Challenges in practice
In today's fast-paced world, rapid and transparent information sharing, along with the consistent implementation of measures with your suppliers, is of paramount importance. Supplier evaluation forms a crucial basis for sound decisions in purchasing, quality management, and supplier development.
In practice, however, supplier evaluation is often fragmented: Evaluation-relevant information originates from various departments and systems. On-time delivery and quantity adherence are stored in the ERP system, quality indicators in the CAQ or QS system, and complaint data in separate lists or tools. Certificates, audit reports, and approvals are often stored decentrally, while so-called "soft factors" such as communication behavior, response speed, and willingness to cooperate are assessed subjectively and without much structure.
These distributed data sources make consistent, transparent, and objective supplier evaluation difficult. Manual consolidation is time-consuming, error-prone, and offers little audit security. Furthermore, a complete history and a simple way to present and further develop the results in a way that is understandable for suppliers are often lacking.
At the same time, the demand for digital integration of suppliers is growing: evaluation statuses, measures and feedback should be provided online, transparently and without complex cloud access or elaborate system couplings.
Solution QS1
QS1 provides a central, integrated solution for supplier evaluation: Key performance indicators (KPIs) such as quantity, on-time delivery, and delivery reliability are automatically imported from your ERP system, while quality data, ratings, and qualitative criteria are recorded directly in the QS1 quality assurance system. Complaint evaluations are automatically imported from the connected complaint modules, certificates and approvals are centrally managed, including deadline monitoring and a dunning system, and so-called "soft factors" such as communication behavior and response speed can be evaluated in a structured and transparent manner.
Whether monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, or annual evaluations: The automatic evaluation is based on freely definable evaluation rules, formulas, and time periods. Evaluation schemes can be flexibly assigned to individual suppliers or supplier groups and take into account both hard KPIs such as on-time delivery, quantity, quality data, and complaints, as well as supplementary qualitative criteria.
In addition, integrated reporting and analysis functions with multi-level detailed tracking—from the supplier to the part number to the individual goods receipt—as well as benchmarking options are available.
Your suppliers receive the current status of their ratings, including relevant additional information, via the QS1 supplier portal or through automated delivery of rating reports. Drill-down functionality enables transparent traceability of the rating down to the individual document level.
Beyond simply publishing the ratings, QS1 actively supports supplier development: Objections, comments, and agreed-upon measures are communicated directly via the supplier portal. The integrated, workflow-based action management system ensures structured planning, control, status tracking, and historical documentation of all activities.
With QS1, supplier evaluation transforms from a time-consuming data collection process into a comprehensive, digital management tool for quality, performance, and sustainable supplier development.
- Automatic evaluation based on ERP data (quantity, on-time delivery, and delivery reliability)
- Automatic evaluation of quality indicators in the QS1 system through quality inspection
- Automatic integration of complaint evaluations from the QS1 complaint modules
- Central certificate and approval management including deadline monitoring and dunning system
- Structured evaluation of qualitative criteria (soft factors)
- Freely definable evaluation rules, formulas, and time periods
- Assignment of individual evaluation schemes to suppliers and supplier groups
- Integrated workflow-based action management for supplier development
- Multi-level analysis and drill-down options (supplier, part number, goods receipt, etc.)
- Creation of evaluation reports including sending via email or making them available in the supplier portal
- Integrated reporting and benchmarking
Does this sound familiar?
- Evaluation-relevant data is scattered: adherence to deadlines and quantities is stored in the ERP system, quality indicators in QA/CAQ, complaints in separate tools, and certificates and audit reports on shared drives or in emails.
- Evaluation becomes a manual, tedious task: data is periodically copied and pasted, formulas are not transparent, results are difficult to audit and can hardly be reliably substantiated when queries arise.
- “Soft factors” play a role in daily decisions but are not structured: communication behavior, response speed, and willingness to cooperate are subjectively factored in and difficult to explain to management, auditors, or suppliers.
- A comprehensive history and drill-down capabilities are lacking: if a supplier performs poorly, it is unclear whether this is due to specific parts, goods receipts, plants, time periods, or isolated incidents.
- Supplier development remains piecemeal: measures are agreed upon, but status, deadlines, escalations, and effectiveness are not consistently transparent or traceable.
This should be achieved through a robust process
- A central, objective evaluation based on a unified database: Key performance indicators (KPIs), quality data, complaints, audit results, and certificates must be consistently integrated.
- Automated data acquisition instead of data collection: ERP KPIs (on-time delivery, quantity, and delivery reliability) and quality assurance data (test results, ppm, etc.) must be integrated without manual intervention.
- Flexible, transparent evaluation logic: Freely definable rules, formulas, weightings, and time periods, assignable to suppliers or supplier groups.
- Transparency down to the document level: A comprehensive evaluation must allow reliable navigation back to goods receipt, part number, complaint, or audit findings.
- Digital integration of suppliers: Evaluation statuses, evidence, statements, and corrective actions must be provided seamlessly and clearly documented.
Coverage in QS1
- Consolidates all relevant data sources into a central supplier evaluation system: ERP KPIs, quality assurance (QA) test results, complaint data, audit criteria, certificates, and approvals, including deadline monitoring and a dunning system.
- Automatically evaluates based on freely definable rules, formulas, and time periods, and assigns different evaluation schemes to individual suppliers or supplier groups.
- Enables a holistic evaluation through structured qualitative criteria: Soft factors such as response speed, communication quality, and willingness to cooperate are transparently recorded and weighted.
- Offers multi-level analysis and drill-down functions from the supplier level down to the document level and supports reporting and benchmarking for management, purchasing, and quality management.
- Provides transparent evaluation results: automated distribution of evaluation reports or publication in the QS1 supplier portal, including relevant additional information and detailed documentation.
- Supports active supplier development through integrated, workflow-based action management: Planning, control, status tracking, escalations and historization of all activities run in the system, including objections and statements via the portal.
Your result: Objective, audit-proof supplier evaluation at the touch of a button, significantly less manual effort, better comparability and history, transparent communication with suppliers, higher compliance through central certificate management and supplier development that has a measurable effect instead of fizzling out.
Your advantages
- Centralized, objective supplier evaluation based on a unified database
- Automated transfer of ERP key performance indicators (KPIs) such as quantity, delivery date, and on-time delivery
- Reduced manual effort through seamless integration of quality and complaint data
- Transparent and traceable evaluation for suppliers, auditors, and management
- Structured integration of soft factors for a holistic assessment of supplier performance
- Active supplier development through systematic action tracking
- Increased compliance and audit security through centralized certificate management, including deadline monitoring
- Informed purchasing decisions through comparability, historical data, and benchmarking
