Supplier Management Self-Assessment Tool

Abstract

This tool represents a framework that companies can utilize to conduct a self-assessment of how much progress they have made in developing lean supply chain management capabilities. In addition, it can be used to establish future performance targets and identify further improvement opportunities. This tool differs from supplier lean assessment tools used by many aerospace companies, which focus on an assessment of the internal lean and six-sigma capabilities of individual supplier companies, such as the extent to which they have implemented basic lean manufacturing practices. Such tools take many forms, ranging from simple diagnostic instruments to detailed assessment tools. They are often used by primes and major suppliers as part of their supplier development process. The Self-Assessment Tool does require such supplier lean assessment steps, but only as part of a much larger and comprehensive framework for designing and managing lean supplier networks. The Self-Assessment Tool is linked to the Lean Enterprise Self-Assessment Tool (LESAT) and follows a similar approach. It defines eight overaching practices governing lean supply chain management and thirty enabling practices. The tool identifies five capability levels and defines the lean supply chain management attributes for each enabling practice at each one of these five capability levels. The tool provides, for each overarching practice, diagnostic questions, lean indicators and potential metrics. The tool is presented in a user-friendly Excel format, which provides an automated self-scoring feature that generates summary charts based on the self-scoring results and future improvement targets.