Supplier Approval Procedure

Hi All,

I have been asked to make an Standard Operating Procedure to document my company's New Supplier Approval Process. I was hoping to find guidance as to how exactly to go about doing this. Is there a standard template to follow? If so, where can i find it! 

I had a look on the web and mostly found Supplier Quality Expectations Manuals, which are extremely detailed and customer-focused. 

Could someone please help me with this!

Thanks,

Luella

Hi Luella,

It is very much dependent on what you are supplying to what questions you ask, but the procedure should still be the same.

Risk assess each supplier - and material (for herbs and spices this is a very big job!) Against what information/ accreditation etc, then you can have a better idea of what companies will need to be audited/which are safer in regards to continued supply.

I have attached what I created at my site for you to peruse.

Let me know if you need any help with it.

Regards

Chris

Luella,

Do they already have a Approved Supplier Program in place and you are just documenting this process or are you creating an Approved Supplier Program

Adapt this one if any good to you? Obviously remove document references etc :)

Hi

SOP template can be same as other SOP's being used in your company or as mentioned in your document management program. For content, i'm assuming you already have a process for approving new suppliers and that just needs to be documented, my personal view is following should be there in the document:

1. Purpose
2. Scope: what all does it includes e.g. suppliers of ingredient(raw material), packaging, auxiliary materials like water treatment chemicals or cleaning chemicals
3. Detailed process: Generally 3 - 4 things are considered in case of new supplier: Food safety and Quality related Documentation requirement (you need some documents/ certificates, checklists, declarations) from supplier; Ingredient Requirement (ingredient should meet the expectation, testing and analysis of some batches and getting supplier COA comparing the results etc.) and facility audit (it can be virtual in a sense that you ask supplier to complete some questionnaire from you or you visit the facility and access it); apart from these there can be some company specific requirement i.e. supplier should be certified to X or supplier should have X Y or Z things. After this there needs to be supplier MONITORING process outlined as too how will you ensure supplier is meeting the expectation
4. Approval process: who selects and who approves it (roles and responsibility) and how do you maintain and udpate the approved supplier list and communicate to other departments
5. What do you do in case of non-conformance. 
6. Reference to related records such as authorized supplier list, risk matrix for suppliers etc.

 

Hi All,

 

I have been asked to make an Standard Operating Procedure to document my company's New Supplier Approval Process. I was hoping to find guidance as to how exactly to go about doing this. Is there a standard template to follow? If so, where can i find it! 

I had a look on the web and mostly found Supplier Quality Expectations Manuals, which are extremely detailed and customer-focused. 

 

Could someone please help me with this!

 

Thanks,

Luella

 

Hi Luella,

Customers typically attach fundamental importance  to Control of Raw Materials (ie Risk Assessment) and Supplier Approval.

There are many "Standard" Templates.

IMEX the requirements for Supplier Approval -

(a) can vary enormously with Customer/their Location plus the raw material/finished product/process.

(b) are typically not few and are often complex in scope.

For example the BRC Standard has for Supplier Approval -

The company shall have a documented supplier approval and ongoing monitoring procedure to ensure that all suppliers of raw materials, including packaging, effectively manage risks to raw material quality and safety and are operating effective traceability processes.

The approval and monitoring procedure shall be based on risk and include one or a combination of:

•  certification (e.g. to BRC Global Standards or other GFSI-recognised scheme)

•  supplier audits, with a scope to include product safety, traceability, HACCP review and good manufacturing practices, undertaken by an experienced and demonstrably competent product safety auditor or, for suppliers assessed as low risk only, supplier questionnaires.

Where approval is based on questionnaires, these shall be reissued at least every 3 years and suppliers will be required to notify the site of any significant changes in the interim

 

The above requirements are combined with a detailed risk assessment (with respect to safety/quality/legality/BCPA characteristics) of the relevant raw material  whose  result  "shall form the basis for the raw material acceptance and testing procedure and for the processes adopted for supplier approval and monitoring".

So the details may depend on what type of raw material/finished product/process you are talking about.

Luella,

Please don't post duplicate topics. It causes confusion.

I have combined the two threads.

PS - Welcome to the Forum ! :welcome:

Hi Luella,

 

Customers typically attach fundamental importance  to Control of Raw Materials (ie Risk Assessment) and Supplier Approval.

 

There are many "Standard" Templates.

 

IMEX the requirements for Supplier Approval -

 

(a) can vary enormously with Customer/their Location plus the raw material/finished product/process.

(b) are typically not few and are often complex in scope.

 

For example the BRC Standard has for Supplier Approval -

 

 

The above requirements are combined with a detailed risk assessment (with respect to safety/quality/legality/BCPA characteristics) of the relevant raw material  whose  result  "shall form the basis for the raw material acceptance and testing procedure and for the processes adopted for supplier approval and monitoring".

 

So the details may depend on what type of raw material/finished product/process you are talking about.

Dear  Charles,

I am writing SOP for black pepper and bags (PP, PE, Kraft, jute) according to BRC Standard. I have problem to writing the procedure for both of them. Although I have the table of risk assessment of raw material and bags, forms, i can not write procedure basing on the risk assessment. Could you please help me?

Many thanks for your kindness

Minh Giang

Dear  Charles,

I am writing SOP for black pepper and bags (PP, PE, Kraft, jute) according to BRC Standard. I have problem to writing the procedure for both of them. Although I have the table of risk assessment of raw material and bags, forms, i can not write procedure basing on the risk assessment. Could you please help me?

Many thanks for your kindness

Minh Giang

Hi MinhGiang,

Which BRC clause(s) are you referring to ?

The general answer to some BRC clauses is in post 6. Further details of post 6 are elsewhere on this forum.

Hi MinhGiang,

 

Which BRC clause(s) are you referring to ?

 

The general answer to some BRC clauses is in post 6. Further details of post 6 are elsewhere on this forum.

Hi Charles,

BRC clause from 3.5.1 to 3.5.3.2,  not clause 6. Do you need any further information, it's my pleasure for me clarifying to you?

Minh Giang

Hi Charles,

BRC clause from 3.5.1 to 3.5.3.2,  not clause 6. Do you need any further information, it's my pleasure for me clarifying to you?

Minh Giang

Hi Minh Giang,

I'm not sure what you mean by clause 6 ?.

I can suggest these general threads (there are many others) for 3.5.1.1 and 3.5.1.2 -

http://www.ifsqn.com...plier-approval/

http://www.ifsqn.com...sment-template/

The other clauses you mention have also, i think, been discussed here but may need some searching/inputs from other posters.

Hi Minh Giang,

 

I'm not sure what you mean by clause 6 ?.

 

I can suggest these general threads (there are many others) for 3.5.1.1 and 3.5.1.2 -

 

http://www.ifsqn.com...plier-approval/

 

http://www.ifsqn.com...sment-template/

 

The other clauses you mention have also, i think, been discussed here but may need some searching/inputs from other posters.

Dear Charles,

Thank you so much for your information.

I would like to clarify that i am doing the procedure from clause 3.5.1 to clause 3.5.3.2

Your information is very useful to me. Thank you so much

However, I am writing the procedure of supplier approval procudure. It includes: description of each steps (approving supplier, auditing supplier and monitoring supplier for both black pepper and bags), responsibility department, forms. I made the risk assessment basing on chemical, physical, allergy, transparency business. So, your information help me supplementing the missing informtion. I have no idea how to write the procedure to remove/prevent risk from the input as well as approving, auditing and monitoring suppliers in order to my company can control, monitor good suppliers and to remove bad suppliers.

Thanks for your kindness

Minh Giang

Dear Charles,

Thank you so much for your information.

I would like to clarify that i am doing the procedure from clause 3.5.1 to clause 3.5.3.2

Your information is very useful to me. Thank you so much

However, I am writing the procedure of supplier approval procudure. It includes: description of each steps (approving supplier, auditing supplier and monitoring supplier for both black pepper and bags), responsibility department, forms. I made the risk assessment basing on chemical, physical, allergy, transparency business. So, your information help me supplementing the missing informtion. I have no idea how to write the procedure to remove/prevent risk from the input as well as approving, auditing and monitoring suppliers in order to my company can control, monitor good suppliers and to remove bad suppliers.

Thanks for your kindness

Minh Giang

The initial supplier approval procedure is basically spelled out for you in clause 3.5.1.2. Essentially you need an audit/questionnaire depending on item/supplier risk status.

For ongoing monitoring can see this "example" for some ideas -

http://www.ifsqn.com...ent/#entry79193

Actual monitoring of incoming materials requires your generating product specifications and selecting appropriate quality/safety items to sample/analyse for. This part will be product/process specific. There are some examples on this Forum (somewhere) if you search a little (one brc document is attached in my 1st link of Post 11).

I do agree that for BRC the amount of work involved is substantial. Other FS standards may be less onerous regarding this particular aspect.

The initial supplier approval procedure is basically spelled out for you in clause 3.5.1.2. Essentially you need an audit/questionnaire depending on item/supplier risk status.

 

For ongoing monitoring can see this "example" for some ideas -

 

http://www.ifsqn.com...ent/#entry79193

 

Actual monitoring of incoming materials requires your generating product specifications and selecting appropriate quality/safety items to sample/analyse for. This part will be product/process specific. There are some examples on this Forum (somewhere) if you search a little (one brc document is attached in my 1st link of Post 11).

 

I do agree that for BRC the amount of work involved is substantial. Other FS standards may be less onerous regarding this particular aspect.

hi Charles,

Thank you so much for your information and your kindness

Best regards,

Minh Giang

Hi All,

 

I have been asked to make an Standard Operating Procedure to document my company's New Supplier Approval Process. I was hoping to find guidance as to how exactly to go about doing this. Is there a standard template to follow? If so, where can i find it! 

I had a look on the web and mostly found Supplier Quality Expectations Manuals, which are extremely detailed and customer-focused. 

 

Could someone please help me with this!

 

Thanks,

Luella

hello lucille,

i have read your post. I am in need of procedures in term of receiving for raw materials and approval of new suppliers approval process. Can you please share with me if you have already created one. Thank you