Supplier Development

Supplier Development is the engineering-led process of sharing design data, requirements, and change information with external suppliers and contract manufacturers in a controlled, secure way. It spans request-for-quote (RFQ) packages, design-for-manufacturability (DFM) feedback, supplier-driven design, and ongoing change propagation across the supply base.

Scope

The process covers neutral-format CAD exchange (STEP, JT, 3D PDF), secure supplier portals, watermarking and IP protection on shared models, supplier change request handling, material declaration collection (REACH, RoHS, conflict minerals), and APQP/PPAP submissions in automotive and aerospace. Increasingly it includes Digital Product Passport and supply-chain traceability data.

Relationships (see sidebar)

• Realizes Sustainability and Circularity and IP Protection.
• Supported by logical capabilities such as Document Vault and STEP AP242 Data Exchange.
• Coordinated with Change Management (ECO/ECN) when supplier-driven changes are accepted.