Service 01

Vendor & Sourcing Integrity

Exposure begins upstream. If you cannot prove where a shipment originated and who controlled it before it reached you, everything downstream is built on an assumption.

Engagement detail

ScopeSuppliers, inbound receiving, and document control
Typical durationTwo to three weeks
Delivered asVendor risk register and written procedures
Where the leak forms

Failure points we see repeatedly

  • Unverified supplier identity. Vendors onboarded on the strength of a website, a quote, and a bank instruction, with no independent confirmation that the operating entity exists as represented.
  • Origin gaps. Inbound product with no traceable chain back to a legitimate producer, creating both theft exposure and the risk of unknowingly absorbing compromised inventory.
  • Pricing that does not reconcile. Offers materially below replacement cost that operations accepts because purchasing is measured on landed cost rather than on provenance.
  • Single-point purchasing authority. One employee controlling vendor selection, invoice approval, and receiving confirmation with no separation of duties.
  • Uncontrolled document flow. Purchase orders, packing lists, and bills of lading circulating by email in formats that can be altered and reissued by anyone who receives them.

What we audit

  • Vendor onboarding file review and entity verification standards
  • Separation of duties across purchasing, receiving, and payment
  • Provenance documentation requirements by product category
  • Inbound receiving and count reconciliation procedure
  • Document control, formatting, and transmission security
  • Escalation path when an inbound shipment does not reconcile
  • Contractual security language in supplier agreements
Deliverables

What you receive

Vendor Risk Register

Every active supplier scored against verification, concentration, documentation, and history, with a defined action for each tier.

Onboarding Standard

A written qualification procedure your purchasing team applies before any new supplier is approved, including required evidence.

Receiving Protocol

A rewritten inbound procedure covering count verification, discrepancy handling, and the point at which a shipment is held rather than accepted.

Worth knowing

We approach provenance strictly from the buyer-protection side. The objective is ensuring you can demonstrate that everything you purchased came from a legitimate source, which protects the company commercially, contractually, and reputationally.

Next Step

Find the leak before the next load moves.

A chain-of-custody audit takes two to four weeks and ends with a written report you can act on immediately. Initial consultations are complimentary and confidential.