Supplier Qualification Program (SQP) Assessment Criteria

Section 1 - Management Commitment and Continual Improvement

Assesses the degree to which a company’s management is committed to providing adequate assessment resources, effective
communication, systems of review that identify actions taken and opportunities for improvement.

Section 2 - Risk Management Systems

The company shall have management systems for assuring product safety, legality and quality. (Applies basic risk assessment
principles)

♦ Legislative and Safety Requirements - the company must be aware of and make reference to up-to-date legislation, product
standards, codes of practice and developments in science or technology that may impact the risk concerning their products
and packaging in the countries of intended sales.
♦ Risk Assessment - the company shall have risk management plan for product and production processes, based on a risk
assessment system which is systematic, comprehensive, thorough, fully implemented and maintained.
♦ Risk Assessment Verification - the company shall conduct the verification of risk assessment by competent person.

Section 3 - Quality Management Systems

The company shall develop, document and implement an effective quality management system, and address the following areas:

♦ Policy Statement
♦ Control of Document - All documents, records and data impacting the management of product safety, legality and quality
are present and effectively controlled
♦ Control of Records
♦ Specifications
♦ Responsibility and Authority - clearly defined and documented organizational structure
♦ Internal Audit
♦ Purchasing, Supplier & Sub-contractor Approval and Performance Monitoring
♦ Customer Property - customer property (including intellectual property) should be subject to controls
♦ Corrective and Preventive Action - procedures to record, investigate, analyse and correct cause(s) of non-conforming
products or failure(s) to meet standards, specifications and procedures
♦ Identification & Traceability - a system to identify and trace product lots including raw materials, components and
packaging materials for all phases of the production process (receipt of materials to product dispatch)
♦ Incident, Product Withdrawal and Product Recall - a plan and system to effectively manage product withdrawal and product
recall processes
♦ Business Continuity Planning - plan for identifying methods that ensure business continuity in the event of major
incidents/threats to a business.

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 Supplier Qualification Program (SQP) Assessment Criteria

♦ Customer Focus
♦ Complaint Handling

Section 4 - Site and Facilities Management

The site and the facilities must be maintained and managed so as to prevent or minimize contamination and assure the production
of safe and legal finished products. Areas of focus include:
♦ Site Location and Perimeter
♦ Factory Layout, Product Flow and Segregation
♦ Staff Facilities - such facilities must be designed and operated so that they sufficiently minimise all risk of product
contamination
♦ Cleaning and Hygiene Practices
♦ Waste/Waste Disposal - systems for the collection, collation and disposal of waste material
♦ Pest Control - controls and practices for minimizing the risk of pest infestation

Section 5 – Product Control

The company shall demonstrate effective control of its products to ensure safety, legality and quality including the following areas:
♦ Reference Samples (pre-production and production) - procedures in place for the selection, handling, storage, approval and
use of reference samples
♦ Chemical Control - chemical composition of products and chemicals used in the manufacture or processing of products shall
be identified, monitored and recorded as required by legislation in the country of sale and / or manufacture
♦ Product Packaging Materials
♦ Control of non-conforming materials - non-conforming materials, components and products shall be clearly identified,
labelled, quarantined, investigated and documented
♦ Special Handling - handling requirements shall be in place for specific materials
♦ Product Transport, Storage and Distribution
♦ Stock Control and Product Release – procedures shall be in place to prevent release of finished product unless all agreed
procedures have been followed

Section 6 – Product Testing and Product Claims

♦ Product Testing – the company shall have a suitable, sufficient and validated testing program to ensure the safe, legal
production of products that meet required quality standards.
♦ Product Claims – the company shall validate any declared product information or claims made regarding its products and
monitor compliance with such claims necessary.

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 Supplier Qualification Program (SQP) Assessment Criteria

Section 7 – Process Control

The company shall demonstrate effective control of all operations undertaken, to ensure product safety, legality and quality – as
well as ensure that the processes and equipment employed are capable of producing consistently safe and legal product with the
desired quality characteristics. The following areas shall be addressed:

Generic Hardline
♦ Control of Operations - ensure processes and equipment employed are capable of producing consistently safe and legal
product with the desired quality characteristics
♦ Control of Incoming Components and Raw Materials
♦ In-Process and Final Inspections - to assure delivery of safe, legal product of the required quality
♦ Foreign Body Detection and Control
♦ Calibration and Control of Measuring and Monitoring Devices (for purposes of monitoring product safety, quality and
legality) - shall be identified and calibrated to a recognized national or international standard
♦ Equipment & Tooling Maintenance
♦ Final Product Packing and Control

Garments
♦ Sample Preparation, Pattern & Marker
♦ Pre-production Activity
♦ Control of Incoming Components and Raw Materials
♦ Spreading, Cutting and Bundling
♦ Knitting
♦ Embroidery / Appliqué
♦ Printing
♦ Fusing
♦ Sewing
♦ Linking
♦ Washing
♦ Mending and Stitching
♦ Attachment
♦ Finishing and Pressing
♦ Final Inspections - to assure delivery of safe, legal product of the required quality
♦ Metal Detection and Control
♦ Final Packing
♦ Final Audit
♦ Calibration and Control of Measuring and Monitoring Devices (for purposes of monitoring product safety, quality and
legality) - shall be identified and calibrated to a recognized national or international standard

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 Supplier Qualification Program (SQP) Assessment Criteria

Toys
♦ Pre-production Activity
♦ Control of Incoming Components and Raw Materials
♦ Molding (Injection molding, Blow molding, Insert molding, Roto cast molding, Diecast molding, Vacuum Forming, etc)
♦ Die Cutting for Fabric/Rigid Plastic/PVC Sheet or Laminates, etc.
♦ Forming and Stamping
♦ Decoration (Spray Decoration, Coating, Tempo, Hand Painting, Printing)
♦ Sonic Welding Process
♦ Gluing Process
♦ Assembly (Manual/Automated)
♦ Cutting
♦ Sewing / Hair Rooting
♦ Attachment (e.g., eyes, noses, buttons, snaps or other metal press fasteners)
♦ Stuffing
♦ Metal Detection and Control
♦ Final Inspections - to assure delivery of safe, legal product of the required quality
♦ Final Product Packing and Control
♦ Calibration and Control of Measuring and Monitoring Devices (for purposes of monitoring product safety, quality and
legality) - shall be identified and calibrated to a recognized national or international standard

Footwear
♦ Footwear Manufacturing - Sample Development Activity
♦ Pre-production Activity (Footwear)
♦ Shoe Sole Bonding Test Process
♦ Wear Test Process
♦ Control of Incoming Components and Raw Materials (Footwear)
♦ Cutting
♦ Preparation / Secondary Processing
♦ Stitching
♦ Injection Molding
♦ Bottoming
♦ Assembly Operation – Lasting
♦ Autoclave Process (Vulcanizing)
♦ Finishing
♦ Final Inspections (Footwear)

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 Supplier Qualification Program (SQP) Assessment Criteria

♦ Metal Detection and Control

♦ Final Packing
♦ Storage
♦ 'Lasts' Management
♦ Equipment & Tooling Maintenance (Footwear)
♦ Calibration and Control of Measuring and Monitoring Devices (for purposes of monitoring product safety, quality and
legality) - shall be identified and calibrated to a recognized national or international standard

Section 8 – Personnel Training and Competency

The company shall ensure that personnel performing work affecting product safety, legality and quality are demonstrably
competent to carry out their activity, as a result of training, work experience and / or qualification.

Americas Asia EMEA

Elma Isakovic Samuel Lau Catherine Beare
Tel: +1 732 394 5367 Tel: +852 3760 6334 Tel: +44 78 7237 9094
elma.isakovic@intertek.com samuel.lau@intertek.com catherine.beare@intertek.com

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