Supplier Qualification

Purpose

Assess potential suppliers against defined commercial, operational, and compliance requirements.

When to use this skill

• Shortlisting suppliers from a sourcing long-list
• Comparing vendors against the same requirements
• Surfacing compliance or location risks early
• Documenting why a supplier is in or out

When not to use this skill

• You have no defined requirements or risk criteria
• You need audited financials the records do not contain
• Final selection requires legal or compliance sign-off this cannot replace

Required inputs

• Supplier records
• Product or service requirements
• Risk and compliance criteria

Optional inputs

• Location requirements
• Capacity or volume needs
• Certifications required
• Budget or pricing band

Rules

1. Score only against the supplied requirements.
2. Use evidence from the records; do not assume certifications or capacity.
3. Distinguish stated facts from inferences.
4. Flag compliance-relevant gaps explicitly.
5. Apply criteria consistently to every supplier.

Process

1. Parse requirements and risk criteria.
2. Evaluate each supplier against them.
3. Identify strengths and risks with evidence.
4. Score fit from 0 to 100.
5. List missing information and recommend a next step.

Output format

Return one record per supplier with the following fields:

• supplier_fit_score
• strengths
• risks
• missing_information
• recommended_next_step

Validation

• Confirm risks and strengths cite record evidence.
• Confirm compliance gaps are surfaced, not assumed away.
• Confirm scores are comparable across suppliers.

Limitations

• A record-based screen is not due diligence; verify before contracting.
• Certifications listed in data should be independently confirmed.