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Approved supplier list template
An approved supplier list, or ASL, is the register of suppliers an organisation has judged fit to buy from, with the evidence behind each approval. For each supplier it records what is bought, how the supplier was approved (an audit, a certificate, a delivery history or an approved sample), its current status and when it was last evaluated. This template adds the dates that make the list work: the expiry of the supplier's certificate, flagged when it is near or past, and the next re-evaluation, worked out from the last one. The Excel version colours lapsed and expiring certificates and overdue re-evaluations, keeps a change log with the reason for every change, and counts suppliers by status, basis and commodity. The PDF has the same list and log to print, a page on approval criteria and a worked example. It is general quality-system practice; where a customer or a standard sets rules for approving suppliers, follow them.
Free to use: print it, copy it and edit it for your team. Enter your name and work email once to download.
Header fields above a table with columns for supplier, site, commodity, approval basis, status, certificate type and expiry, last grade, last evaluated, next due and notes.Supplier listApproval basis and statusCertificate expiry alertsRe-evaluation datesChange logSummary by status and commodityApproval criteriaWorked example
When to use it
When to use an approved supplier list
- When purchasing and quality keep their own idea of who is approved and the lists do not match.
- When a customer or an auditor asks how you approve and monitor suppliers and you need to show the evidence.
- When supplier certificates expire unnoticed and a supplier is found to have been uncertified for months.
- When you need to decide who is due for re-evaluation and who is conditional pending a corrective action.
- Not as a supplier scorecard: the list records the approval and its evidence, while a scorecard grades performance.
How to fill it in
- 1
Set the approval criteria
Decide what a supplier must show to go on the list for each kind of product: an audit, a certificate, a delivery history or an approved sample. Write it on the criteria page.
- 2
Enter each supplier with its basis and status
Supplier, site, commodity, the basis it was approved on and its status: approved, conditional, suspended or removed. Keep the evidence and note where it is.
- 3
Record the certificate and its expiry date
Pick the certificate type, or none, and enter its expiry date. The sheet shows the days to expiry and flags a certificate that has lapsed or will expire within the warning window.
- 4
Enter the last scorecard grade and evaluation date
Add the supplier's latest grade, A to D, and the date it was last evaluated. The next re-evaluation is worked out from that date, at half the normal interval for a conditional supplier or a grade C or D.
- 5
Log every change
When you add a supplier, change a status, renew or lose a certificate, or update details, add a line to the change log with the reason and who approved it.
- 6
Review the flags each month
Ask for new certificates ahead of expiry, schedule the overdue re-evaluations, and chase the corrective actions behind the conditional suppliers. Check that only approved and conditional suppliers receive orders.
A filled-in example
Illustrative, not a benchmarkAn example (illustrative): a list of 25 made-up suppliers, read on one day.
- Twenty-two suppliers are approved, two are conditional pending corrective actions, one on late deliveries and one on out-of-tolerance gaskets, and one is suspended.
- One supplier's certificate has lapsed, so it is flagged red until the new certificate is on file. Two more certificates expire within 60 days.
- Three active suppliers are overdue for their re-evaluation, and one more is due within 60 days. The two conditional suppliers are on the shorter, six-month interval.
- The change log shows when each status changed and why, for example a status change after four late deliveries in six months.
The seven flagged suppliers are the month's work for purchasing and supplier quality, and the other 18 need nothing.
Common mistakes
Approving once and never looking again
A supplier approved five years ago may have changed owner, site or process. Re-evaluate at a set interval, shorter when there are problems.
Keeping a certificate with no expiry date
A certificate on file proves nothing once it has lapsed. Record the expiry date and ask for the renewal before it passes.
Ordering from suppliers that are not approved
A list only works if orders follow it. Make status visible to buyers so a suspended supplier cannot receive a new order by accident.
Changing the list without a reason
A status change with no note leaves no trail. Record the date, the reason and who approved, so the list can be explained to an auditor.
Treating the list as a scorecard
The list records approval and its evidence. Performance over time belongs on a scorecard, whose latest grade can be noted here.
Download the template
Free to use: print it, copy it and edit it for your team. Enter your name and work email once to download.
Run this template in LeanSuite
In LeanSuite, when an inspector flags a defect the batch is quarantined and a SCAR with photos goes to Quality and Procurement, and the SCAR's lifecycle, including the days the supplier took to respond, feeds the supplier's scorecard.
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FAQ
Approved supplier list template: common questions
An approved supplier list (ASL) is a register of the suppliers an organisation has approved to buy from, with the basis for each approval, its status and the dates it was evaluated. It is also called an approved vendor list.
The supplier and its site, what you buy from it, how it was approved, its status, the certificate it holds and the expiry date, its latest performance grade, the last evaluation and the next one due, and notes on any conditions. This template has a column for each.
A conditional supplier may still receive orders while named conditions are met by a date, for example a corrective action or a renewed certificate. If the conditions are not met, the supplier moves to suspended.
There is no fixed interval. A common approach is once a year, and more often for conditional suppliers or those with a poor grade. This template uses a normal interval you set and half of it for conditional or poorly graded suppliers.
Record each certificate's expiry date on the list. This template shows the days to expiry and flags a certificate that has lapsed or is within the warning window you set, so you can ask for the renewal in time.
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- Scrum meeting agenda templateTimed agendas for the five scrum meetings, a sprint planning sheet, a retrospective sheet, and an Excel sprint backlog with a burndown.
- Toyota Production System (TPS) house templateThe TPS house for one plant or value stream: roof, two pillars and foundation, with what you do today, the evidence, a status and the next step for each element.
- EPEI and batch size calculatorHow often each part can come round on a shared machine (EPEI) and how big each batch must be, from demand, cycle times and changeovers, now and after SMED.
- People, process, technology (PPT) assessmentCheck one change before go-live: 18 people, process and technology statements scored 1 to 4 by the people who will use it, the lowest element and the actions.
- Process capacity sheet templateEach machine in a part's routing with manual, auto and tool change time, its capacity per shift, and the step that limits the cell against demand.
- Team charter templateA one-page charter for a standing team: purpose, scope, roles, the KPIs it owns, which decisions it makes itself, norms and cadence.
- Chaku-chaku line plannerPlan a load-load cell: time each machine, load and walk, check that every machine is ready when the operator comes back, compare the cell cycle with takt and size the crew.
- Standard operating procedure (SOP) templateA full SOP in the hierarchical step format, from purpose and scope to the steps, records, revision history and approvals, with review checks and an SOP register.
- Process improvement method selectorEight questions about one problem, an example rule that suggests a method and a matrix of nine methods: when each fits, the usual team and time, and the template to start with.
- Safety pillar 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from the incident pyramid to safety standards on one model area, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- Autonomous maintenance 90-day model area planAM steps 0 to 3 on one model machine in 13 weeks, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves for months 4 to 12.
- Professional maintenance (PM) 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from breakdown analysis to a running PM calendar on one model machine, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- Environment and energy pillar 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from waste and energy maps to area standards on one model area, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- Focused improvement 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from the loss Pareto to standardized fixes on one model line, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- People development pillar 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from the skills matrix to trained cover on critical tasks in one model area, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- Early equipment management 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from lessons on current machines to a tracked start-up on one model equipment project, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- Cost deployment pillar 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from the loss map to costed, ranked projects in one model area, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- Moving from Excel to one system checklistA 34-point checklist and a file inventory for moving trackers from spreadsheets to one system: keep, move, connect or retire, clean, pilot, run both, retire.
- Prioritization matrix templateScore up to 20 improvement ideas on weighted criteria, rank them, test the ranking with equal weights and place each one on an effort and benefit grid.
- Cost per unit worksheet (manufacturing cost per good unit)One product's cost per good unit by materials, labor, machine and overhead, the gap to target, and which cost lever is worth most a year.
- Digital manufacturing readiness assessmentScore 24 statements on process, technology and people from 0 to 4, check the balance between them and rank the gaps by what matters in your plant.
- Manufacturing KPI dashboard templateWeekly plant numbers in, 14 KPIs out: OEE and its parts, first pass yield, scrap, on-time delivery, recordable rate, cost and absence, each against a target.
- RCM worksheet (failure mode and task selection)Failure modes classed as hidden, safety, operational or non-operational, then a task chosen for each: condition-based, discard, failure-finding, redesign or run to failure.
- Training matrix template with expiry datesPeople by required trainings with expiry dates, OK, due, expired and missing flags, compliance by person and area, cover per training and a renewal list.
- Downtime reason codes template26 starter codes mapped to the six big losses, a log with drop-downs, a Pareto by code and by loss, and a code card for the line.
- Kaizen event preparation checklistEverything that has to be ready before a kaizen event and done after it: 44 items with owners and due dates from 6 weeks before day 1 to 30 days after, five go or no-go gates and a day-by-day agenda.
- Tier 2 meeting agenda and escalation sheetA 15-minute tier 2 agenda in ten timed blocks, fixed roles and rules, escalation triggers with time limits, and a log that ages every escalation and sends the answer back down.
- Forklift operator training and evaluation recordPer-operator training and evaluation record, a register with three-year due dates and refresher triggers, and a weighted practical evaluation scoresheet.
- REBA worksheet (Rapid Entire Body Assessment)Score up to six postures with REBA: body-part drop-downs, Tables A, B and C as lookups, final score and action level, and a before and after comparison.
- ISO 45001 internal audit checklist44 audit questions for the plant floor in 16 safety topics, each with its ISO 45001:2018 clause, the evidence to look for and the sample to take, plus 12 worker interview prompts, a findings log and a summary by clause.
- Changeover matrix templateA from-to matrix of changeover minutes with the clean each transition needs (allergen, colour, format), and a weekly planner that totals the order and suggests a shorter one.
- Overhead crane inspection checklist: frequent and periodic34 crane checks tied to OSHA 1910.179: an operator's pre-shift card, frequent and periodic inspections with signed records, a deficiency and tag-out log, and a register of next due dates.
- Maintenance job plan templateOne job planned on one sheet: steps and craft hours, parts checked against stock, tools, lockout and permits, documents, a ready check for the schedule, and technician feedback.
- Video time study filming checklistA pre-shoot checklist and shot log for filming a time study on video: camera, light, people, settings, power and review.
- OSHA compliance calendar (general industry)37 recurring federal OSHA duties with the paragraph, interval, owner, next due date and an overdue flag, plus a 12-month view and counts by owner.
- TRIR and DART rate trackerMonthly hours, OSHA 300 case counts and near misses in; rolling 12-month TRIR and DART rate, a case budget against your target and a trend chart out.
- Energy use and EnPI trackerMonthly electricity, gas and fuel in one unit, a 12-month regression baseline, expected against actual energy for each month, an EnPI ratio, the running saving and the tests that say whether the model can be trusted.
- FIFO lane sizing sheetThe maximum for a FIFO lane from the stop it must cover, in whole containers, with length, refill and wait checks for up to eight lanes.
- Pugh matrix templateCompare up to 8 concepts with a datum as better, same or worse on up to 12 criteria, flag must-haves, and carry the strongest into a second round.
- Machine guarding inspection sheetA machine register with due dates and a status per machine, 21 checks tied to OSHA 1910.212, .219 and .147, a guard opening check against Table O-10, and an action log.
- Condition monitoring route sheetA route of measuring points with baselines, alert and alarm limits, a check interval from the P-F interval, readings with rising and overdue flags, and an exceptions list worst first.
- Fire extinguisher inspection logOne row for every portable extinguisher: hydro test interval from OSHA Table L-1, annual and 6-year due dates, a 12-month check grid and open issues.
- Quad chart templateA project on one page in four boxes: idea and owner, problem, approach, and cost, schedule and result.
- Toolbox talk topics (52 weekly topics)52 weekly toolbox talk topics, each with a one-line key message and a discussion question, and a tracker for the year.
- Loss tree worksheetBreak one big loss number into area, line, machine, loss type and cause, and stop at the cause a team can fix.
- Equipment register templateOne row per asset, with hierarchy, criticality, PM strategy and owner, and a check that flags what is missing.
- Machine history record templateOne record per machine: components and their life, every breakdown and repair with cost, MTBF and MTTR, and a repair-or-extend check.
- Compressed air leak survey logWalk sheet, printable leak tags and a tracker that puts an annual cost on every leak and follows it to a verified fix.
- Project savings validation checklistThe gate between a project's claim and a reported saving: 20 checks, a claims register and a six-month sustainment check.
- Life cycle cost analysis templateCompare up to three machines over ten years: price, energy, upkeep, failures and down time, discounted to present value.
- Equipment design review checklistGate reviews for a new machine before order, before build and before start-up, with a safety buy-off and a problems journal.
- Emergency action plan templateA written emergency plan for a plant: site facts, roles and backups, warden coverage, scenario steps and a drill record.
- Preliminary hazard analysis (PHA) worksheetFind and score the hazards of a new line, machine or process before design is fixed, then choose controls and re-score.
- Risk register templateOne scored list of operational risks with owners, actions and dates, a heat map and a review log.
- Hot work permit templateA hot work permit with a precautions checklist, fire watch record and close-out, plus an Excel permit log.
- Confined space entry permit templateA confined space entry permit with checks, an air test log, an entry log and cancellation, plus an Excel register.
- Energy loss matrix templateSeven types of energy loss by six energy sources with a cost in each cell, an action plan and an idle-period shutdown checklist.
- Management safety tour formA leader's scheduled safety walk: observation form, operator interview, tally, actions, rota and a tour log with a dashboard.
- Hazard prediction worksheetA pre-task worksheet: score what could go wrong at each step of a job, add a countermeasure and score again.
- Chemical inventory and SDS register templateA register of every chemical on site with its hazard class, safety data sheet and label, and a check that incompatible products are kept apart.
- Safety committee meeting minutes templateMinutes for a safety committee: attendance, nine agenda items, an action log that carries open actions forward, and monthly numbers.
- Environmental compliance audit checklistAn internal environmental audit: 37 questions with what to look for, a findings log with classes and a score by section.
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A shift handover sheet, a red tag log, a changeover checklist for one machine: if your team uses it on the floor, ask.