Supplier Development
A supplier keeps failing — and re-auditing them changes nothing?
What we deliver
- Baseline VDA 6.3 Process Audit
- PDCA Improvement Program
- Core Tools Deployment (APQP, PPAP, FMEA, MSA, SPC)
- 8D Problem-Solving Coaching
- Quality-System Implementation (IATF 16949 / ISO 9001)
- Re-audit & Graduation Criteria
How it runs
- 01
Baseline audit
A VDA 6.3 process audit establishes where the supplier really is and which processes drive the risk.
- 02
Plan the uplift
Findings are turned into a prioritized PDCA improvement plan with owners, milestones and a graduation bar agreed with you.
- 03
Coach & deploy
Hands-on coaching deploys the Core Tools (APQP, PPAP, FMEA, MSA, SPC) and 8D problem-solving where the gaps are — on the floor, not in a slide deck.
- 04
Re-audit & graduate
A re-audit confirms the gains are real and sustained against the graduation criteria before the supplier is signed off.
Typical use cases
- A supplier’s scorecard is red and re-audits alone change nothing.
- A new nomination needs to be brought up to capability before SOP.
- An IATF 16949 gap at a sub-supplier is putting your own certification at risk.
- Escapes keep recurring because the supplier’s system, not just one part, is weak.
- You want a tier-2/tier-n supplier developed without pulling your own SQEs off the line.
Competitors stop at the screening. We define — and prove — the criteria that end the engagement, so it has a defensible finish line.
- Re-audit score meets the agreed graduation bar (not just improved on paper).
- Recurring defect categories closed with verified permanent corrective actions.
- Core Tools and control plans in routine use by the supplier’s own team.
- Scorecard trend sustained over an agreed monitoring period.
Frequently asked questions
How is supplier development different from sorting or auditing?
Sorting contains the symptom and an audit measures the gap. Supplier development closes it — it changes the supplier’s system so the defects stop recurring. It starts from an audit baseline and ends at a re-audit that proves the capability is sustainable.
How long does a development program take?
Typically several months up to around 18 months, depending on how deep the gaps go and how much of the work the supplier can absorb. The plan is milestone-based, so progress is visible against the graduation bar throughout.
Which tools do you deploy?
Whichever the gaps demand — most often the AIAG/VDA Core Tools (APQP, PPAP, FMEA, MSA, SPC), 8D problem-solving, and VDA 6.3 / IATF 16949 system work. The same methods we teach in the Qualiteh Academy, applied directly on the supplier’s floor.
Can you develop our tier-2 and tier-n suppliers?
Yes. We work across the chain so you do not have to pull your own SQEs off the line to fix an upstream supplier whose problems are landing on your dock.
Train your team
Talk to an engineer who has solved this before
Tell us what you are facing. We will map a realistic plan — and mobilize fast if the line is at risk.
Discuss Supplier Development