The Institutional QA Office performs QA reviews of procurements to:
- ensure that the items and services purchased meet the performance specifications and requirements identified by the Lab and perform as intended; and
- that suppliers are capable of meeting performance specifications and requirements, and continue to perform as intended over time.
The results of the QA reviews are documented on the Institutional Approved Supplier List (ASL).
The Institutional ASL, which identifies items, services and suppliers that have been evaluated by the Institutional Quality Assurance (QA) office, is designed to help end users plan procurements and buyers to process purchase requisitions (PRs) more efficiently by leveraging prior QA Reviews; and identify items, services and suppliers that need a QA Review.
The Institutional ASL allows for a number of process efficiencies ands provides a “One-Stop-Shop” for data warehousing, analytics and reporting. Efficiencies include:
- Consistently entered data; and
- Faster processing of PRs by:
- Reducing the number of emails between the buyers, ICAO, end users and the EHS electrical inspection group through automatic notifications;
- Allowing the End User Risk Assessment Questionnaire to be tailored based on how the end user responds to questions; and
- Leveraging prior QA reviews so that future purchases of items/services from the same supplier for the same end use won’t need to be reviewed again; and
- Ensuring current data is reflected on the ASL in real time.
End Users use the published ASL to help plan their procurement by checking the ASL to determine if a desired item/service from a specific supplier for a specific end use has already been QA reviewed. If an item/service from a supplier for the end use is already listed on the ASL, then the Buyer may purchase it without requiring End Users to complete an End User Risk Assessment Questionnaire. If it is not on the ASL, the Buyer will initiate a QA Review, which includes completion of the End Use Risk Assessment Questionnaire by the End User. The QA Review process typically takes up to 3 business days to complete. It may take longer to complete based on the accuracy, completeness and correctness of the information provided, and should be factored into procurement planning.
Buyers check the published ASL to validate that items/services identified on a Purchase Requisition (PR) from a specific supplier for a specific end use has already been QA reviewed, and if it has, may use the current QA determination for the current purchase. If it has not been previously reviewed, Buyers will initiate a QA Review request.
Upon receipt of an item or service from a supplier/subcontractor, the End User/Requestor is responsible for retaining QA records (e.g., Certificates of Conformance, Certificates of Analysis, inspection/test plans and results, nonconformance reports, etc.) that demonstrate that the item or service meets specifications and quality requirements that have been formally communicated to the supplier/subcontractor and performs as intended. QA records shall be accessible and managed in accordance with Institutional and Division records management requirements.
For more information, please see the ASL User Guide, ASL Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and the ASL standard operating procedure, 04.03.007.003 Institutional QA Review of Purchase Requisitions Guidance.
The ASL is published in real-time and available to the Lab community 24/7. The ASL can be accessed through the Quick Links (on the right hand side of each webpage) and the following:
