This component contains functions that allow you to integrate the tasks of Quality Management with the procurement processes in your company. Using these functions, the Quality department in your company can influence or control the following activities when materials are procured from external suppliers:

• Selecting suitable vendors

• Processing requests for quotations

• Processing purchase orders

• Processing goods receipt inspections

If your company purchases materials from external vendors, you can implement the QM in Procurement (QM-PT-RP-PRC) component to support your procurement processes for quality assurance purposes.

If you want to implement the QM in Procurement component, your company must also use the Purchasing (MM-PUR) component. If you require functions for processing goods movements, you must also install the Inventory Management (MM-IM) component.

You can implement the QM in Procurement component as a stand-alone component or together with the Quality Inspection (QM-IM) component. As a stand-alone component, you can use all procurement functions except those for processing goods receipt inspections. To process such inspections, you need the Quality Inspection component.

Using the functions of the QM in Procurement component, you can:

• Manage quality-related information for materials, vendors, and manufacturers in quality info records

• Release or block vendors and manufacturers
• Monitor the QM systems of vendors and manufacturers

• Supply quality documents with requests for quotations and purchase orders

• Evaluate vendors on the basis of quality

• Certify vendors or manufacturers that have QM systems implemented, to reduce the inspection requirement

• Manage and release supply relationships

• Request that quality certificates be submitted with the delivered goods and monitor the receipt of these certificates

• Inspect vendor goods at vendor sites (source inspections)

• Inspect vendor goods upon receipt (goods receipt inspections)

• Manage the posted goods in inspection stock

• Block the payment of invoices until the goods have been inspected and accepted

• Process goods receipt inspections for manufacturer-specific materials

• Inspect goods that have been externally processed when they are returned in a goods receipt