Supplier Management Tools

What Can a First-rate Set of Supplier Management Tools Do for You?

If a company wants to maintain compliance in a regulatory environment, it must be able to accurately track suppliers on an approved vendor list (AVL). The AVL must be continually managed and monitored, a process that becomes increasingly more complex as manufacturing processes and product designs are modified over time. A proven software solution can give manufacturing companies the ability to efficiently manage and approve AVLs and effectively track supplier quality and supplier statuses.

If your organization is in the market for an effective set of automated supplier management tools, here's a brief list of some of the helpful features you should look for:

Supplier Management Software Systems - Features and Benefits

• A centralized, connected system that automatically collects all supplier status and quality information (such as non-conforming materials reports) in an easily accessible location. In addition to providing an easily maintainable AVL, the system's user interface should make it easy for authorized users to access all documentation and records relating to each supplier.
• Automatic tracking capabilities that allow organizations to easily track and accumulate supplier information derived from audits, non-conformance reports, supplier deviations, and CAPAs. The electronic supplier management tools should allow users to manage the information so it can be easily compiled for supplier quality ratings. Robust approval workflow technology that can be used to approve suppliers is an added benefit.
• Effective linking of goods and services to suppliers is crucial. For instance, the software system should allow users to add goods and services to an "approved to supply" list simply by linking them to a specific supplier. By the same token, the system should also have the capability to add suppliers in the same manner.
• The supplier management tools should take the guesswork out of maintaining the connections between products and suppliers. For example, if a certain product is linked to a supplier that is not approved, the system should make that information immediately apparent to the user by automatically disabling those links until the supplier is once again approved.
• Built-in reporting capabilities and analytics that ensure all relevant supplier data is readily accessible are also tremendously beneficial.
• Effectual supplier management tools should give managers and executives an improved view into suppliers' statuses so they have an up-to-date snapshot of which vendors and products/services are approved and which are not.
• Seamless integration with other complementary supplier-oriented quality event solutions that help manage risk, deviation, CAPA, and audits is an added benefit that could prevent the company from incurring additional costs down the road.

Unparalleled Supplier Management Tools from MasterControl

Expert supplier management can be mastered when you use a powerful set of professional supplier management tools like MasterControl Supplier™. Users from all departments throughout an enterprise - quality professionals, executives, managers, and IT personnel alike—can use MasterControl to take the reins of their supplier management program.

MasterControl gives all employees a user-friendly interface for accessing all documentation and records related to every supplier and their associated goods and services. The solution also gives users the ability to share supplier qualification data with others in geographically disparate regions, which can eliminate costly duplicated efforts and speed up a product's time to market. Ultimately, MasterControl's supplier management tools help reduce the resources otherwise wasted on purchasing out-of-spec or faulty products from unapproved suppliers.

The system's unique "Supplier View" feature displays a Supplier Status field for each supplier, which indicates if a particular vendor is approved or not. All supplier status and crucial quality information - such as approval status, contact information, recent audits, non-conforming material reports, contracts, approved goods/services lists, supplier ratings, links to analytics reports, and more—is contained in an easily accessible, web-based location. MasterControl's user-friendly interface simplifies the process of adding or changing data relating to suppliers, parts, or services. Additionally, the goods/services links contained within the system operate bi-directionally, allowing users to automatically check approval statuses and review detail information.

Because it is a web-based platform, MasterControl allows all parties involved in supplier management to stay connected from anywhere in the world, at their convenience. MasterControl supplier management tools also seamlessly integrate with other useful MasterControl quality management solutions and ensure that upgrades are fast, easy, and cost efficient.

For More Information on Supplier Management Tools

For more information on supplier management tools or to find out how MasterControl can help your company achieve its supplier management goals, contact a MasterControl representative or let a MasterControl representative assist you by calling 800-825-9117.