Supplier audits - enhanced security in the supply chain

Security in supplier networks has become a central key to competitiveness. Supplier audits are an important building block in supplier management and stabilize your internal processes and sustainably improve the future viability of your company. The audits support the implementation of uniform corporate guidelines and create transparency along the entire supply chain. .

Objective, comprehensible results and substantial decision-making aids

Targeted identification of potential opportunities and risks

Risk containment and qualification

Short-term relief in the event of internal resource bottlenecks

Beschreibung Standard/Regelwerk
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Supplier audit - information on the audit approach

A supplier audit enables you to simplify the selection and assessment of new or existing suppliers and allows you to identify opportunities and risks within your company. DQS Inc. will not only evaluate the organizational and technical performance of your external suppliers, but also show the degree of fulfillment of agreed processes or rule-specific requirements.

As companies have begun utilizing outsourcing for important production components, the  assessment approach "supplier audit" has gained massively in importance. Consequently, the management of supplier relationships and knowledge of the supplier's current performance are of great importance.

Another aspect is the commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR). Supplier audits serve here as a comparison of the sustainability topics relevant and indispensable for your organization with the corresponding approach and processes of your suppliers. For this purpose, we develop criteria, methods, and tools individually for your company that are suitable for CSR supplier assessment.

Approaches for auditing the performance of your external suppliers also arise in the context of a QM system within the framework of the well-known ISO 9001:2015 standard.

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Welche Arten
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What types of supplier audits are there?

Supplier audits can be divided into process and compliance audits. In a process audit, operational procedures and processes are specifically evaluated. The focus here is on compliance with previously defined processes. In compliance audits, the degree of fulfillment of defined requirements by the supplier is examined.

Process audits can also serve as a weak point analysis for your company, especially in risk assessment. This can apply to supply bottlenecks or the possible failure of a supplier. In addition, auditing and evaluating potential new suppliers is a good way to qualify them according to your customer requirements and to stabilize your company's manufacturing process.

Detailed access to the suppliers' value creation processes often reveals gaps and potential for improvement. Measures derived from this provide your company with significant competitive advantages.

Compliance audits focus on compliance with your regulatory obligations. However, requirements relating to sustainability issues such as human rights and employee rights, occupational safety or environmental protection are also market-relevant examples. The catalog of requirements can have the following character:

  • Customer-specific
  • Standard-related
  • Statutory
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Mehrwert
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How can a supplier audit benefit your company?

A supplier audit results in measurable advantages for your company and can put you ahead of the competition. This becomes visible in the areas of supplier evaluation, supplier selection, supplier development, and in the quality and compliance with specific specifications.

Your benefits from supplier audits are particularly noticeable through a high level of implementation orientation. Outcomes from supplier audits lead to objective, comprehensible findings, and substantial decision-making aids, resulting in concrete improvements with long-term benefits.

The benefits of supplier audits result from:

  • Individually coordinated criteria catalogs and evaluation systems
  • Methodical and reproducible procedures for supplier evaluation
  • Targeted identification of potential opportunities and risks
  • Risk limitation, legal certainty, and qualification in relation to your customers
  • The continuous improvement process in the supplier relationship
  • Targeted safeguarding of your own manufacturing process
  • Short-term relief in case of internal resource bottlenecks, national and international
  • Establishment of long-term, resilient partner networks
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Auditplanung
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How long does a supplier audit take?

Supplier management is complex. Depending on the scope and depth of the assessment catalog, a supplier audit can take one day or several weeks. Your decision on the frequency at which a supplier audit is repeated also plays an important role.

As soon as we know your supply chain management and your ideas, we align our planning precisely and individually to the resources and requirements of your company. On this basis, our audits offer a variety of starting points for making the right decisions and implementing improvements.

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Grundsätze
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For which standards are supplier audits not allowed?

A supplier audit is not mentioned in the certification rules for IATF 16949 and VDA 6.X, i.e. it does not apply in connection with a certification company. This means that we as DQS are not allowed to offer such an audit and are not allowed to assign an auditor to do so.

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What is the process of a supplier audit?

In the first step, we discuss your company, supplier structure, and objectives regarding supplier audits. Next, you will receive a quote customized to the requirements of your organization.

A detailed preparation is particularly useful for larger projects to plan the schedules and implementation of audits at supplier locations. The planning also includes the interfaces to your suppliers, including the involvement of your internal auditors.

The DQS Inc. global network of auditors and experts along the entire supplier life cycle is used to conduct the audit. In addition to their technical and industry-specific competencies, our local auditors are also familiar with your culture and language.

After the audit, we present the results to you in detail in a personal meeting. These results are also recorded in a meaningful audit report including recommendations for action.

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What do supplier audits cost?

The cost of a supplier audit or series of supplier audits depends on several factors. One factor is the scope and depth of the audit and how many suppliers you want to have audited. The focus on national or international audits also makes a difference.

For these reasons, the costs for a supplier audit cannot be given as a lump sum. We are happy to work out an individual quote for your company.

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What you can expect from DQS Inc.

  • Industry-experienced auditors from the worldwide DQS network 
  • Value-adding insights into your supplier management
  • Over 35 years of experience in auditing processes and certifying management systems
  • Meaningful audit reports include recommendations for action
  • Personal, seamless support from our specialists in North America and internationally
  • Individual offers with flexible contract terms with no hidden costs
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Request for quote

Your local contact

We would be happy to provide you with a customized quote for the supplier audit.