China Supplier Qualification Scorecard Worksheet
Choosing a Chinese factory from a list of quotes is easy to get wrong when price is the only visible number. This scorecard puts quality, delivery, price, communication and compliance into one weighted score so you can compare candidates on the same basis. Edit the rows, change the ratings and export to Excel.
| Supplier | City / province | Supplier type | Quality (1-5) | Delivery (1-5) | Price (1-5) | Communication (1-5) | Compliance (1-5) | Weighted score | Decision | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
76% | ||||||||||
68% | ||||||||||
83% | ||||||||||
57% |
Scores run 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent). Weights are fixed at quality 30, delivery 25, price 20, communication 10, compliance 15. Change the weights in the exported file if your priorities differ. A score from a desk review is weaker than one backed by an on-site audit.
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How to use the scorecard
Add one row per candidate and rate each criterion from 1 to 5 using evidence, not impressions. Quality should come from sample inspection, audit findings or reject history. Delivery should reflect quoted lead time against what the factory achieved on past orders. Compliance covers business licence validity, export experience, environmental permits and customer certifications. The worksheet converts the ratings into a percent score and tracks the best, worst and average across the list.
- Rate from documents and audit notes where possible
- Mark supplier type honestly: factory, trading company or both
- Record the decision in the last column so the file becomes an approval record
- Re-score every supplier after the first three shipments
Why these weights
The default weights favour quality and delivery because the cost of a bad batch or a missed ship date in China usually exceeds the saving from a lower unit price. Price carries 20 percent so it still matters. Communication carries 10 percent because slow or unclear responses are a leading indicator of problems later. Compliance carries 15 percent and covers things that can stop a shipment at customs or fail a customer audit. You can change the weights after export, just keep them summing to 100 percent.
Reading the result
A score above roughly 80 percent suggests a supplier you can approve for production orders. Between 60 and 80 percent, consider a sample or small pilot order with defined conditions such as a second-party audit or a tighter inspection plan. Below 60 percent, only proceed if no alternative exists and you accept the added inspection cost. Treat the score as a ranking tool and not a prediction. Two suppliers with the same score may fail in different ways, so look at the individual columns too.
Common mistakes
The most common error is scoring a trading company as if it were the factory. Check the business licence scope and ask for photos or a live video of the production floor. Another is giving every supplier a 4 to avoid conflict, which removes the value of the exercise. Finally, do not score price in isolation. Compare quotes on the same incoterm, packaging, tooling and payment terms, otherwise a cheap ex-works price hides costs that appear later in landed cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many suppliers should I score for one part?
Three to five is a practical range. Fewer than three gives you no negotiating leverage and no fallback. More than five usually means you have not screened hard enough before scoring, and the scoring effort grows without improving the decision.
Can I change the weights?
Yes. The on-page formula uses fixed weights, but you can export to Excel and edit the formula there. Keep the weights summing to 100 percent and document the change so scores stay comparable across suppliers and over time.
How do I tell a factory from a trading company?
Check the business licence scope for manufacturing, ask for the factory address and production photos, and request a video call on the shop floor. Traders are not bad by default, but you should know who is actually making your part.
Does this replace an on-site audit?
No. It organises desk-based evidence and helps you choose who to audit. High-value or safety-critical parts should still have an on-site or third-party audit before volume orders.
If your supplier data lives in an ERP, Netray can help you pull delivery and quality history into a live scorecard instead of re-keying it each quarter.
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