Your company's ability to promptly respond to your customers' needs hinges in great part upon your suppliers' efficiency. While price is always be a key consideration when evaluating suppliers, there are other factors that should be included in the decision making process.

Below are five supplier evaluation best practices to help ensure that you select a capable, top-notch supplier.
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1. Assess the supplier's resources and scalability. A supplier should have the manpower, tools, and facilities to support your company's continued growth. Additionally, the suppliers you choose should be able to handle large orders or requests without significant delays.
2. Visit the supplier's operations. A live visit to a supplier's headquarters can be an eye-opening experience. Ideally, you should choose suppliers with clean, well-illuminated, organized facilities. Equipment should be maintained, and employees should demonstrate keen attention to safety protocol.
3. Ask suppliers to outline their quality control procedures. Quality control procedures are vital to ensuring that products undergo a thorough inspection prior to dispatch. An effective way to assess a supplier's commitment to quality control procedures is to find out if the supplier conducts internal audits on a regular basis.
4. Request references. A robust collection of glowing references from legitimate clients is a great indicator of a supplier's ability to meet your needs. Make sure that you contact each reference provided and ask whether the supplier was able to deliver products in accordance with cited promise dates.​
5. Verify the supplier's certifications and accreditations. Industry certifications indicate that a supplier demonstrates a commitment to continued quality improvement and consistency in operations. Ideally, suppliers should possess ISO 9001 certification and Accredited Company Training Schemes (ACTS).

 
​Looking to streamline your supply chain controls? Otter Systems comprehensive QHSE platform can help you manage the supply chain process. Contact us today to learn more. 

Incorporating and maintaining a QHSE management system into your company's operations results in three distinct benefits:

1. The ability to measure and determine if your products and services are meeting or exceeding customer expectations.
2. A method to measure the overall well-being of the company that can then be used as a tool for continual improvement.
3. A guideline and procedure for measuring and improving company processes and operations.

The most effective management systems utilize the ISO standards--incorporating more of a risk-based approach to the management system and strategic thinking by management. The best QHSE management system is continually monitored and tested across the entire company with all processes consistently measured and steps implemented for improvement.
 
To learn more about the benefits of becoming ISO certified and implementing an effective QHSE management system, contact Otter Systems today.