Supplier approval program

The Quality Assurance QA department must review the questionnaire to determine if the supplier meets company standards and requirements. QA can reject or approve the supplier or issue corrective actions that the supplier must act on to be approved. Specification Management: A good supplier relationship begins by defining what you need from the supplier. The first step in the process is to build precise and complete specifications. And the most efficient way to do this is to work in tandem with the supplier.

Single Platform: To effectively manage the enormous amount of supplier information required, a technology solution is necessary. Ideally, companies have a single platform to organize and digitize all suppliers, items, and ingredient information and documents. It should contain information on names and codes for all items and ingredients, approved primary and alternate suppliers, the associated hazards for each ingredient or item, the methods used for approving suppliers and accepting ingredients, and a way to monitor supplier performance.

Lastly, the platform should support the management of additional information and documents for allergens, claims, nutrition and labeling, lot or batch number coding, and anything else that might be necessary to maintain compliance. You also need to review any possible associated chemical, physical, or biological hazards that could cause contamination.

Determining item risk can be facilitated by reviewing regulations and historical evidence. Instead, you should have one unified platform— Plant Management Software —to digitize the entire supplier approval process.

Through the platform, all of your supplier compliance data, including scorecards and audits, can be easily accessed. Look for a system that also offers a supplier document repository and expiration tracker so you can automate notifications about certificates that are expiring. The system should also have a convenient, user-friendly portal through which suppliers can view notifications and upload documents as needed.

Comprehensive supplier management also calls for a thorough risk assessment. The ingredient itself will play a large role in the assessment. Ingredients used in high volumes or those with a history of contaminations may also be considered high-risk.

In addition to biological hazards such as salmonella, be sure to consider chemical hazards and physical hazards as well. Depending on their risk factors, each vendor may need to undergo a unique supplier approval procedure.

For instance, suppliers with an extremely low risk may only need to submit the necessary documentation, while other high-risk suppliers may need to undergo audits. With that being said, you must be consistent in your approach and establish the criteria for various qualification activities. One of the final steps of your supplier assessment procedure will be the approval.

Once the test results are positive, you can then add the vendor as the newest member of your approved supplier list. Instead of physical binders, you should have a database within your Plant Management Software to track ingredients and other key data. While the initial supplier assessment procedure may be a one-time process, supplier management is ongoing.

When an importer that is a receiving facility is in compliance with the supply-chain program requirements, the only requirement of the FSVP regulation that applies is the requirement for importer identification at entry 21 CFR 1. Current industry co-manufacturing arrangements may include a supply-chain program established and implemented by the brand owner, the co-manufacturer, or both.

Not all co-manufacturers are required to have supply-chain programs. If there are no hazards requiring supply-chain-applied controls in the raw materials and other ingredients used by a co-manufacturer, then the co-manufacturer does not need a supply-chain program, and this guidance is not applicable.