A supplier questionnaire suppliers will actually answer.
Twelve items, each answerable with one attachment or one line. Long forms don't get filled in.
In short. A short, complete questionnaire to send new or existing suppliers: company, contacts, bank, certifications, specifications, logistics, terms. Copy it into an email or send it from Pacifica.
The twelve items
| # | Ask for | Format |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Company details: legal name, address, registration number | One line each |
| 2 | Contacts by role: sales, documents, logistics, finance (name, email, phone) | One line each |
| 3 | Bank details on letterhead | |
| 4 | Facility food-safety certificate (HACCP / ISO 22000 / FSSC 22000 / BRCGS) | PDF, with expiry |
| 5 | Export establishment registration or FDA registration, if applicable | PDF or number |
| 6 | Product certificates for the products we buy (Halal / Kosher / Organic / Non-GMO) | PDF per certificate |
| 7 | Product specification sheet per product | |
| 8 | Allergen statement and shelf life | One line each, or on the spec |
| 9 | Sample and certificate of analysis on the sample lot | Courier + PDF |
| 10 | Port of loading, usual forwarder / carrier, lead time PO → ETD | One line each |
| 11 | Documents you can issue per shipment (CO, health certificate, phytosanitary, insurance) | Tick list |
| 12 | Accepted payment methods and preferred terms | One line |
How to send it
As one email with the twelve items numbered, asking for replies with attachments; not as a form on a portal the supplier has to register for. Follow up on the missing items only, by number. Expect it back in a week; the sample takes longer.
What to do with the answers
File every attachment under the supplier with its expiry date. Put the contacts' email addresses into your system, because they are how the supplier's future emails get matched to orders. Compare the spec and the sample COA before the first PO.
Pacifica sends this questionnaire from your own address, files each reply against the right item, ticks the checklist as attachments arrive, and sets expiry reminders on the certificates automatically — the animation on the home page is this feature.
Questions
Should the questionnaire be in the supplier's language?
Ideally yes. Pacifica sends it in the supplier's language with the original one tap away; by hand, send it bilingual.
How often should it be repeated?
Never in full. Each item renews on its own cycle: certificates on expiry, bank details on change, contacts as people move.
What about capacity, pricing history, references?
Useful for qualification, but they don't belong in the onboarding questionnaire; ask in the conversation, not the checklist.
Related
See it on your own orders.
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