Supplier risk decision minutes template
Use this template immediately after the supplier-risk meeting agenda. It turns discussion into an auditable decision record: what changed, what is approved, what is blocked, who owns the proof and what happens before the next order.
When to use
- After a weekly supplier-risk meeting.
- Before releasing a repeat order, balance payment, shipment exception or supplier-status change.
- When a buyer, supplier or manager requests a bypass of existing controls.
- When a supplier has appeared in the review pack for two or more consecutive cycles.
Minutes success test
The record is complete only if a new buyer can answer four questions without another meeting: current supplier state, approved next action, proof required before release, and escalation if the owner misses the deadline.
state visibleowner nameddeadline datednext PO controlled
Copy-ready minutes block
| Field | Entry | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Meeting date / owner | YYYY-MM-DD · owner name | One person owns publishing the final minutes. |
| Supplier / order scope | Supplier, PO, SKU/category, affected shipment or payment | Do not mix unrelated suppliers in one decision line. |
| Current risk state | Normal / watch / capped / conditional / hold / exit review | Use a controlled state, not vague wording such as “be careful”. |
| Evidence reviewed | Inspection, shipment, claim, payment, communication, archive links | Link to proof or mark as missing. |
| Decision made | Approve / approve with condition / hold / split / restrict / escalate / exit | Decision must match the risk state. |
| Next-order control | Release condition, cap, split volume, backup trigger, payment hold | Every risky supplier needs a control before the next PO. |
| Owner and deadline | Name · date · required evidence | No owner means the decision remains blocked. |
| Escalation trigger | If not closed by date, then... | Define the automatic fallback before pressure starts. |
Decision examples
- Watch: supplier can quote, but no repeat PO until missing certificate and packing-photo proof are archived.
- Conditional release: ship finished quantity only after third-party inspection pass and revised packing list match.
- Payment hold: release 70% balance now, hold 30% reserve until arrival discrepancy evidence is closed.
- Backup split: move 40% of next order to approved backup supplier if corrective-action proof is late.
Anti-bypass wording
No new PO, shipment release, balance payment or status normalization is approved outside this minutes record. If business urgency requires an exception, the exception must be added here with owner, expiry date, rollback trigger and evidence requirement.
Archive rule
Store the final minutes with the weekly review pack, meeting agenda, evidence archive index and any open addendum or exception records. If the decision changes next week, create a new decision line instead of overwriting the old one.