Supplier Evaluation Form
Scores a supplier on quality, delivery, price and service.
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Dear Sir / Madam,
Evaluation of [supplier] for the period [date] to [date].
No scores have been entered yet.
Decision: [decision]. Scores should be based on recorded performance — delivery dates, rejection rates, credit notes — not on impression.
What is a Supplier Evaluation?
A supplier evaluation form scores a supplier on the things you actually buy from them — quality, delivery, price and responsiveness — using the same criteria and the same scale for everyone. It matters because supplier decisions otherwise get made on impressions and the loudest recent complaint. A scored record is what lets you tell a supplier precisely where they are failing, and what lets you justify dropping one.
Two situations use this form. The first is selection: comparing three shortlisted suppliers before awarding, where the scores make a written case for the choice. The second is ongoing performance review, usually quarterly or annually, where the same criteria are scored again and the trend is the point. Procurement runs it, but the scores should come from the people who deal with the supplier — the production supervisor who sees the reject rate, the goods-in clerk who sees the late deliveries, the engineer who waits for technical answers.
Some evaluation criteria are not optional. If you hold ISO 9001 or a sector equivalent, the standard requires you to evaluate and re-evaluate suppliers against defined criteria and keep the records — check the current clause wording rather than relying on how it was done at the last audit. Regulated sectors add more: food safety schemes, medical devices, aerospace and pharmaceutical supply chains each impose their own approval requirements. Modern slavery, anti-bribery and export control obligations differ by country, with specific reporting duties in the UK, Australia and elsewhere. Confirm which apply to you before writing the criteria.
A score is not a decision. A supplier can score badly and still be kept because they are the only approved source, or score well and be dropped because you are consolidating. The form documents the assessment, not the commercial judgement that follows. It is also not an audit: scoring a supplier from your own records is not the same as visiting their site and examining their processes, and one cannot substitute for the other. And it does not change the contract — poor scores give you a conversation, while termination rights come from the agreement.
What to put in a Supplier Evaluation
These are the details this template asks for. Anything left blank is marked in red on the preview so you can see what is still missing.
| Field | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| Issuing organisation | For example: Maple Grove Homeowners Association |
| Organisation address | For example: 1420 Kinnear Road, Columbus, OH 43212 |
| Supplier | For example: Northgate Timber Inc. |
| Period from | Free text |
| Period to | Free text |
| Criteria and scores | One per line: Criterion | Score /5 | Comment |
| Decision | Free text |
| Signatory name optional | For example: K. Srinivasa Rao |
| Signatory designation optional | For example: Honorary Secretary |
| Issued to (full name) | For example: James Whitfield |
| Their address | For example: 588 Kinnear Road, Columbus, OH 43212 |
How to write a Supplier Evaluation
Pick criteria that match what you buy
Four or five headings beat fifteen. For a commodity, weight quality and price. For a critical single-source component, weight capacity, technical support and financial stability. For a services supplier, weight responsiveness and staff continuity. Write each criterion so two people scoring separately would land close: delivery means the percentage of lines received complete on the promised date, not a feeling about lateness.
Define what each score means
A one-to-five scale is useless until you say what a three is. Write the anchor for each point: 5, no rejected batches this period; 3, occasional rejects resolved without production impact; 1, rejects causing a line stop. Anchored scales are what make one buyer's four comparable with another's, and what stops everybody scoring three to avoid a conversation.
Weight the criteria before you score
Set the weights first and record them, because deciding weights after seeing the scores is how a preferred supplier wins. If on-time delivery matters twice as much as price for this category, say so up front. Weights should differ by category — a stationery supplier and a sole-source castings foundry should not be judged on the same profile.
Use evidence, not impressions
Pull the numbers you already hold: goods received records, reject notes, credit notes raised, response times on open queries, invoice queries per period. Where a score is a judgement, say who made it and on what. A supplier will challenge a poor score, and the meeting goes differently when you can put four late delivery notes on the table.
Feed back and set an improvement action
Send the completed scorecard to the supplier with the two things you want changed and a date to review them. Evaluation that stays inside your own building improves nothing. Record what was agreed, then score the same criteria at the next review so the trend is visible — improvement or otherwise is what informs the next award decision.
Common mistakes
- Scoring on a scale with no defined anchors, so every supplier ends up around three and the exercise tells you nothing.
- Setting the weightings after the scores are in, which turns the form into a justification for a decision already made.
- Letting one buyer score every supplier alone, so quality and delivery problems seen by the shop floor never reach the scorecard.
- Never sending the result to the supplier, which means a fixable problem carries on until it becomes a reason to terminate.
- Using identical criteria for a stationery vendor and a sole-source critical component, which hides real risk behind an averaged score.
Frequently asked questions
What criteria should be on a supplier evaluation form?
Start with quality, delivery, price and communication, then add what matters for the category — technical support, capacity, financial stability, compliance and sustainability. Keep the list short enough that people score it honestly. If you work to a quality standard or a sector scheme, check whether it names criteria you must include before you settle the list.
How often should suppliers be evaluated?
Match the frequency to the risk. Critical or sole-source suppliers are commonly reviewed quarterly; routine suppliers annually is usually enough. Whatever cadence you choose, apply it consistently, because the value is in comparing the same criteria over time. If your quality standard requires re-evaluation, check what interval your own documented procedure commits you to.
What is a good supplier scorecard weighting?
There is no universal answer, and any single set of weights would be wrong for most categories. Work backwards from the consequence of failure: where a late delivery stops a production line, delivery outweighs price heavily; where the item is a commodity held in stock, price can dominate. Agree and record the weights before scoring begins.
What is the difference between supplier evaluation and a supplier audit?
Evaluation scores performance from your own records and experience, usually as a desk exercise. An audit examines the supplier's own processes, normally on their site, against a standard or checklist. Evaluation tells you what has happened; an audit tells you whether their system will keep it from happening again. High-risk suppliers usually need both.
Can I use supplier evaluation scores to terminate a contract?
The scores are evidence, not a right. Termination depends on what the contract says — many agreements require notice, a cure period, or a defined breach before you can exit. A documented run of poor scores, shared with the supplier and unimproved after an agreed action plan, is the sort of evidence that supports the position. Check the contract before acting.
This page explains general practice and is not legal advice. Requirements differ between countries and, in some cases, between states — check what applies where the document will be used.