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CSQP: Supplier Qualification and Selection

CSQP · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.

All guide sections

Supplier Qualification and Selection

What this domain tests

Supplier Qualification and Selection covers the evidence-based process for deciding whether a supplier can meet requirements and whether it should receive an award. CSQP items test requirement definition, RFI/RFQ, capability and financial assessment, site audits, sample and trial approval, weighted decision models, conditional approval, and ASL control. Qualification asks 'can they do it?'; selection asks 'should we award, and on what terms?'

Core rules and concepts

  • Define requirements before evaluating: technical specification, quality system, process capability, capacity, delivery, total cost of ownership (TCO), financial stability, regulatory compliance, ESG, and scalability.
  • Use a cross-functional team and a weighted scorecard. Weights reflect business criticality; scores need evidence, not impressions.
  • Certification is not capability. ISO 9001, AS9100, IATF 16949, or ISO 13485 certification indicates a system, not that a specific process is controlled. Verify with process audits, capability data, and reference checks.
  • Qualification tools include capability questionnaires, desk reviews, on-site audits, financial ratios, sample builds, first article inspection (FAI), and PPAP where applicable.
  • Conditional approval is valid only with a written gap-closure plan, owner, date, and containment. Re-qualify after a new site, process change, ownership change, or long shutdown.
  • Document the decision, including rejected suppliers and rationale.

Worked example

Two suppliers are scored on quality (30%), cost (25%), capacity (20%), financial health (15%), and compliance (10%). Supplier A scores 8, 6, 9, 5, 9; weighted score = 2.4 + 1.5 + 1.8 + 0.75 + 0.9 = 7.35. Supplier B scores 9, 8, 6, 8, 7; weighted score = 2.7 + 2.0 + 1.2 + 1.2 + 0.7 = 7.80. B wins. Reasoning: check whether capacity is a gating requirement; if A is the only supplier with capacity, award conditionally with a capacity plan rather than ignore the gap. Sensitivity analysis matters more than a single total.

Traps that cost marks

  • Selecting on lowest price without TCO.
  • Treating a certificate as proof of process capability.
  • Skipping sub-tier and capacity verification.
  • Using weights after scores are known to favor a preferred supplier.
  • Failing to document conditional approval or re-qualification triggers.