Special Process Supplier Surveillance Schedule Worksheet
AS9100D clause 8.4 expects you to control external providers in proportion to the risk they carry. Special processes such as heat treat, NDT and plating are where escapes are hardest to detect after the fact. This worksheet scores each processor and derives a review interval you can defend.
| Processor | Special process | Nadcap accredited for this process (1 yes, 0 no) | Part criticality (1 to 5) | Performance risk (1 to 5) | Months since last review | Risk score | Review interval (months) | Months overdue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10 | 24 | 0 | |||||||
9 | 24 | 0 | |||||||
17 | 12 | 0 | |||||||
25 | 6 | 1 | |||||||
20 | 6 | 0 | |||||||
9 | 24 | 6 |
The scoring bands (6, 12 and 24 months) are a common starting rule, not a requirement of AS9100 or Nadcap. Replace them with the thresholds in your own external provider procedure. Customer-approved source lists and flowdown requirements always override this worksheet.
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How to use the worksheet
Add one row per processor and process pair, because a supplier can be strong at anodize and weak at plating. Enter whether the supplier holds Nadcap accreditation for that process, the criticality of the worst part you send them on a scale of 1 to 5, and a performance risk of 1 to 5 based on escapes, late deliveries and corrective actions in the last year. Enter the months since your last audit or desk review. The sheet calculates risk score, the review interval and months overdue. Sort by overdue and start with the longest.
The scoring logic
Risk score is criticality multiplied by performance risk, plus five points when the processor is not Nadcap accredited for the process. A score of 20 or more sets a six month interval, 12 to 19 sets twelve months, and anything lower sets twenty four. The multiplication matters: a critical part at a poor performer scores 25 and rises fast, while a low criticality part at a clean supplier barely registers. The Nadcap penalty is a proxy for the third-party assurance you lose when no accreditation exists. Adjust the penalty to match how much your customers rely on accreditation.
- Score 20 or above: review every 6 months
- Score 12 to 19: review every 12 months
- Score below 12: review every 24 months
- Overdue months = months since review minus interval
What a surveillance review contains
A review is not always an on-site audit. For accredited processors, a desk review of Nadcap audit results, certificate validity, scope, and your own receiving data can be enough. For non-accredited sources, plan an on-site process audit against the customer specification, check pyrometry and calibration records for thermal work, bath analysis logs for chemical work, and operator certifications for NDT. Record findings and link them to supplier corrective action requests. Always feed the outcome back into the performance column so the next interval reflects reality.
Common mistakes
Teams often track suppliers only by company name and miss that approval is process specific. Others set intervals once and never update them after an escape. Another frequent gap is ignoring customer-directed sources, where the customer controls approval but you still own verification of what arrives. Keep the worksheet synchronized with the approved supplier list and review it at management review so the evidence of risk-based control is visible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does AS9100 require a fixed audit frequency for special process suppliers?
No. AS9100D requires controls proportionate to risk and to the supplier's impact on conformity. Many companies use a risk-based interval, with customer or Nadcap requirements applied where they exist. Document your method and apply it consistently.
If a supplier is Nadcap accredited, can I skip my own review?
Accreditation is strong evidence but it does not replace your responsibility. You still verify scope matches the specific process and specification, confirm certificate validity, and monitor your own receiving results. Some customers require additional surveillance regardless.
How should I score performance risk?
Use data from the last twelve months: rejected lots, escapes found downstream, late deliveries, open corrective actions and documentation errors. A simple rule is 1 for none, 3 for isolated issues and 5 for repeated or serious escapes. Use the same rule for every supplier.
Can I export this to Excel?
Yes. Use the export button to download the table with calculated columns, then keep editing in Excel if you prefer. Re-import is not needed; just paste updated rows back into the tool when you want the totals again.
We can pull on-time delivery, reject rates and open SCARs per processor directly from your ERP so the performance column updates itself.
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