Vendor screening process
Pitkänen, Joonas (2025)
2025
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025120331802
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025120331802
Tiivistelmä
In this thesis, best practices for updating a vendor screening process are developed. The work is commissioned by a Finnish manufacturing company and is fit for the needs described by the commissioning party. The company had seen growth in operations while the internal processes for screening suppliers had not scaled accordingly. This resulted in being exposed to more supplier-related risks and issues gathering required sustainability data. To support the future development of the company, this thesis aims to provide an easy-to-use framework for supplier screening that is based on relevant academic literature and the needs of the commissioning company.
The theoretical framework for this work consists of supply chain risk management and sustainability in supplier screening. The literature on these framework topics put emphasis on early-stage supplier screening, improving resilience and compliance with sustainability regulations.
Development of the thesis includes a content analysis on the state of supplier screening process in January to March of 2025 and a semi-structured interview with the Director of Supply Chain of the commissioning company. From these methods, it is evident there is a lack of documentation and standardization in the current process, sustainability data gathering is limited, and verifiable and reliable information can be hard to access.
By combining the findings, this thesis develops best practices the commissioning company can integrate while updating its vendor screening process. A template for supplier screening, a risk scoring matrix and a sustainability scorecard is included as practical tools to guide decision making. With these tools, the commissioning company can have a consistent and documented evaluation method for supplier related sustainability and risk management. The results are prepared for the needs of the commissioning company and are intended to aid in developing their operations in relation to supplier risk management and sustainability.
The theoretical framework for this work consists of supply chain risk management and sustainability in supplier screening. The literature on these framework topics put emphasis on early-stage supplier screening, improving resilience and compliance with sustainability regulations.
Development of the thesis includes a content analysis on the state of supplier screening process in January to March of 2025 and a semi-structured interview with the Director of Supply Chain of the commissioning company. From these methods, it is evident there is a lack of documentation and standardization in the current process, sustainability data gathering is limited, and verifiable and reliable information can be hard to access.
By combining the findings, this thesis develops best practices the commissioning company can integrate while updating its vendor screening process. A template for supplier screening, a risk scoring matrix and a sustainability scorecard is included as practical tools to guide decision making. With these tools, the commissioning company can have a consistent and documented evaluation method for supplier related sustainability and risk management. The results are prepared for the needs of the commissioning company and are intended to aid in developing their operations in relation to supplier risk management and sustainability.