Configure Supplier Risk Scoring

Risk Scoring Roadmap

Risk scoring helps you evaluate the relative risk of your suppliers and items by assigning weighted scores to key attributes. This process is covered across these four articles:

1. Risk-Related Calculations

Learn how to build the weighted calculations that determine supplier and item risk scores.

2. Configure Supplier Risk Scoring - (this article)

Set up supplier risk attributes, questionnaires, and link them to risk-calculations created in the first article.

3. Configure Item Risk Scoring

Set up item risk attributes, questionnaires, and link them to risk-calculations created in the first article.

4. Configure Workflows for Risk Scoring and Level Setting

Automate risk scoring and assign risk levels using workflows.

Overview

This article explains how to set up supplier risk scoring using calculations and attributes configured in TraceGains (see the first article in this series: Risk-Related Calculations). You'll define supplier-specific attributes that influence risk, such as audit outcomes, then update the Supplier Questionnaire to include them. These inputs are tied to your risk calculations to generate the final score for each supplier. 

In this article, you'll learn how to:

• Add supplier attributes used in risk scoring.
• Update questionnaires to collect those attributes.
• Connect attributes to existing risk calculations.

What should legacy users be aware of?

If you were directed to this article by a CSM or TraceGains Support, you may be using an outdated method of risk scoring. You or someone in your organization may have set up a risk-score workflow or series of questionnaires in the past, but we have since introduced a series of enhancements that can improve the risk-scoring experience.
For example, TraceGains now offers an advanced expression builder for use in all sorts of calculations. Workflows are also improving all the time.

Fortunately, it is simple to update your TraceGains instance with new attributes, calculations, and workflows to make sure your risk scores are created smoothly and with little intervention required.

Required steps

1. EITHER:

• Update Supplier Questionnaire section (link to global)
  • This is the preferred option. The global Supplier Questionnaire section has the most current risk-scoring attributes and is suitable for most users.

OR

• Add attributes from Configuration Library
  • This applies to users who either 1) do not have Supplier Questionnaire section on the Supplier TraceStation. or 2) wish to keep a custom Supplier Questionnaire section.

2. Apply new Supplier Risk Scoring attributes to UDD(s)
3. Users who use the second method must also add new attributes to their TraceStations.
4. Create calculations
5. Create workflows for calculations
6. Test workflow

METHOD 1: Update the Supplier Questionnaire (Link to Global)

Step 1: Hover over the Configuration Icon and select ‘TraceStations’ from the General category. 

Step 2: Locate the Suppliers tab TraceStation you wish to edit and click the edit icon

Step 3: Scroll to the Supplier Questionnaire section and click 'Link to Global'. Select the desired section, then click ‘Yes’ to confirm the changes.

METHOD 2: Add Supplier Risk Scoring attributes to library

Step 1: Hover over the Configuration Icon and select ‘Attributes.’
Step 2: Click ‘Add Attribute’.
Step 3: From the dropdown, select ‘Configuration Library’.

Step 4: From the resulting menu, search for the following attributes:

• Supplier Risk Score
• Supplier Risk Level

Step 5: Click the dropdown for Risk Score Calculation. Then, using the checkboxes, select both attributes and click ‘Add’ to add them to your attribute library.

Add Supplier risk-scoring attributes to UDD and TraceStation

At this point, it’s imperative that you add the new Supplier-related attributes to the correct locations. Your organization or individuals in your organization may have a User-Defined Dashboard (UDD) on the Supplier tab dedicated to risk scoring, or you may wish to add a column dedicated to risk scoring to a specific UDD.

If Method 2 was used above, you will need to update your TraceStations with the new attributes. A TraceStation can be defined as a comprehensive record-keeping page that stores all critical information related to a particular item, location, supplier, document, etc.

This section provides steps to add the correct Supplier risk-scoring attributes to the User Defined Dashboard (UDD) and TraceStation(s).

UDD

Step 1: Hover over the Configuration Icon and select ‘Dashboards’.
Step 2: Filter for or locate the desired UDD. Click the edit icon to access the UDD configuration settings.
Step 3: Select ‘Add Attributes’.
Step 4: Search for the newly added attributes:

• Supplier Risk Score
• Supplier Risk Level

Step 5: When located, check the boxes for each attribute.
Step 6: Click ‘Add Selected.’
Step 7: Click ‘Save’ to update the UDD.
Step 8: Repeat this process with multiple UDDs, if desired.

TraceStation

Step 1: Navigate to Configuration > TraceStations.
Step 2: Click the edit icon to enter the configuration menu for the TraceStation.
Step 3: Navigate to the Supplier Questionnaire section.
Step 4: Click ‘Add Attributes.’
Step 5: Search for the newly added attributes:

• Supplier Risk Score
• Supplier Risk Level

Step 6: When located, check the boxes for each attribute.
Step 7: Click ‘Add Selected.’
Step 8: Click ‘Save’ to update the TraceStation.
Step 9: Repeat this process with all TraceStations that you want to use the risk scoring tool with. Old attributes/script modifications will no longer trigger the risk score collection workflow.

Create calculations

After the legacy questionnaire section and attributes have been updated, create the following calculations using the instructions detailed in this companion article.

• Supplier Level - All Category Risk Questions
• Supplier Level - Packaging Risk Questions
• Supplier Level - Packaging Risk Score
• Supplier Level - Raw Material Risk Questions
• Supplier Level - Raw Material Risk Score
   

Next Steps

Once all calculations are configured, you can similarly configure item risk attributes by following this article: Configure Item Risk Scoring.