Key takeaways
- Selection starts with the process and the evidence, not the cluster or the brochure.
- Every gate has an owner and a document, so a decision can be explained later.
- The first article is the real test of a supplier, because it exposes the gap between the audit and the shop floor.
- Management after launch is a schedule of reviews, not a single approval.
Why the process is written down
Supplier selection in India is easy to do badly. The market is large, the clusters are deep, and a shortlist can be built in a week from directories, referrals and trade fair contacts. The hard part is proving that a specific site can make a specific part, to a specific standard, at a specific rate, and will still be able to do it next year. A written process exists to make that proof repeatable.
The model described here is a sequence of gates. Each gate asks one question, requires one set of evidence and has a named owner on the buying side. If a gate is failed, the supplier stops there. That sounds strict, but it is cheaper than discovering the gap after a tool has been cut. The model does not replace judgement. It records what the judgement was based on.
The six gates
The gates run from a desk review to production. They are deliberately sequential, because each one depends on the answer to the one before it.
- 01
Fit
The process, material and size range are matched to the part before any commercial discussion.
- 02
Entity
Registration, ownership, plant address and export status are checked against documents.
- 03
Capability
Equipment, tooling, inspection and capacity are verified on site or by a remote audit.
- 04
Commercial
The cost breakdown, tooling terms, payment terms and validity are reviewed line by line.
- 05
Pilot
A sample or a small batch is made on the production line and measured in full.
- 06
Launch
The first article is approved, the inspection plan is agreed and the review schedule starts.
What each gate must produce
A gate without a document is an opinion. The table below is the evidence set used at each stage, and it is also the file that answers a question six months later when a part changes or a shipment is late.
| Gate | Question | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Can this process make the part? | Process list, size range, comparable part |
| Entity | Who is the supplier? | Registration, ownership, plant address |
| Capability | Can this site hold the tolerance? | Audit report, equipment list, capacity statement |
| Commercial | Is the price built from real inputs? | Cost breakdown, tooling terms, validity |
| Pilot | Does the line make a good part? | Dimensional report, material certificate, test result |
| Launch | Is the process controlled? | Approved first article, control plan, inspection plan |
The evidence set is directional. The requirement changes with the part, the market and the customer's own quality system.
The capability audit
The audit is not a tour. It is a set of questions asked while looking at the equipment, the records and the parts on the floor. Start with the machine that will run the job and work backwards: who sets it, how it is maintained, what the last changeover looked like and how the first piece was checked. Then follow one order through the plant from goods inwards to dispatch.
Records are the tell. A supplier that can show an incoming material certificate, a calibration label, a non-conformance report and a corrective action for the same month is running a system. A supplier that has certificates on the wall but no recent records is running a filing cabinet. Neither answer tells you everything, but the second one tells you where the work will fall.
A remote audit can cover much of the same ground when travel is not practical: a live walk through the line, scanned records and a sample measured on camera. It is weaker on floor conditions and on the informal workarounds that a site visit reveals. Use it to shortlist or to follow up, not to approve a critical part.
The commercial review
The commercial gate is where a quote becomes a model. Ask for the cost broken into material, conversion, tooling, finish, packing and freight. Compare the material line with the drawing weight and the current metal price. Compare the cycle time with the machine rate. You will not always get a full breakdown, but the shape of the answer tells you whether the price was built or guessed.
Tooling terms deserve their own review. Confirm who pays, who owns, where the tool is stored, who maintains it and what happens if the relationship ends. A tool that is paid for but not owned is a hostage. Put the transfer condition in writing before the first purchase order, not after a disagreement.
Pilot, launch and the first ninety days
The pilot is the point where the audit meets reality. Ask for the parts to be made on the production line, with the production tool, by the production team. Then measure every drawing feature and run the functional test. A pilot made by the tool room manager on a quiet Saturday is a demonstration, not a process capability study.
After launch, the schedule matters more than the celebration. Review the first three shipments against the inspection plan, then move to a monthly review of delivery, quality and open actions. Keep a single action log with an owner and a date. The log is the management system. Without it, the same issue returns with a different explanation.
- First three shipments checked against the inspection plan
- Open action log with owner and date
- Monthly delivery and quality review
- Change notification route agreed in writing
- Escalation contact named on both sides
What the model does not do
The model cannot make a weak supplier strong. It can find the weakness early, which is a different and more useful outcome. It also cannot remove the need for a site visit on a critical part, because a video call does not show how the floor behaves when a machine stops.
It cannot guarantee a price, a lead time or a certification. Those depend on the supplier's own capacity and on the standards body that issued the certificate. What the model can do is make the assumptions visible, so that a buyer knows which ones have been checked and which ones are still open. That is the difference between a shortlist and a supply base.
Frequently asked questions
How long does supplier selection take?
It depends on the part and the audit route. A desk review and a remote audit can be completed in weeks, while a site audit, a pilot and a first article can take considerably longer. The gates are sequential, so the timeline is usually set by the slowest evidence item.
Do you audit every supplier on the shortlist?
No. The desk review and the entity check remove options before an audit is booked. A site or remote audit is reserved for suppliers that pass the earlier gates and match the process.
What happens if a supplier fails a gate?
The supplier stops at that gate and the reason is recorded. Some gaps can be closed with a corrective action and a re-audit. Others, such as a missing process or an unclear ownership structure, are usually a reason to move on.
Is a certificate enough to approve a supplier?
No. A certificate shows that a system was audited against a standard. It does not show that the site, the process or the product you are buying is inside the certified scope, or that the line is currently capable. Check the scope and the records.
Sources and further reading
- ISO 9001:2015, Quality management systems, requirements
- ISO 19011:2018, Guidelines for auditing management systems
- Qumek supplier audit and programme review records
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