What the service covers
ABS’s vendor and supplier inspection provides independent verification across the supplier relationship — from assessing a supplier’s capability to checking goods before they ship. It includes:
- Factory Audits — assessing a supplier’s facilities, processes and capability
- Supplier development for OEM programmes — building supplier capability to meet original-equipment manufacturer requirements
- Raw Material Inspection — verifying inputs before they enter production
- Loading Supervision — checking goods as they are loaded and dispatched
Because ABS’s assessments are impartial, they provide a credible basis for verification for diverse organisations.
Who it’s for
The service suits organisations that source products from suppliers — particularly across distances or borders — where they need independent assurance that a supplier is capable and that what is shipped meets requirements. It is especially relevant to manufacturing supply chains.
How ABS approaches it
ABS acts as an impartial third party: verifying at the points in the supply relationship where it matters most, and reporting objectively. For verification during and after production, it works alongside Quality Assurance Inspection, and together they make up the Third Party Inspection practice.
Common questions
What does vendor and supplier inspection cover?
Independent verification across the supplier relationship — factory audits, OEM development, raw material inspection before production, and loading supervision at dispatch — giving impartial assurance that suppliers and their output meet requirements.
Why use an independent third party for supplier inspection?
An independent inspection gives a credible, impartial basis for verification that doesn’t rely on the supplier’s own word — most valuable when buyer and supplier are in different locations, or when receiving non-conforming goods is costly.