Supplier Approval Program management

Hi there

We did send out questionnaires and the like to vendors and I have some of them back. Kind of at a loss for a good format to maintain the approval status for each supplier. I like Excel but what information should I keep in the file for each supplier? I have supplier name, types of material supplied, evaluation date and approval status for my columns. Does anyone have any other suggestions of information I should maintain in the file? Does someone have something they can share so get an idea of how this is maintained?

This is for FSC 27, module 13, food packaging.

Thank you very much in advance!!! 

Generally speaking, supplier approval requires a Supplier Assessment Questionnaire focusing on their food safety system, HACCP, traceability etc.  If they have a GFSI accreditation of some sort (e.g. BRC), make sure you have a copy of their current certificate on file.  Depending on the nature of your business, you might also need to have a copy of their TACCP/VACCP.

If your suppliers don't have any form of GFSI accreditation, then you may need to undertake supplier audit visits (this would need to be done by an experienced auditor) including a traceability challenge.

I also keep the expiration date of GFSI certifications, allergen declarations, non acceptable chemical declarations etc

I have a column to enter the dates I emailed my info request on, and add the follow up emails (when required) as that (in my mind) is part of approving a supplier

Thank you Scampi and Paul for the replies!

You could also add if they have provided a specification, and the date of the specification.