No matter how perfect description of the application is, a procurement executive should always find out whether the suppliers really deliver what is required. This is done using quality assurance, testing, inspection and quality control. Usually, before placing an order with a new supplier, and often before the supplier requesting a quote, procurement verify potential or quality assurance directly to the supplier's premises. This is done in order to make sure that the supplier can produce products that meet specifications and provide the required quality standards. Once this approach is used in contracts for defense contracts, now it is widely used in all high-technology areas and in almost all more or less large organizations.
In performing this review, usually involving technologists, industrialists, members of the purchasing department and quality control, which is studied not only the equipment and staff training provider, but also the system that he uses to monitor and improve quality. Moreover, some techniques provider interaction with partners and how it achieves compliance with quality standards from their suppliers, as far as he purposefully engaged in continuous quality improvement. At present, it is also wise to create common supplier quality standards, harmonize methods checks and to find ways and means to raise quality while reducing the amount of checks and the total cost.
It is clear that the purchase only from certified suppliers not only affect the quality parameters. For organizations using partnerships with suppliers, quality certification is usually the first component of the inter-institutional agreement. In many industries, obviously, the minimum level of quality is a standard requirement for any supplier because of its compliance may depend on the survival of the customer.
The obvious purpose of improving the quality is getting high quality from the first, and not to push it through inspections. That is what lays at the heart of all quality improvement programs. The same philosophy should be used departments of supply and procurement specialists for the organization. Procuring side is very difficult to insist that suppliers meet stringent quality requirements, if the supplier knows that the procuring entity itself does not undertake similar commitments to its customers. The most sensible thing for any procurement department that wants to start a program to improve the quality is to use the standards in their activities at all stages of the procurement cycle products. This will not only well acquaint with the methods of statistical quality control and quality standards in relation to the activities of the purchasing department, but will also give the right to demand similar commitments from others.
