote evaluation: beyond price, evaluate the technical response — did they ask good questions about your part? Did they identify potential manufacturing challenges? A supplier who just returns a price without engaging technically is a risk.
Pre-award survey or audit: for significant programs, visit the facility or conduct a remote audit before awarding business. Review quality system documentation, production floor organization, equipment calibration records, and workforce training records.
First article: use the first article inspection process as a formal gate before authorizing production quantities. A supplier who resists FAI is telling you something important.
2. The Facility Visit — What to look for
5S and general organization: a well-organized production floor is one of the strongest leading indicators of quality. Disorganized facilities produce inconsistent quality.
Equipment condition and calibration: are machines maintained? Is there a visible preventive maintenance program? Are measuring instruments calibrated (calibration sticker with current date)?
Material identification and segregation: raw material should be labeled with material type, specification, and lot/heat number. Nonconforming material should be clearly identified and segregated.
First-piece inspection at the machine: do operators inspect the first piece of each setup before running the batch? First-piece inspection catches setup errors before they produce a batch of scrap.
3. The 20 Questions That Reveal True Capability
1. What is your on-time delivery rate for the last 12 months? Good: 95%+, knows the number immediately. Red flag: doesn't track it or gives a vague "we're usually on time."
2. How do you handle a quality escape — a defective part that reaches a customer? Good: immediate containment, root cause analysis, CAPA process. Red flag: vague or defensive.
3. What happens if you get behind on delivery — how do you communicate and recover? Good: proactive communication, overtime authority, surge capacity plan. Red flag: "it hasn't happened."
4. What is your tooling ownership policy? Good: tooling paid by customer is customer property, clearly documented. Red flag: tooling stays at their facility with no transfer provisions.
5. What could go wrong with this part and what are you doing about it? Good: identifies specific technical risks and their controls. A supplier who identifies problems in the RFQ stage saves you from finding them in production. Red flag: "no problems, it's straightforward."
4. Financial Health & IP Protection
Financial health indicators: a manufacturer that goes bankrupt takes your tooling, work in process, and committed inventory with them. Watch out for aggressive chasing of payment, unusual terms (100% upfront), or deferred maintenance.
Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA): execute before sharing any design data. Should be mutual, cover technical information and business terms.
Tooling ownership: tooling paid for by you (the customer) is your property. Specify this explicitly in your purchase order.
Design for manufacture feedback: when a supplier proposes a DFM change to your design, ensure the change is documented, approved, and reflected in updated drawings.