WHITE PAPER

Supplier Management Techniques for

Mitigating Risk and Driving Improvement
How risk assessments can provide reliable business intelligence to foster
mutual cooperation and continual improvement throughout supply chains

Prepared by:
John Faust
Manager, Risk Management Solutions

Supplier Conformance in a Global Environment

Growth in offshore sourcing has made supply lines longer, more complex and more vulnerable to delays and disrup-
tions than ever. The intense pressure to cut costs leaves many companies with only enough inventories to last short
periods of time. Minimal safety stocks -- coupled with long lead times and the uncertainties of low-cost, in-country
sourcing -- translate into an increased risk of missed delivery dates that can delay shipments to important customers or
leave store shelves bare.

Now more than ever, companies are finding it crucial to have accurate, timely and reliable supplier performance
metrics to assess risks and take precautionary measures when needed to avert problems. In addition, suppliers also
have an inherent interest in accurate and timely information to help them preserve their preferred supplier status to
ensure their products meet or exceed acceptable PPM and Corrective Action thresholds set by their clients. Hence,
monitoring supplier performance is very high on the agenda for both supplier and client companies.

The objective of this paper is to present a flexible, assessment-based supplier management solution that provides
managers and executives with accurate and reliable business intelligence to make decisions with confidence. Support
tools such as supplier scorecards and data analysis will be evaluated as potential tools to help make informed
decisions that can lead to achieving important strategic business objectives.

Increasing layers of complexities make identifying priorities a challenge

Even as recent as 20 years ago, management of supply chains was a relatively basic operation. Products were
simple in design and came from a handful of countries. When outsourcing occurred, it was usually managed through
a small, core group of suppliers.

With demand at an all-time high, coupled with pressure on cost, product creation has entered a whole new era.
Work is now outsourced to a multitude of countries that are further away and harder to keep tabs on. Outsourced
products are also more complex, from intricate circuit boards to essential airplane parts. This, combined with an inter-
national, traditionally-unskilled labor force that consistently deals with exposure to unfair labor practices, has caused
many organizations to take a critical look at how to best manage their supply chains and mitigate risk.
Several years ago it was normal for companies to be concerned with one or two of the following initiatives. Now,
due to increased reliance on overseas sourcing of materials and labor, it is not uncommon for companies to be
concerned with all of them simultaneously:

· Product Quality: Ensure customers receive a superior quality of product that meets their satisfaction.
· Continual Process Improvement: Identify, benchmark, and improve processes within an organization to
meet specific goals and objectives.
· Environmental Standards: Minimize the harmful effects of human and corporate activities on the
environment and the community in which suppliers operate.
· Occupational Health & Safety: Identify real and potential hazards on a job site, and an organization's
corresponding exposure to liability.
· Social Accountability: Ensure adherence to accepted standards for working hours, health and safety, fair
compensation, child labor and more.
· C-TPAT Compliance: Create safer and faster supply chains, ensuring the safety of employees and
contractors.
· Custom Requirements: Creation of unique requirements that organizations wish to monitor in their supply
chains to solve problems.

Whatever the situation, it all boils down to the same age-old question:

'With a limited amount of resources, how do executives know they are making the best decision about
where to allocate expenditures for program improvements?'

Applied to supplier conformance, the question becomes:

'With an increasing number of important corporate initiatives, how do we ensure our supplier management
program is effectively mitigating risk?'

Developing the Components of a Supplier Management Program

Critical parts of a supplier management program should include identifying key suppliers, developing strong contract
management capabilities through excellent communication, introducing key performance indicators (KPIs) that include
supplier performance measurements, and an effort toward continual improvement. (Refer to Table 1-"Key Components
of a Supplier Management Program".)

Key Components of a Supplier Management Program

Identify Key Suppliers The definition of "key" is based on the criticality of the product or service
provided (e.g. sole source, high percentage of the total product cost, critical
technology but poor performance, etc.). In larger supply chains, it is important to
rank suppliers to focus on those that represent the greatest risk to your company.
Ensure Strong Contract All vested parties work to enhance visibility and communications, so that
Management suppliers know exactly what the objectives are and can allocate the resources
required to meet them.
Establish Key Financial and non-financial metrics quantify objectives to reflect strategic
Performance Indicators performance of an organization, assess the present state of the business, and
(KPIs) prescribe a course of action. Examples of common KPIs include technical,
quality, responsiveness, delivery, cost and environmental management.
Strive for Continual Introduces the notion of intra-company continual process improvement on lead-
Improvement times and total cost of acquisition, transportation and possession of goods and
services for the benefit of both the buyer and seller, which as a result can
provide a competitive advantage and improved profits.
Table 1 -2-
Using these four key components, a comprehensive
supplier management program can be developed
based on an organization's key performance
indicators. Good performance metrics are essential.
They are a direct result of a healthy supplier
management program, which is usually driven by a
well-defined plan that is effectively communicated with
suppliers. This is a key area of opportunity for
improvement within most companies.
For example, if several suppliers consistently fail to
comply with product quality standards, then eventually
customers may return the products and/or discontinue
purchasing from an organization -- costing time,
money and prestige. Or if a supplier is caught using
child labor or sweatshops, it could lead to a costly
and prolonged public relations problem from which
an organization might never fully recover. Both of
these, plus many other examples, are avoidable risks
well worth the investment in a comprehensive supplier
management program.
While metrics vary from company to company, a
supplier conformance initiative using key performance
metrics helps companies monitor and manage results
at the supplier level, as well as provide critical details for improving supplier performance and operational efficien-
cies. In addition to measuring and monitoring supplier quality, companies have also become concerned with internal
deficiencies in manufacturing, shipment, engineering changes, invoicing and more.
Supplier Scorecards Rank Performance and
Track Improvement Over Time
Supplier Scorecards are one of the best methods to
rank supplier performance and track improvement
over time. Scorecards also provide critical informa-
tion for future negotiation of purchasing and service
agreements. Following are a few of the key opera-
tional metrics that leading organizations track in
their supplier scorecards:
· Number of defects per million (PPM) of
supplier components
· Number of corrective actions
· Average response and resolution time for
corrective actions
· Number of returned material authorizations
processed
· Number of rework hours due to supplier
components
· Number of customer complaints regarding
product quality
Table 2

Organizations are also starting to make use of supplier scorecards to gauge supplier performance (See Table 2-
"Supplier Scorecards"), as well as manage corrective actions, and verification of a deficiency's removal. The
advantage of a scorecard is the creation of standardized business metrics that can be used to evaluate all suppliers
in the same way using the same criteria. This allows for precise analysis that is based on factual data.

Programs That Work for Both an Organization and its Suppliers

An area that is often overlooked in supplier management programs is the need for the program to also be beneficial
for suppliers. The ultimate goal is to build strong relationships that will strengthen supply chains and make both
entities more profitable. Effective communication that is clear, precise and timely will empower suppliers to improve
performance.

When considering relationships with suppliers, it is also important to determine how data is collected for use within
the scorecards. Depending on the breadth, depth and/or complexity of a supply chain, there are a number of ways
this can be conducted, ranging from basic surveys to extensive on-site assessments.

For example, supply chains that include smaller numbers of suppliers can possibly be managed very efficiently
through supplier surveys that are completed by the suppliers themselves to gather data related to key performance
indicators. Since there are fewer suppliers to manage, it is possible to keep close tabs on them through more
personal relationships and data that is collected based on trust.

In contrast, supply chains that encompass hundreds or more suppliers seem to rely better on a several-stage
approach. Depending on the organization's knowledge of its overall supply chain, it is sometimes best to start with a
basic survey that focuses on the fundamental information required for management, even as basic as contact informa-
tion. For organizations where multiple departments manage multiple suppliers, just getting suppliers under one
umbrella can be a challenge. The key benefit of one umbrella is that processes can be streamlined and redundancies
eliminated.
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In the end, the goal is to build a solid foundation that will enable strong contract management. Excellent communi-
cation will contribute to stronger buy-in from suppliers that can ultimately strengthen the overall program, not only for
an organization but also for suppliers themselves.

Supplier Risk Assessments Measure and Monitor Performance

An excellent way to analyze supplier performance is through on-site assessments. No matter what the size of your
organization is, these are one of the best ways to ensure that suppliers are following the processes and procedures
that you agreed upon during the supplier selection process. Assessments should be designed to identify deficiencies
in manufacturing, shipping, engineering, invoicing, and quality at the supplier level, or whatever customized metrics
your organization would like to monitor.

An important part of the assessment process is choosing which suppliers to assess. In an ideal case, it is most
beneficial to assess as many suppliers as possible, but in some cases size or scope of the supply chain might
prohibit a full-scale assessment program. Organizations should consider their KPIs; are suppliers having trouble
meeting certain criteria? Also consider key suppliers, perhaps assessments should focus on this core group? Any of
these areas would be prime candidates for assessments.

Once the group is assembled, supplier scorecards can then be utilized to investigate critical measurables and gather
data needed for assessing each location. The scorecard should introduce standardized performance metrics that are
directly correlated to an organization's KPIs.

One question to ask is "Who will conduct the assessments?" Related questions about the assessor could be:

· Is the assessor familiar with the supplier's industry and/or operations? Having knowledge of similar
processes and industry expectations will enhance the audit's outcome.
· Where is the assessor located? Many organizations that have invested in resources that are local for their
suppliers find great success. Speaking the supplier's language and knowing the local culture can be key
to fostering the best communication.
· Does the assessor have experience in doing assessments? Sometimes the most critical observations are
near impossible to find, even to the trained eye of a seasoned assessor. Ensure staff has the experience
needed to identify problems.

A benefit of an on-site assessment is the ability to observe day-to-day supplier operations. While surveys can give a
good initial overview of a supplier's business, the most accurate observations are made by directly seeing how that
supplier operates. On-site assessments present the
opportunity to interview the supplier's personnel,
RECAP: The scope of an assessment program depends
observe the facility's overall cohesiveness, review
upon the maturity of a company's current supplier
documentation and more. A fresh pair of eyes, that
management program, and how well an organization
are trained to look for critical measurables, is many
understands the scope of its supplier base. If a program
is less mature, many times baseline data is first needed times the key way of clearing the gap to achieving
to establish the present day situation and present the excellence.
facts. Sometimes this can be accomplished through basic
Once the assessment is complete, if there are any
supplier surveys. Alternatively, assessments can be
critical areas that need attention, the client and the
conducted on-site at the supplier's location to obtain the
supplier jointly identify corrective actions, which must
most reliable data. Depending on the size of the supply
be implemented by the supplier within an agreed-
chain, an assessment team could visit each of them on-
upon timeframe. A follow-up assessment can ensure
site, or choose a representative sample.
that successful actions have taken place to fix the
The key to most successful supplier management situation, and verify that deficiencies have been
programs is enhanced visibility and communications, and removed. All stakeholders at both client and supplier
ensuring the supplier has a clear understanding what is companies should be informed every step of the
at stake for continued deficiencies. way.

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Analyzing Data to Ensure Continued Improvement

In addition to effectively collecting the data, it is important that the information is also properly analyzed and priori-
tized. For instance, if an organization has created a scorecard that includes 100 key performance indicators, it is
critical to rank those according to importance. Perhaps there is a top tier of indicators that are absolutely critical to
success, a middle tier that are somewhat important, and a bottom tier that are good to know but not necessarily
imperative to supplier success.

Using the example above, if an assessment using identical comparison criteria rendered ten deficiencies at Supplier
A in the top tier versus ten deficiencies at Supplier B in the bottom tier, the approach to corrective actions for each
supplier might change dramatically. While they have the exact same number of deficiencies, Supplier A is exhibiting
problems in areas that rank highest in supplier performance, and therefore would need the most assistance and
monitoring.

How Second Party Assessments Can Strengthen the Process

Until recently, there has been a tendency for companies to rely exclusively on internal resources to develop and
manage supplier conformance programs, usually due to the sensitive nature of business performance data. The main
challenge with this methodology is that most companies do not possess internal capabilities to effectively maintain
supplier conformance requirements, especially when consideration is given to how much more sophisticated supply
chains have become. Significant numbers of overseas suppliers, coupled with increased pressure on supplier perform-
ance, make it a difficult challenge to still provide timely and accurate information that can be translated into reliable
business intelligence.

Take into consideration the following examples:

· You are experiencing an increase in materials received from China. In order to ensure proper
management of these suppliers, you have a Supplier Manager who is based in North America and flies
over to China every other month to perform random spot checks of these new suppliers.
· Currently your organization provides one part to the automotive industry, another to the aerospace
industry, and another to the medical devices industry. While each product is different, they require similar
components. Each of the three parts is managed out of its own respective department, but because they
have similar components some of your suppliers report into each department individually, creating
redundancy.
· Last week your hottest-selling housewares item went out of stock, while the shipment to replenish them was
sitting on the dock waiting to get through customs and border protection.

Though each situation is different, the root cause of the problem remains the same: businesses have outgrown the
current internal abilities to manage the situation. A North American Supplier Manager has little knowledge of the
local Chinese culture, probably uses a translator to communicate, and in the end is missing a very important link in
supplier management: effective communication. Similarly, the organization that requires suppliers to report into three
different departments needs to re-organize and jump-start their systems. And the housewares distributor needs
assistance to get their transportation systems aligned for shortened delivery cycles.

The key is that each situation requires only a temporary boost to get over a time of turbulence. The benefit of a
second party solution is that organizations control the flow of the faucet: turn it on for more assistance when you
need it most; push it back when systems are clicking into place.

Local Assessment Teams Save Time And Money: What if the North American manager were able to
delegate overseas visits to a local assessment team based in China? Focus could then instead be on overall
management of the program for continual improvement.

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Partnering Helps Reduce Costs And Increase Efficiencies: What if the manufacturer could hire a partner
that would analyze the overlaps in departments and make recommendations on creating one cohesive supplier
management system? This could significantly reduce overhead, and thus price to customers.

Expanded Capabilities Shorten Delivery Cycles And Help Meet In-Stock Goals: What if the
housewares retailer has assistance in implementing a full-service C-TPAT program that resulted in shortened delivery
cycles? Stockrooms could be well-stored with items that his customers want, possibly resulting in increased sales.

Leading companies are recognizing the benefits

of partnering with a second party service
provider to facilitate the collection of accurate,
reliable, and timely business intelligence. Also
key to this data collection is the ability for the
second-party to provide analysis on the data
that will help drive business improvements. This
analysis is helping executives make better
decisions, which are based on risk assessments
that are applied uniformly throughout the supply
chain, and there is assurance that targeted
program investments are helping the company
achieve its most important strategic objectives
(see Table 3-"Must-haves to make the best
business decisions').
Must-haves for Making Good Business Decisions
Accurate, reliable, and timely business intelligence
· Where are we getting our information?
· Is it reliable?
· How often is it updated?
· Are we sharing this information with suppliers?
Rationale for budgeting and spend management
· Is it a rational plan for spend management?
· Are we making best use of our resources?
· Is spending linked with strategic objectives?
· Do our suppliers understand what is at stake?
Table 3

How QMI Assessments Help Foster Continuous Improvement Through Supply Chains

QMI offers supplier conformance programs that can be customized to meet specific corporate objectives, or based
on a turnkey model benchmarked on universal best practices. These can enable organizations to measure and
monitor supply chains to proactively seek out at-risk opportunities: identify root causes of problems, take actions to
correct them, and verify elimination of the deficiencies. Ultimately, our goal is to help you achieve your goals and
objectives through risk management solutions that are designed to drive continual improvement throughout your supply
chain.

The advantage of using a second-party to conduct assessments is the flexibility that your organization can gain.
Assessments will be built around your specific requirements and managed by a team that has experience in turning
assessments into business solutions. Our experts are ready to help your organization by providing specific expertise
that is available on an as-needed basis, allowing you to cost-effectively manage risk.

QMI has more than 20 years of experience in conducting many types of assessments. Our assessors come with a
wealth of expertise, from industry experience working directly in the field, as well as additional experience
conducting assessments for a variety of organizations.

Our goal is to help you build strong relationships with your suppliers. We can work on your behalf to help you
strengthen your supply chain by bridging gaps to your suppliers and creating partnerships that result in communica-
tion and trust. In the end, this can help you achieve your goal of better product, and help your suppliers improve their
processes.

Using a Five Phase Methodology, QMI will assess suppliers according to your specifications. QMI's competitive
advantage is that we take our results one step further than simply showing the results of supplier assessments. Our
industry-leading program provides an Effectiveness Rating Scorecard that cross-references unsatisfactory conditions
against the location's effectiveness, providing further insight into the overall system. These services can help you
ensure that products, processes and documents meet your requirements.

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QMI will analyze the results, identifying critical issues as well as providing site effectiveness ratings and opportunities
for improvement. Recommendations will support continual business improvement and your corporate goals and
objectives.

The benefits of outsourcing risk management services and QMI’s corresponding five phases include:

Identify the Scope of the Project

(1) Scope of Work -- Establish parameters based on client needs and how QMI can deliver cost-effective solutions.
Identify corporate goals and objectives, evaluate local resources available to achieve those objectives, determine
which suppliers to include in the program and customize the program to fit your needs. Your QMI service delivery
team will conduct a personal meeting to identify the scope of your project and how QMI can best serve you.
Together, we'll create a plan for action and a timeline for completion.

Develop Measurables to Align With Key Performance Metrics

(2) Checklist & Scorecard Development -- Focus on collecting baseline data, identifying specific objectives, and
assigning a weight or an importance rating for each key performance indicator (KPI) as it relates to organizational
goals and objectives. This will provide standardized criteria by which organizations can compare sites against each
other and ultimately drive improvements. KPIs may be fully-customized by QMI’s risk analysts or based on a checklist
of critical measurables that exist for many leading organizations. QMI will also work with you to construct the
program in a way that will also give value back to suppliers.

Conduct Assessments and Report Data

(3) Risk Assessments -- These can be offsite surveys relating to a supplier's understanding of the procurement
agreement, a comprehensive onsite assessment of critical suppliers, or a customized combination of the two.
Depending on the size of your supply chain, you could assess all your suppliers on-site or choose a representative
sample. Assessments will be conducted using a standard methodology to determine conformance relative to require-
ments.

QMI has an assessment team strategically located worldwide that has extensive industry experience. Each of these
assessors can be intentionally matched based on experience, where possible. For example, if a supplier is having
problems with environmental management, QMI can assign an assessor that has experience in this area that might
provide additional insight.

Analyze Assessment Data and Make Strategic Recommendations

(4) Recommendations - QMI will analyze the data collected during assessments. We'll assess the overall effectiveness
of each location compared to target, specifically analyzing unsatisfactory conditions. At the end of this analysis you
will receive:

· Immediate notification of critical issues as they are discovered

· Conformance assessment results for each facility relative to pre-determined criteria
· Opportunities for improvement based on assessment findings, where applicable
· Recommendations for frequency and duration of future assessments, if necessary

The key differentiator between QMI and many competitors is this Recommendations phase. While other organiza-
tions that provide assessments will deliver data, QMI thoroughly analyzes the data and provides strategic recommen-
dations for improvement. Our goal is to help continuously reduce risk in your supply chain and improve performance.

Continual Program Improvement

(5) Ongoing Program Management - Based on your feedback, internal QMI communications, and analysis of effec-
tiveness ratings, QMI will present a plan for continued future management of your program, as necessary. This will
also include internal continual improvement initiatives to ensure process improvement and client satisfaction.

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Conclusion

Supplier Risk Assessments feature a set of key performance indicators that relate to the performance of an organiza-
tion's suppliers. By associating each performance metric with one or more expected values, you'll be alerted when
organizational performance is failing to meet expectations, allowing you to take corrective action.

Assessments with customized checklists help organizations identify risk opportunities and rank them against objectives
of critical importance. Increased frequency of assessments for problem areas accelerates resolutions, and alert
poorly-rated suppliers about remedial steps, and contractual implications.

QMI Risk Management Solutions helps companies save time and money by offering customized risk assessments that
provide executives and managers with more timely, reliable, and accurate information. This allow them to better
evaluate risks, and make the best use of available budgets to target resources towards the areas of most critical
importance in the achievement of specific operational objectives, and apply standards uniformly throughout their
supply chain.

For more information, contact:

John Faust
Manager, Risk Management Solutions
QMI

(800) 247-0802
jfaust@qmi.com
www.qmi.com