Ship-to-stock programs for proven suppliers.
Ship-to-stock moves a proven supplier’s parts from the dock to stock without routine receiving inspection. We set the entry and exit criteria with Quality, move verification to the source, and keep inspection capacity for the parts and suppliers that need it.
- 40%less incoming inspection volume through ship-to-stock
- 200+active suppliers in an aerospace and defense base
- 2,500+SKUs managed for aerospace and defense programs
From our founder’s operating roles. Not client results.
Why ship-to-stock programs fail.
Quality teams are right to be cautious. A ship-to-stock program that is not written down fails in one of four ways.
Criteria by feel
Suppliers are added because a buyer trusts them, not because the record supports it, so Quality does not trust the program.
Supplier level, not part level
A supplier can be excellent on machined brackets and weak on welded assemblies. Status has to be granted by part number or part family.
No exit rule
Without a defined trigger, a supplier keeps status after a nonconformance, and one escape undoes the program.
Paperwork skipped
Certificates of conformance, material certifications, and special process certifications still need review, even when the parts skip inspection.
Ship-to-stock program criteria.
Rules written with Quality and Receiving, applied by part number, and recorded in your quality system.
- Eligibility
- Approved supplier with a clean delivery and quality record over a period agreed with Quality
- Scope
- Granted by part number or part family, not by supplier name alone
- Exclusions
- New parts, revised drawings, open first articles, and parts with customer-required inspection stay on full inspection
- Source verification
- Supplier inspection data, plus source inspection or process audits on a schedule
- Dock check
- Part number, revision, quantity, damage, and certification review at receiving
- Documents
- Certificate of conformance, material certifications, and Nadcap special process certifications where required
- Audit sample
- Periodic sample inspection of ship-to-stock receipts, at a rate set with Quality
- Exit triggers
- An escape, a nonconformance, or a delivery or quality score below threshold returns the part to full inspection
- Reinstatement
- A new clean record period and Quality sign-off
How it works.
Select
Rank candidate suppliers and parts from your supplier performance management data and receiving history.
You receive: Candidate list by supplier and part number
Define
Write entry, exit, and audit rules with Quality and Receiving, and update the receiving procedure.
You receive: Ship-to-stock procedure and criteria
Launch
Brief each supplier, confirm their inspection data and certifications, and flag approved parts in the ERP so Receiving routes them to stock.
You receive: Supplier agreements and ERP routing by part
Review
Inspect audit samples, track escapes, and review status with each supplier on a schedule.
You receive: Status review record
From operating experience.
- 40% less incoming inspection volume through a ship-to-stock program for top-performing suppliers.
- Compliance kept with AS9100, ISO 9001, Nadcap, and DCMA/DCAA requirements across FFP, IDIQ, CPFF, and OTA contract vehicles.
Our founder delivered these results while running supply chain organizations between 2017 and 2021. They are operator results, not client results. See all results
What you receive.
- Supplier and part eligibility criteria
- Ship-to-stock procedure written with Quality and Receiving
- Supplier participation agreement covering inspection data, certifications, and exit rules
- ERP and receiving routing by part number
- Audit sampling plan
- Status review log tied to supplier on-time delivery and quality results
Standards, contracts, and systems our founder has worked within
- AS9100
- ISO 9001
- Nadcap
- DCMA and DCAA
- First article test (FAT)
- Source inspection
- Shoptech E2
- Infor LN
Ship-to-stock questions.
Does ship-to-stock skip quality checks?
No. It moves checks to the supplier, to source verification, and to periodic audit samples, for suppliers and parts with a proven record. Receiving still checks part number, quantity, and paperwork.
Is ship-to-stock allowed under AS9100?
AS9100 requires you to verify purchased product, and that verification can take forms such as source inspection, review of supplier data, or audit. Ship-to-stock is one of those forms when it is defined in your quality system. Check your customer contracts first, since some require receiving inspection or government source inspection.
Which suppliers qualify for ship-to-stock?
Suppliers with a proven record on quality and delivery, for the specific parts where that record holds. We start from your scorecard and receiving history, and Quality signs off on each part.
What happens when a drawing changes?
The part comes off ship-to-stock. It returns to full inspection until a new first article passes on the new revision and a clean record builds again.
Can a supplier lose ship-to-stock status?
Yes. Status is reviewed on a schedule, and an escape or a score below threshold sends the part back to normal inspection until the record recovers.
How much inspection volume can ship-to-stock remove?
It depends on how much of your receiving volume comes from proven suppliers and stable parts. In our founder’s operating role, a ship-to-stock program for top-performing suppliers reduced incoming inspection volume 40%.
Start with a 30‑minute conversation.
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