SSQA Supply Partner Risk Assessment Tool Kit

Updated November 29, 2016

Download the free DEMO Copy use the marked buttons to navigate through some of the key features

Unaided, the process of supplier risk assessment can be daunting. The SSQA Supply Partner Risk Assessment Tool Kit at least reduces, if it does not eliminate, the stress. This tool kit is recommended for use right from the initial material source qualification stages. It can be used for materials listed individually or for groupings of materials. The risk assessment process with this kit is described in section 2.4.4 and Appendix 4 of the SSQA Implementation Manual.

Although SSQA fosters an environment where some of the considerations and concerns are not anticipated, companies will find the Supply Partner Assessment Tool Kit to be very helpful.

The Tool Kit consists of a Material Category Risk Chart and Explanation Lists for the various risks (including nature of the material, sources, processing methods, supplier fraud vulnerability history, propensity, opportunities, tendencies, as well as the proximity, immediacy and possibility of food security threats, etc). The kit also has a Supply Partner Overall Risk Chart and an Action Decision Guide. Figures 1 – 5 show the various tools within the kit:

The Excel template has a dropdown field in every risk rating cell of the Supply Partner Risk Chart for selecting the determined risk levels. The database version further automates the master list with provisions for running supply partner performance summaries, for tracking supply partner status (e.g. approved, primary supplier, etc), for material risk categorization, etc. It also has a Document and General Change Management provisions that not only track document and other changes but also ensures any required training is completed.

The SSQA Supply Partner Risk Assessment model can be customized by SSQA facilitators to suit the unique needs of different operations. From simple to complex operations, this Tool Kit is designed for use with justifiable and verifiable conclusions about determined risks. The supplementary categorization of risk levels helps to minimize subjectivity and ensure consistency. Other considerations such as levels of exposure, risk tolerance and action level determiners are further discussed in section 2.4.4 of the SSQA Implementation Manual.

Inquire about the Supply Partner Assessment Took Kit
You may download the free DEMO Copy

Become a Safety, Security and Quality Assurance (SSQA) Facilitator 

Here is a recommended article about supplier verification under the United States FDA-FSMA. Among other things, it states: “. . . supplier verification under FSMA looks very different than it currently looks under voluntary industry programs.” – Full Article

Posted by Felix Amiri

___________________________________________________________

Felix Amiri is currently the chair of GCSE-Food & Health Protection, and a sworn SSQA advocate.