Tutorials Adding & Qualifying Suppliers Adding & Qualifying Suppliers Transcript: Supplier Qualification – Risk, Audits, and Approvals Introduction Hello and welcome to eLeaP. In this quick tutorial, we are looking at how to add and qualify suppliers, assess their risks, and manage the formal approval process. Supplier qualification is a fundamental requirement of any robust quality system, ensuring that your partners meet your specific standards for safety and quality. Onboarding a New Supplier To begin, navigate to the Suppliers module and click the Add Supplier button. You will need to provide the following foundational information: Supplier Name & Description: Basic identity and role of the vendor. Category: Classify the supplier (e.g., Raw Materials, Service Provider, Manufacturer). Risk Level: Assign a risk level based on your internal policies. Person in Charge: Designate the internal team member responsible for this relationship. Once created, the supplier record begins in Draft status. The Impact of Supplier Risk Levels The risk level you assign is more than just a label—it determines the level of oversight required. High-Risk/Critical Suppliers: Typically require more frequent audits, detailed qualification questionnaires, and rigorous documentation (e.g., ISO certificates). Automated Requirements: Based on your pre-mapped system settings, the system can automatically flag which documents are mandatory for specific risk categories, such as “Critical Manufacturers.” Controlled Lifecycle and Approvals Suppliers move through a formal, controlled lifecycle to ensure no unverified vendor enters your supply chain: Draft: Data collection and document gathering phase. In Review: Internal stakeholders evaluate the provided documentation and audit results. Pending Approval: The record is sent to the final decision-makers. Approved: Once the approval workflow is complete, the supplier is officially cleared for use. The Approval Workflow functions exactly like it does in the Documents and Design modules—allowing you to assign specific reviewers and approvers to capture electronic signatures for a fully compliant record. Conclusion By utilizing the structured onboarding and approval workflows in eLeaP, you ensure that your suppliers are formally evaluated and verified, turning vendor management into a defensible part of your quality ecosystem. As usual, if you have any questions about supplier qualification or any other features in the system, please do not hesitate to contact us.