Supplier Evaluation Process

Suppliers are evaluated before a university purchasing agreement is established, as well as on a continuous basis afterwards, to ensure that the relationship is working well for all parties, including our departmental customers.

This page provides an overview of the various ways that suppliers are evaluated at UC Davis by our Procurement & Contracting Services department.

Pre-Agreement Establishment: Requests for Proposal

When establishing university agreements with outside strategic suppliers, our Strategic Sourcing team often uses the Request For Proposal (RFP) process, allowing multiple suppliers to submit bids and identify how they can meet the identified business needs for a specific projectThe bid submissions are evaluated, based on a variety of quality, service, and pricing metrics (e.g., delivery and order fulfillment timelines, customer service support, returns and warranties, etc.) required for that project.  The process helps the university identify the best supplier and the best plan for accomplishing a project. 


Ongoing Supplier Business Reviews

Our Strategic Sourcing team holds formal business reviews and informal check-in calls on a routine basis with our agreement suppliers.  These business reviews identify any challenges the supplier may have in meeting the terms of the university agreement, as well as ways to provide continuous improvement.  Supplier business reviews often take place before an agreement renewal is issued or contract is extended. 


Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility Evaluations

UC systemwide suppliers are participating in the EcoVadis supplier assessment process. EcoVadis is a network of suppliers rated according to their Environmental, Labor & Human Rights, Ethics and Sustainable Procurement practices.   Suppliers receive a scorecard and action plan that can be used to identify goals and monitor their progress toward more sustainable operations.   Learn more on the UC Office of the President Procurement website.


Departmental/Customer Feedback

Departmental feedback is critical to ensuring that our agreement suppliers are meeting the needs of our customers.  We review this feedback as part of our supplier evaluation process.

If you wish to share any supplier feedback, please send an email to strategicsourcing@ucdavis.edu. In your message, include any relevant purchase order numbers, name(s) of supplier representatives you have worked with, and any other details about your supplier experience(s).  This information will then be addressed in a future supplier business review.


Questions?

Please contact Strategic Sourcing with any questions.  Our goal is to assist in developing and maintaining successful university-supplier partnerships!