One of the reasons that I like working in quality is that every day is different. Operations turns on and runs machines. Warehouse moves product. Accountants check for transactions. Purchasing shops for the best deals and deliveries. Customer Service handles customers. Maintenance fixes things.

But Quality?

"We work with Operations to assure consistency, track costs of operations, and track the cost of good and poor quality. We work with Maintenance to create a program that prevents breakdowns, and we follow Warehouse so we can track every movement of every ingredient and product".

As a quality professional, I believe we want to be a partner with Suppliers. I’ve had the pleasure of working with good and bad suppliers in my career, and the good ones could have been quality practitioners. The bad vendors are not bad, but it's how as a buyer we intend to make use of best practices.

As the fashion industry is characterized by several factors, namely a short lifecycle, high volatility, low predictability, and high impulse purchase. We as Retailers must have 2 portfolios of Vendors

Type 1 vendors are characterized by long lead times, lower unit costs, and less flexibility
Type 2 vendors offer short lead times, high unit costs, and more flexibility

So the question is
Do we evaluate our Supplier?
For Every Purchasing are we defining the Specifications?

Companies purchase a wide range of raw materials, components, semi-finished goods, or final products. They are all necessary to conduct a business activity, mainly for manufacturing or service companies. The selection of a desirable supplier plays a key role in the whole procurement process. As it determines the future success of the company, it ought to be well-thought-of suppliers selection process, many methods can be applied, including multiple criteria evaluation methodology.

Today’s world includes many additional elements that have to be included. Purchasing and Quality work together to define what is to be purchased—at what specification. Without the specification for each ingredient, package, or component, Operations cannot achieve product consistency.

Supplier selection decisions are complicated by the fact that it is influenced by various criteria and conditions in the decision-making process and each company has its own requirements.

Further, each Supplier selection and performance or evaluation criteria must be divided. Supplier selection decision-making is usually long and complicated. Let me focus on a few 

 The cost factor is one of the most important elements that influence strongly the face of the world of garment production’s flow nowadays as the purpose of sourcing is to obtain the maximum benefits for the company by cheaper product price. The following criteria must be assessed.

• Supplier selling price
• Internal cost
• Ordering and invoicing

Reliability : The reliability factor needs to be judged under external and internal factors in which trust and warranty policies play a vital role. The supplier will have to deal with the prevailing conditions

• Feeling of trust 
• Political situation 
• Price fluctuation 
• Warranty policies

Quality : There is no doubt that quality is one of the most fundamental factors to evaluate when choosing a new supplier. A poor quality product can have a major impact on the company’s downstream sector as it causes a higher rate of returns by unsatisfied customers, the cost of inventory, profit margins, and the business’s reputation, etc. Suppliers must be assessed with 

• Continuous improvement program
• Customer satisfaction
• Certifications 
• % of on-time shipment - Rejections

Flexibility factor: In a supply chain, the supplier's flexibility is considered a tool to cope with the environmental and as well as business changes 

• Capacity 
• Inventory availability 
• Information sharing
• Negotiability 

By assessing your suppliers with quantitative measures, you’ll see what improvement can be done on your suppliers’ side, and address them accordingly to improve the overall supply chain performance.

Share your thoughts and feedback on your supplier evaluations.

RELATED TOPICS:#Apparel,Ajay Ravuri