Need help developing a supplier qualification program

Hello all, today I'm working on supplier qualification programs, and I have some questions that are too mundane, I feel, to ask my coworkers or mentors.

So I'm looking at a supplier questionnaire...

Is there a reason why companies ask about square footage of your company/facility? It doesn't seem to be relevant to any regulation I've read (so far).

So I'm looking at approved supplier lists...

Can anyone interpret this text and spell out for me what it is asking from me?  "The source of manufacture of a product or sub-component shall be identified and indicate whether the product or any sub-component thereof is self-manufactured, contract manufactured (including any toll processes) or brokered."

As I understand it: In an approved supplier list, the products my company makes, as well as the products (which are ingredients in my product) of other companies should be included in an approved supplier list, which has appended information stating -

self-manufactured

contract manufactured

brokered

Therefore, my follow up question is...

Why do I need to include my own products in an approved supplier list? Am I meant to approve my own supply?

Thanks for any input you choose to share.

Is there a reason why companies ask about square footage of your company/facility? It doesn't seem to be relevant to any regulation I've read (so far).

It can be useful to get a feel for the scale on which the supplier operates.

Can anyone interpret this text and spell out for me what it is asking from me?  "The source of manufacture of a product or sub-component shall be identified and indicate whether the product or any sub-component thereof is self-manufactured, contract manufactured (including any toll processes) or brokered."

Basically you're asking the supplier whether they make the product you're buying from them, whether they have someone else make it for them (contract/toll processed), or whether they just distribute a product made by someone else altogether (brokered).

It's not asking about the product you manufacture yourself, but rather helping you understand where your raw material is actually coming from - some standards (e.g. BRC) specifically require that you assess the actual manufacturing site, so if the supplier is just buying/selling someone else's product you'd want to know that so you can then look at the food safety controls applicable where the product is physically produced.

Thank you very much pHruit! That clarifies it quite well for me. I suppose I had yet to consider the possibility that some companies are just middlemen in the supply chain, but with that, it makes much more sense.