Another quick article in my Quality Control processes series, today I'll be explaining the concept of Supplier Evaluation.

Consider perhaps you are working with a supplier in China and they aren't delivering the results that they promised. Or maybe you're contemplating working with a new supplier in China, and you'd rather avoid the hassle that comes from them failing to meet your expectations. If so, you need to use a suitable evaluation service, which can make sure you get what you want, when you want at the level of quality you need.

Talk to a specialist

Because of the difficulties inherent in conducting business in China it's better to use a local firm for your evaluation services. They'll be able to talk to the factory in their language, and to you in yours.

ISO 9001

Your supplier evaluations should be conducted in a manner that conforms to the international quality standard ISO 9001. The supplier evaluation service should provide a report based on recognized criteria for supplier performance, including:

- Production Equipment
- Production Capacity
- Quality Control
- Testing
- Safety
- Social Compliance
- Material Supply Chain Evaluation
- Infrastructure
- Organizational Cleanliness
- Business Registration and Management Performance

You should be able to work with your provider of evaluation services to build in specific criteria that affect your business too; this kind of evaluation is not a "one size fits all" process.