Becoming a Supplier
Becoming an Own Brand Supplier
This section details the pre-requisites required to become an Asda Own Brand Supplier
Policies
Policies are part of the code of practice and are used to detail the framework & standards with which we expect our suppliers to comply and manufacture products to. They also provide guidance on completion of specifications and other documentation.
Third Party Independent Inspection
- Each factory/final pack site will be required to have a BRC Audit
- The scope of the inspection as detailed on the BRC certificate needs to cover all the product types which will be supplied to ASDA
- Factories must attain a Grade A, B or C and must remain in certification at all times
- Failure to obtain the above grades will affect your supply status with ASDA and could result in withdrawal of the product from store
Product Testing
- All ASDA Brand products are tested at First Production – Nutritionally / Microbiologically and analytically as appropriate
- Products also undergo surveillance testing – frequency is determined from a risk assessment of the product
- Customer complaints may also need testing as part of the investigation process
- All tests are carried out by Bodycote Lawlabs an independent accredited laboratory based in Birmingham
- Test results are logged on the Bodycote database. Suppliers are able to access their results through this database, they are responsible for obtaining their login and passwords from the contact details at the bottom of the page
Product Quality
Product Quality is measured in a number of ways:
ASDA Product Managers closely monitor customer complaints and issues are discussed at weekly team meetings.
Panels are also used to assess the quality of Own Label products. These may be carried out within the supply base or at ASDA House sometimes suppliers will be requested to attend panels and to supply samples.
Panels are used to:
- Ensure ongoing product consistency
- Determine our position in the marketplace
- Gain customer feedback
- Validate Brand Hierarchy
- Customer Complaints
ASDA uses two different systems to collect Customer Complaint Data – CPQC and Defective Returns.
Retail Link
This uses store EPOS data – accessed using Retail Link.
Since this information is accessed on Retail Link suppliers can download this information themselves at any time. This can be used to run weekly reports.
CPQC
CPQC is an Internal Web-Based system, email, telephone, letter and store complaints are logged here – including a brief description of the complaint.
This information is sent out by Technical Services on a weekly basis, so that suppliers can use it to track and trend customer complaints and complete reports required by ASDA.
Incident Management
ASDA Expects - All supply sites to have a documented system in place to detail how any potential or actual breach of food safety, quality requirements or legality will be managed.
Full details can be found in the ASDA Codes of Practice – Located on The Hive.
A major incident often results in the Withdraw or Recall of products.
Withdraw
A product quality issue is identified – E.g. Out of spec product, incorrect date coding. An entire product line or specific date code is withdrawn from store & depot.
Recall
A product is found to be unsafe and/or illegal. E.g. Serious Foreign Body contamination, unacceptable levels of a food poisoning organism. In addition to a withdrawal, a recall requires displays boards in store and national press coverage.
Incident Management – Information to Have to Hand
On direct contact, inform the relevant ASDA personnel of the following details:
- Scale of the issue
- Site code
- Supplier Name, your name, address and telephone number
- Brief description of the problem
- Brand name of product involved
- Product description
- Pack size, flavour, type of packaging (i.e: single, multipack etc)
- Details of production code/Use By or Best Before Date on pack
- Location of affected stock
- Corrective action taken to date
Are any of the following people involved:
- Police / Environmental Health / Trading Standards
If you have the following numbers, please also quote these:
- Walmart Number
- Barcode
- Vendor Number
