Many quality systems require you to maintain an approved vendor list, record what each supplier is approved for, and track certificate expiration dates. If that information lives in a spreadsheet, it tends to drift, and the person who knows “the real list” becomes a bottleneck.

Cetec ERP supports vendor quality approvals on the vendor record so your team can confirm approval status while purchasing, and you can produce a clear record during AS9100, ISO 9001, and ISO 13485 audits.

What to Track on a Vendor Record

At a minimum, most teams need two pieces of information per supplier: the approval status, and the scope of that approval. In practice, that usually includes the approval type (what was checked), a current status (pending, approved, and so on), and an expiration date if the certificate or audit has a time limit.

Set Up Vendor Quality Approval Types

Start by defining the list of quality checks you want to track. In Cetec ERP, go to Admin, then Data Maintenance, then VendorQualityApprovalTypes. Add the approval types that match your process, such as an external certification, an internal evaluation, or a customer-mandated approval.

Assign Approvals to Specific Vendors

Once approval types exist, record them on each vendor. On the vendor page, use the Quality Approvals option on the left side. Add the relevant approval, set the current status (for example, pending or approved), and enter an expiration date when applicable.

Report on Vendor Approvals and Find Qualified Suppliers

After approvals are in place, your team can run the quality approval report to review status and expirations. You can also look up vendors based on assigned approvals, which helps when you need to confirm a supplier is qualified before placing an order.

How to Decide What to Capture

If an auditor or customer expects you to show supplier qualification evidence, track approvals at the level they will ask for: approval type, current status, and expiration date. Keep the approval list tight and tied to your real process, so it stays current and useful for purchasing and quality reviews.

Key Takeaways

• Track vendor approval status and approval scope on the vendor record, not in a separate spreadsheet.
• Define VendorQualityApprovalTypes first, then apply those approvals to specific suppliers.
• Use expiration dates to keep certifications current and visible during audits.
• Run the vendor quality approval report to review approvals and to find qualified vendors by approval type.

Conclusion

Vendor approvals are only useful if they are kept current and easy to produce when someone asks for evidence. By recording approvals and expiration dates directly on the vendor record in Cetec ERP, your team can keep supplier qualification visible to purchasing and straightforward to show during audits.