Since the beginning of the 21st century, the world has witnessed an unprecedented increase in the complexity and diversity of global supply chains. Among the challenges these changes present, qualifying suppliers capable of producing acceptable levels of quality is critical.
Consider these questions...
- How much does your business spend each year, through "receiving inspection" and "administrative" costs, to prevent nonconforming products and services from proceeding further into your value stream (i.e., through detection, evaluation and disposition)?
- What is the cost of disruptions to your business operations due to late deliveries and nonconforming products or services, caused by suppliers?
- How much does it cost your business to detect (e.g., through in-process inspections, final inspections) and disposition nonconforming products (e.g., repair, rework, scrap), caused by supplier defects, each year?
- What is the cost of warranty returns, and their associated administrative costs, each year due to supplier defects?
These supplier-caused disruptions often impact the operation, and cash-flow, of businesses far more than is realized.
Almost EVERYONE, including poor performing suppliers, seem to have ISO 9001 registration. Yet, their quality and on-time delivery performance results have shown little or no improvement! In order to realize meaningful improvement, businesses must "raise the bar" for supplier performance.
The Solution...
Because businesses naturally need a simple solution, the Supplier Quality Standards Association (SQSA) developed a modern, "Next Level" supplier quality management system (QMS) standard titled "Lean-6" (currently in "Draft" for public comment). Rather than invoke this standard on all of your suppliers, simply establishing the "Lean-6" QMS standard as the basis for your suppliers to achieve "preferred" supplier status, communicates a set of clear goals for them to strive toward.
As businesses adopt "Lean-6" as their standard for "preferred" supplier status, SQSA will begin accrediting "Certification Bodies" (aka "registrars") to provide independent verification that these suppliers consistently satisfy its requirements. In addition, as suppliers are certified, they will be listed in a single online "register" (for ease of verification).
The "Lean-6" standard will be freely available to your suppliers. And the online "register of Lean-6 certified companies" will be accessible to the public.
Who we are...
The Supplier Quality Standards Association (SQSA) was formed as an independent, non-governmental organization of Supply Chain Quality professionals with a mission to actively support the success of business enterprises operating in a free market economy, through:
- developing supplier quality standards that promote proven, best-practices for supplier excellence;
- partnering with training providers offering online and/or on-site training in quality-related requirements for suppliers; and
- providing resources for the improvement of supplier quality management.
What we do...
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