3. Selecting suppliers

The impact of the purchased product on production processes, and the quality and conformity of the finished product, determine the criteria for supplier selection.

As management has set strategic orientations, the quality department may be called upon by the purchasing department to validate the consistency of these criteria with the organization's strategy.

Selection methods can be based, for example, on :

• a supplier audit ;

• sample controls ;

• supplier certification by an external body

• etc.

But to select a new supplier factually and objectively, the criteria chosen must be measurable/evaluable and more or less extensive, depending on the importance of the...