Supplier Audits for Buyers Qualifying Vendors
On-site supplier audits and vendor qualification against the buyer's criteria: capability, quality system and compliance, in China and Asia and elsewhere.
A supplier audit tests whether a supplier can really do what it has committed to do, and itmad provides supplier audits and vendor qualification for buyers, at supplier sites in the countries where itmad operates and at manufacturing sites in China and Asia, with local auditors, a travelling team and offices in China and Southeast Asia. The audit assesses capability, quality system and contractual compliance on site, against criteria set by the buyer. itmad operates across the Middle East, Asia and Europe.
A procurement question, not a certification one
A supplier audit asks whether this supplier can actually deliver what it has committed to. The criteria belong to the buyer and come from the contract, the specification, the quality requirements and the buyer's own supplier qualification criteria and scoring framework, not from a standard. It is a form of second-party audit.
What is examined
Capability and capacity are judged against what is actually installed and running, not what the company profile lists. The quality system is tested in practice by sampling records instead of accepting a manual, and process control is examined at the stages that decide whether the product conforms, including inspection points, calibration and traceability. Personnel performing special processes such as welding, heat treatment and NDT are verified back to their certificates rather than assumed to be qualified.
Auditors then look at how the supplier controls its own suppliers, which is where a buyer's requirement most often gets lost, and at how defects are identified, contained and corrected, and whether corrective action prevents recurrence or merely closes a form. Where the buyer's code of conduct reaches working and living conditions, the audit covers hours, wage payment, accommodation, documentation and working conditions. Finally, records and traceability are tested: can a finished item be traced to its material, process records and personnel? That test shows whether the system is real.
How an audit is conducted
There are three parts: planning with the buyer, verification at the supplier's premises, and reporting. In planning, itmad agrees the criteria with the buyer. In verification, auditors observe processes in operation, sample objective evidence from records, and interview people at the levels where requirements are actually met, not only management. In reporting, findings are recorded against each criterion and classified by severity. The principles of ISO 19011 on auditor competence, evidence-based findings and impartiality apply.
When buyers commission one
Typical occasions are qualifying a new supplier before contract award, re-qualifying suppliers at agreed intervals during a long-term agreement, investigating a quality escape, a recurring defect or a delivery failure, supporting a vendor approval programme, and showing a buyer's own customer that the supply chain is under control. Audits are also used before a buyer increases volume or widens scope, and to check a supplier whose certifying body the buyer cannot verify.
Auditing in China and Asia
Many supply chains extend into China and Asia, and an audit by an auditor flown in for the purpose costs more and takes longer than one carried out locally. itmad operates through offices in China and Southeast Asia, so supplier audits at manufacturing sites in the region are conducted by auditors already there, in the language of the supplier, and reported in the buyer's time zone.
Independence
itmad is a certification body. In a supplier audit itmad acts for the buyer, not for the supplier, and has no commercial relationship with the organisations that it audits on the buyer's behalf. Where itmad certifies the management system of a supplier, itmad tells the buyer before accepting the instruction and not after the report is issued.
Frequently asked questions
What is a supplier audit?
A supplier audit assesses whether a supplier can really do what it has committed to do, by examining capability, quality system and contractual compliance on site. The criteria belong to the buyer, and the audit does not lead to a certificate.
What does a supplier audit examine?
Capability and capacity, the quality system in practice, process control, personnel competence, sub-tier control, non-conformity handling, ethical and labour compliance, and records and traceability. Each is judged against what is actually installed and running, not against a company profile.
How does a supplier audit test whether a quality system is real?
It samples records instead of accepting a manual, and it tests traceability: whether a finished item can be traced back to its material, process records and personnel. That test shows whether the system is real.
Can itmad audit suppliers in China and Asia?
Yes. itmad operates through offices in China and Southeast Asia, so supplier audits at manufacturing sites in the region are conducted by auditors already there, in the language of the supplier. Reports are issued in the buyer's time zone.
What if itmad certifies the supplier being audited?
Where itmad certifies a supplier's management system, itmad tells the buyer before accepting the instruction, not after the report is issued. itmad acts for the buyer and has no commercial relationship with the organisations that it audits on the buyer's behalf.
When do buyers commission supplier audits?
Before awarding a contract, at agreed intervals through a long-term agreement, after a quality escape or delivery failure, and before increasing volume or widening scope. They are also used to support a vendor approval programme.