Vendor Evaluations
A potential client once told me that a previous auditor recommended the client improve his vendor evaluation process. The client’s vendor evaluations only pertained to product vendors, not to services such as the building cleaning service, electrical contractor, and even the ISO auditor who provided the service.
I’ve also heard a few others in the ISO world proclaim that it would be a good thing to include service providers in the vendor evaluation process. However I don’t agree with this. Some ISO auditors and consultants seem to think that business people have all the time in the world to work on little details such as formal evaluation of service vendors. Personally I believe that section 7.4.1 applies to products and services that you use in goods or services that you sell to your customers, not necessarily vendors you use to maintian your building, or other vendors where YOU are the final customer.
While it sure would be nice to have the time and energy to perform a formal vendor evaluation on such vendors, I believe most business owners and employees would much rather spend their time trying to make their company profitable.
I would be interested to hear the justification from someone who feels otherwise.
Tim
We'd like to hear your comments on this post (below).
- Using outside companies as part of your Production Process in ISO9001:2000
- ISO9001:2000 Section 4.1 General Requirements Part 1
- Customer Focus
- What is Product Realization in an ISO9001:2000 quality system?
- 4.1 General Requirements of an ISO9001:2000 Quality Management System
- Comment on Sean Kelly’s blog
- Receiving Inspection Pros and Cons
- Do you need a formal purchase order to satisfy ISO9001:2000?
- Would you let a customer observe an internal audit? ISO9001:2000
April 20th, 2007 at 2:04 am
I don’t feel otherwise, I agree. But it hacks me off that, like you said, they don’t think we have anything better to do. I can’t be chasing every last detail, I have a business to run. If an auditor wants you do do things like that can you just get a new auditor?
Cathy
May 25th, 2007 at 3:36 pm
Actually, yes you can get a new auditor. I’ve only had to do that once in about 15 years, but yes you can ask your registar to send a different auditor. Or you can change registrars. I wouldn’t recommend you do this a lot, but you probably shouldn’t have to. Most auditors are reasonable people.
November 13th, 2008 at 1:47 am
Dear Sir,
I agree with what you say that the vendor evaluation can be justified / required as long as the product/service provided by that vendor is directly going to affect the product quality produced by an organization. But there can be situations where the unclean ambiance may harm / affect your product quality by say , adultration or infection. It may also affect the work efficiency of the staff, there by directly affecting the product/service theyprovide.
So in my opinion it will be good to enter the names of the vendors who provide such services in the vendor inspection list