In terms of procurement and supply control levels, supplier audits can be limited to the product level, the process level, or even delve into the quality assurance system level, and even the supplier's overall corporate management system (company level).
Product Level: This primarily involves confirming and improving the supplier's product quality. Implementation methods include pre-supplied product or sample approval inspections and incoming material quality checks during the supply process.
Process Level: This level of audit mainly targets products whose quality is highly dependent on the production process. To ensure reliable supply quality, it is often necessary to visit the supplier's production site to understand their processes and confirm that their technological level, quality control system, and corresponding equipment and facilities can meet the product's quality requirements. This level of audit includes process review and on-site confirmation and adjustment of the supplier's processes during the supply process due to quality instability.
Quality Assurance System Level: This involves auditing the supplier's entire quality system and processes, referring to ISO 9000 standards or other quality system standards.
Company Level: Company-level audits are the highest level of supplier auditing. They examine not only the supplier's quality system but also its operational management level, financial and cost control, planning and manufacturing systems, information systems, and design and engineering capabilities-covering all key aspects of the company's management processes.
In practice, for ordinary commercial suppliers, buyers typically limit their audits to the product and process levels. However, when buyers are selecting partners, the situation changes, especially for large, technologically advanced international companies with strict management practices. These companies often extensively utilize quality assurance systems and company-level audits to control their supply chain management systems.
