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Supplier audit checklist
A supplier audit is a visit to a supplier's site to check that the way they make and control your parts will keep producing good parts, not just that their paperwork is in order. It is done before approving a new supplier, after serious quality problems, or on a schedule for the suppliers that matter most. A process audit follows the parts: how material comes in, how the process is controlled and checked, whether a lot can be traced, what happens to bad parts and how they are packed and shipped. Scoring each question turns the visit into numbers that can be compared between suppliers and from one audit to the next. This template has 32 questions in eight sections, each scored 0 (not in place), 1 (major gaps), 2 (minor gaps) or 3 (in place, evidence seen), or NA, with space for the evidence. Page 2 has the score summary by section, example rating bands to replace with your own, and the findings and actions. The Excel version works out the score and percentage per section and overall, gives the rating from the bands you set, counts questions scored 0, charts the sections and has an actions log.
Free to use: print it, copy it and edit it for your team. Enter your name and work email once to download.
Fields for supplier, site, date, auditors and parts audited, the 0 to 3 score key, and questions in sections for quality management system, purchasing, process control, inspection and gauges, and identification and traceability.32 audit questionsEight sectionsScore 0 to 3 or NAEvidence columnSection and total %Rating bandsFindings and actions
When to use it
When to use a supplier audit checklist
- Before approving a new supplier or moving a part to a new supplier site.
- After a serious quality escape or a run of rejected lots.
- On a yearly or two-yearly schedule for your most important suppliers.
- When a supplier changes its process, site or ownership.
How to fill it in
- 1
Plan the audit
Which parts and processes, who audits, and what records you will ask to see. Send the supplier the date and scope in advance.
- 2
Follow your parts
Start at their receiving dock and walk the process to shipping. Ask to see the records for a real lot of your parts.
- 3
Score from evidence
Score each question from what you see and the records, not from what you are told. Write the evidence for every score below 3.
- 4
Add up the sections
Score ÷ (3 × questions scored) per section and overall. NA questions are left out of the maximum.
- 5
Agree the findings
Go through the findings with the supplier before you leave, major and minor, and agree actions and dates.
- 6
Follow up
Check the evidence for each action, and set the next audit date by the result.
What's on the audit
The 32 questions on the supplier audit checklist
Eight sections that follow your parts through the supplier's process. On the sheet each question is scored 0 (not in place), 1 (major gaps), 2 (minor gaps) or 3 (in place, evidence seen), or NA, with space for the evidence.
Quality management system
How quality is planned and reviewed
- 1Procedures current, controlled and followed on the floor
- 2Internal audits done to plan, with findings closed
- 3Management reviews quality results and acts on them
- 4Quality objectives set and tracked with data
Purchasing and incoming material
Their own suppliers
- 5Approved list of sub-suppliers, with how each was approved
- 6Purchase orders state the specification, revision and quality requirements
- 7Incoming material inspected or verified before use, with records
- 8Sub-supplier performance reviewed and problems followed up
Process control
Making our parts
- 9Control plan or equivalent in place for our parts
- 10Work instructions at the workstation, at the current revision
- 11First-piece or setup approval before each run, with records
- 12Process settings monitored and recorded against limits
- 13Preventive maintenance planned and done on key equipment
Inspection, test and gauges
Checking our parts
- 14In-process and final inspection done to plan, with records
- 15Gauges identified, calibrated on schedule and traceable
- 16Gauge R&R studied for key characteristics
- 17Capability studied or monitored for special characteristics
Identification and traceability
Knowing what is what
- 18Material and parts identified at every stage, with their status (OK, hold, reject)
- 19A finished lot can be traced back to its raw material lots and process records
- 20Mix-ups prevented at changeovers and in storage
- 21Records kept for the retention time we require
Nonconforming product and corrective action
When something goes wrong
- 22Nonconforming product identified, segregated and recorded
- 23Disposition decided by someone authorized, and the customer told when required
- 24Root cause found and corrective action checked for effect
- 25Customer complaints and SCARs answered on time
Handling, storage and shipping
Getting parts to us undamaged
- 26Storage protects parts from damage, rust and contamination
- 27Stock rotated first in, first out, and shelf-life items controlled
- 28Packaging and labels meet our specification
- 29Final check before shipping: right part, quantity, labels and paperwork
People and training
Who does the work
- 30Training needs defined for each job, with records kept
- 31Operators trained on the current work instruction before working alone
- 32Inspectors qualified for the checks they do
A filled-in example
Illustrative, not a benchmarkAn example: a first audit of a machined parts supplier, using example rating bands of 85% and 70% (illustrative numbers).
Scoring the example audit
Score = points ÷ maximum for the questions that apply
32 questions, 2 not applicable: 30 scored, maximum 90.
- 72 ÷ 90= 80%
BandApproved with actions
- Whole audit80%with actions
- Process control (lowest section)67%
72 points out of a maximum of 90, after 2 questions marked not applicable: 80 percent, in the approved with actions band between 70 and 85 percent.
- 30 of 32 questions scored, 2 not applicable: maximum 90.
- Total score 72: 72 ÷ 90 = 80%, in the 'approved with actions' band.
- One question scored 0: no gauge R&R on the key bore diameter.
- Lowest section: process control at 67%, with setup approval not recorded on the second shift.
The supplier was approved with two actions: a gauge study within 30 days and setup records on every shift. A follow-up visit was booked for when both were due.
Common mistakes
Auditing the office
Procedures in a binder say little. Spend most of the time where your parts are made.
Scoring without evidence
A 3 should mean you saw it working and saw the records. Write down what you saw.
Letting a good total hide a zero
A high overall score can hide a critical gap, such as no traceability. Decide before the audit which zeros stop approval.
No follow-up
Findings without dates and a check of the evidence are forgotten by the next audit.
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 you build any audit in Lean Creator with points per answer and a pass mark, complete it on a phone or tablet with photo evidence where required, and every non-conformance becomes a tracked action with an owner.
See it in a 45-minute demoIn the lean glossary
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FAQ
Supplier audit checklist: common questions
A visit to a supplier's site to check that their quality system and the process that makes your parts are in place and working, scored against a checklist, with findings the supplier has to act on.
A system audit checks that the quality management system exists and meets a standard. A process audit follows a specific part through receiving, production, inspection and shipping to check that the process is controlled in practice.
Each question gets a score, here 0 to 3, from the evidence seen. The section and overall percentage is the score divided by the maximum for the questions scored. The rating bands, such as approved above 85%, are your company's choice.
By risk and performance. Many companies audit new suppliers before approval, key suppliers every one or two years, and any supplier after a serious quality problem.
The findings are agreed with the supplier, who sends an action plan with dates. You check the evidence for each action and set the next audit by the result.
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- 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.
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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.