Summary
In short
- A supplier improvement plan is a plan used in KnowLogistics that agrees what a underperforming supplier will change, by when, and what happens if they do not. It is built against ISO 9001 cl.8.4.1 and forms part of the Supplier Onboarding and Lifecycle programme.
- Raised after a poor scorecard or a serious failure. Agreed jointly with the supplier.
- The template holds 53 fields across 5 sections.
- Scoring is improvement delivered, where high is good.
- ISO 9001 is quality management systems. The international standard for consistently meeting customer and regulatory requirements. Certifiable.
- It connects to the rest of the library: links Supplier Scorecard and Supplier Corrective Request.
What it is
What it is
What is a supplier improvement plan?
A supplier improvement plan is a plan used in KnowLogistics that agrees what a underperforming supplier will change, by when, and what happens if they do not. It is built against ISO 9001 cl.8.4.1 and forms part of the Supplier Onboarding and Lifecycle programme.
When is a supplier improvement plan completed?
A supplier improvement plan is completed when the thing being planned is created, and again at the stated review interval. Raised after a poor scorecard or a serious failure.
When to use it
When to use it, and when not to
This plan is one step in a larger programme. Using it for work that belongs to a neighbouring template produces records that are hard to report on later.
Use it for
- The event or activity this plan covers has occurred, or is about to
- Authorisation is needed before the work can begin
- The workspace is being set up, or the register needs an entry added or retired
- You are running the Supplier Onboarding and Lifecycle programme and this is one of its steps
- A linked record needs this one to exist: links supplier scorecard and supplier corrective request
Not for
- Supplier Onboarding Checklist, which takes a new supplier from selected to able to trade, covering banking, insurance, terms, technical approval and system setup.
- Supplier Sourcing Request, which starts the process of finding a new supplier, stating what is needed, why the existing suppliers cannot provide it and what the selection criteria will be.
- Supplier Due Diligence and Screening, which screens a prospective supplier for financial standing, ownership, sanctions exposure, litigation and adverse media before commercial discussions go far.
- Anything outside KnowLogistics, which belongs in the workspace that owns that process
Standards
What it is built against
ISO 9001Quality management systems
The international standard for consistently meeting customer and regulatory requirements. Certifiable.
ISOInternational Organization for Standardization
A voluntary international standard. Widely adopted, often required by customers, and certifiable where a management system standard.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is the supplier improvement plan template based on?+
It is built against ISO 9001 cl.8.4.1. ISO 9001 is quality management systems. The international standard for consistently meeting customer and regulatory requirements. Certifiable. ISO is international Organization for Standardization. A voluntary international standard. Widely adopted, often required by customers, and certifiable where a management system standard.
What sections does the supplier improvement plan contain?+
There are 5 sections: header, the problem, the plan, follow through, outcome. Together they hold 53 fields, 44 of which are required.
How many supplier improvement plan records should we have?+
This is a singleton. One record per workspace, set up once and maintained, rather than one per event. Other templates refer back to it.
Which programme does the supplier improvement plan belong to?+
It is part of Supplier Onboarding and Lifecycle. No supplier trading before onboarding completes, and none left active after it ends.
How is a supplier improvement plan scored?+
Scoring is improvement delivered. High is good. Scores exist to make the form tell you something, not to produce a percentage for its own sake.
Can the supplier improvement plan template be changed?+
Yes. Every field, option, score and conditional rule is editable, and the links to other templates come with it. Most teams install it as it is, run it for a cycle, then adjust.
The agents
What the agents do with it
The form is the easy part. Keeping it current, routing it to the right owner and holding the evidence together is the work that actually slips.
Holds the supplier improvement plan library against your registers, routes each record to its owner, and keeps the evidence trail together.
Coordinates the crew, rolls completion and exceptions into one view, and holds every write for your approval before it touches a record.
This template lives in KnowLogistics — supply chain execution. Inbound, outbound, inventory, yard, claims, supplier lifecycle and customs.
Meet KnowLogistics→Sources
Sources
- ISO 9001 — Quality management systems
- ISO — International Organization for Standardization