Checking supplier credentials

Verify the issuer, site, scope and validity of a credential before relying on it in a manufacturing decision.

Identify the actual site

A supplier may coordinate work across different facilities. Ask which site performs the proposed activities and whether the records identify that location. A company name or a general brochure may not resolve the manufacturing route. Agree whether subcontracted activities require approval.

Verify the document

Check the issuing body, document identifier, applicable activities, date and expiry, and use an appropriate verification route. Review the scope against the product category and process. A badge copied to a website does not establish the underlying record.

Separate registration from approval

A business registration, a facility registration, an audit and a product authorization are different matters. Ask what question each record actually answers. Do not call a product approved merely because a facility record exists. Determine the rules relevant to the actual market and presentation.

Connect credentials to the quality agreement

Even a relevant certificate does not replace a product specification, test plan and clear release responsibilities. Define audit access, change notification, deviations and complaint handling. Retain the reviewed documents with the project file and record when the next validity check is required.

Put it in your brief

• Manufacturing site
• Issuer verification
• Scope and expiry
• Registration meaning
• Quality agreement

For each item, record the decision owner, the information needed and the approval that allows the next stage to proceed. Unresolved questions should remain visible in the project brief instead of being replaced by an assumed specification.

Related project pages: development services, quality planning and sample enquiries.