Manufacturing a product isn’t the same as it was about ten years ago, and it will continue to evolve. Today’s fast-paced business world is advancing to such an extent that business leaders must choose to consistently adjust to new emerging strategies to be at the top of the competition. Consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturers are under intense pressure to deliver quality products while keeping costs down. The push to globalize to meet customer demand, coupled with increasing mergers and acquisitions, makes it almost impossible for CPG companies to cost-effectively manage the quality of ingredients and materials across the supply chain. Supplier quality management (SQM) is a critical activity that relies on suppliers in the provision of the goods or services. It involves managing, monitoring, and responding to the changes in the supplier’s ability to fulfill customer’s needs on time and to meet the agreed quality specifications. Here are some best practices that will help CPG companies to streamlin
e their supply quality management better:
#Supplier quality check 1: Measure and track cost
If a product quality issue arises, it is often the parent company who bears the cost of poor quality, even though the fault may lie with a supplier. These costs can consume a significant portion of revenue, yet many companies fail to measure and track them in a consistent manner. This results in companies shelling out a bomb on poor quality every year, without knowing where or how to recover these costs. Companies must find out how much it costs to manufacture a good quality product. An appropriate ‘cost of poor quality’ metrics can also help to calculate supplier charge-backs accurately, and recover expenses faster.
#Supplier quality check 2: Set up a cost recovery system
Agreeing on a cost recovery process with the suppliers can boost accountability throughout the supply chain. It may allow CPG companies to recover the cost of poor quality from a supplier with much more ease, and encourage them to look at and address issues that are causing poor quality quickly and efficiently.
#Supplier quality check 3: Supplier audit
Supplier audit is one of the key factors that will aid in ensuring supplier quality of CPG companies. Businesses can come to a consensus with suppliers on a procedure for a quality check against non-conformances in manufacturing, quality, service provision, compliance, etc. Audits will help companies identify areas for improvement and help ontake corrective actions, response and resolution processes, and targets. It will ensure that the supplier quality meets the desired standards.
#Supplier quality check 4: Build supplier relationships
Tracking supplier quality is not just about avoiding costly recalls, penalties, and lawsuits. It also aims at generating significant value for the business by strengthening overall product quality, enhancing the company’s reputation and credibility, lowering costs, and driving superior business performance. Companies must treat the suppliers as an extension of their enterprise and not a separate entity. Quality standards, audits, and other processes must be enforced with the same rigor and commitment in the supply chain as in the rest of the organization.
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