Summary
In short
- A supplier questionnaire is an assessment used in KnowQuality that collects information about a supplier's systems, certifications and controls. It is built against ISO 9001 cl.8.4.2 and forms part of the Supplier Quality Assurance programme.
- Sent before approval and refreshed yearly. Completed by the supplier and reviewed by quality.
- The template holds 48 fields across 5 sections.
- Scoring is weighted percent, 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 Vendor.
What it is
What it is
What is a supplier questionnaire?
A supplier questionnaire is an assessment used in KnowQuality that collects information about a supplier's systems, certifications and controls. It is built against ISO 9001 cl.8.4.2 and forms part of the Supplier Quality Assurance programme.
When is a supplier questionnaire completed?
A supplier questionnaire is completed when the task, area or population being assessed is new or has materially changed. Sent before approval and refreshed yearly.
When to use it
When to use it, and when not to
This assessment 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 assessment covers has occurred, or is about to
- A new record is needed; each one gets its own ID in the form SQ-2026-000
- You are running the Supplier Quality Assurance programme and this is one of its steps
- A linked record needs this one to exist: links vendor
Not for
- Supplier Approval Record, which records the decision to approve a new supplier, with the evidence behind it.
- Supplier Audit, which audits a supplier's site against your requirements.
- Supplier Scorecard, which scores a supplier on quality, delivery, responsiveness and cost over a period.
- Anything outside KnowQuality, 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 questionnaire template based on?+
It is built against ISO 9001 cl.8.4.2. 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 questionnaire contain?+
There are 5 sections: header, company and systems, controls, supply chain and ethics, result. Together they hold 48 fields, 35 of which are required.
How often is a supplier questionnaire raised?+
A new record is raised when the task, area or population being assessed is new or has materially changed. Each one is given an ID in the form SQ-2026-000, so it can be traced and referenced from other records.
Which programme does the supplier questionnaire belong to?+
It is part of Supplier Quality Assurance, Supplier Onboarding and Lifecycle. Approved suppliers with evidence, and rejections that actually change behaviour.
How is a supplier questionnaire scored?+
Scoring is weighted percent. High is good. Scores exist to make the form tell you something, not to produce a percentage for its own sake.
Can the supplier questionnaire 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 questionnaire 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 KnowQuality — quality and food safety. HACCP, nonconformance, traceability, laboratory and customer complaints.
Sources
Sources
- ISO 9001 — Quality management systems
- ISO — International Organization for Standardization