Companies purchase lots of things. They purchase tangible goods, like raw materials and equipment, or intangible services, like calibration and transportation. And most companies have basic criteria that they use to qualify and select suppliers.

Many companies require their suppliers to obtain and maintain certifications to one or more management system standard like ISO 9001 (quality), ISO 14001 (environmental), ISO 50001 (energy), ISO 27001 (information security), or at least to adopt some aspects of a management system standard. Some industry sectors have even created their own management system standards, such as the automotive industry, which has IATF 16949; the aerospace industry, which has AS 9100; and the telecom industry, which has TL 9000, in order to include specific and suitable requirements to meet their industry needs.

 …