Requesting supplier documents and keeping them current

Which documents, and how often

How often you request a document depends on the document and the risk. A common rhythm:

Certificates

Before the current certificate expires. The expiry date is on the certificate itself.

Specifications

With every change to the product, and periodically as a check, for example every year.

Allergen information

Together with the specification, and right away with a change of recipe or production site.

Analyses

According to your risk assessment, for example per batch, per quarter or after a RASFF notification about the raw material.

Declarations

At approval and with every change, and periodically as a confirmation.

A request suppliers answer quickly

Suppliers receive requests from all their customers. The clearer yours is, the faster the answer. Name exactly which document you need, for which product, why and by when, and write in the supplier’s language.

Make answering easy: one place to upload files, clear about which file types are allowed and no account the supplier has to create first.

Following up without chasing everyone by email

Some suppliers do not reply in time. Agree on a fixed rhythm of reminders, for example after two weeks and every two weeks after that, and keep track of the status of every request: sent, reminded, answered or reviewed.

When an email does not arrive because an address no longer exists, you want to know right away instead of after weeks of waiting.

Reviewing and keeping

Check for every document whether it is about the right product, current and complete and meets your requirements. Accept or reject it, with a reason the supplier understands, and keep it with the supplier and the request.

Keep earlier versions and decisions as well. At an audit or an incident you want to be able to show which document applied at which moment.

Renewing in time

Most documents expire or become outdated at a predictable moment. So plan requests ahead on their renewal date, instead of asking for them once they have expired.

An overview per month of what needs renewing prevents peaks right before an audit.