Walmart SQEP Checklist – The Complete Supplier Quality Program Guide

Begin with a concrete action: map Walmart’s SQEP requirements to your SOPs and complete the first gap analysis by the deadline date, then publish a full corrective action plan within 30 days. Assign a primary owner and set clear milestones tied to measurable results, so accountability is built into day-to-day operations.

Create linking between supplier quality data, procurement records, and transit schedules. A single view lets you spot root causes early, link shipments to QC results, and reduce rework when equipment matters.

encourages a margins-focused mindset: standardize defect reporting, track returns, and quantify amounts of nonconformances that came from root causes to protect margins and identify opportunities for improvement. Avoid unstable supplier ties by diversifying sources and setting performance thresholds.

Monitor trends in defect types, and track transit times and date of last audit to demonstrate progress. Collect million-level spend data and correlate with supplier corrective actions to reduce risk.

Review Walmart SQEP baseline and look at practices used by amazon to cross-check gaps. Translate insights into concrete items the supplier can implement next quarter, making it easier to manage difficult compliance steps.

First steps for your team: define a primary owner, publish a simple, linked checklist, and maintain a full record of actions. Schedule monthly reviews to maintain momentum and ensure readiness for Walmart audits.

Audit Information

Verify asns against the PO line items at receipt and attach the verification to the shipment record; this ensures the same data travels from receiving to Walmart SQEP and provides a traceable audit trail.

In the audit package, include photos of labels, printouts from apps, and digital records; ensure labels are GS1-compliant, legible, and protected from tampering.

Track cross-docking events and verify that asns match carrier manifests, quantities, and lot numbers; flag any improper packaging or receiving deviations for immediate CAPA.

Audit purchasing patterns to identify down inventory or overages; perform root-cause analysis on exceptions. This program requires immediate CAPA on any abnormal purchase patterns.

Globally, ensure coverage across distributors, amazon, kmart, and other partners; standardize data feeds to Walmart SQEP, and verify packaging and labeling compliance across all regions.

Provide print-ready reports and dashboards; require suppliers to upload data from apps, including asns status, packaging details, and carton labels; maintain a protected archive with date stamps and auditable access.

Prepare Pre-Audit Documentation: Quality Manuals, Process Flows, and Certifications

Assemble a complete pre-audit packet immediately: quality manuals, process flows, and certifications, plus recent internal audit findings and corrective actions. Include documentation for recent shipments to demonstrate traceability and responsiveness to buyers and customers. Use a clear, scalable file structure with versioned PDFs and walkthroughs so reviewers can move through them quickly without searching. Add a cover letter that aligns with Walmart SQEP expectations and reflects strategic quality controls.

Quality manuals define scope, responsibilities, controls, and measurement methods; process flows map end-to-end steps from inbound materials to outbound shipments, highlighting separation of duties and critical control points. Add predictive indicators–cycle times, defect rates, containment times–across various periods to forecast risk. Link each control to a barcode or digital token to support digitization; ensure the control itself remains traceable as it moves across teams or onto new owners. Position the documentation for easy follow by buyers and read by customers, and optimize the reviewer path. Minimize moving time between steps to keep reviewers efficient.

Certifications must be current and cover the relevant product categories, quality systems, and supplier qualifications. Attach certificates with readable dates, scope, issuing bodies, and surveillance history. Keep evidence sized for quick scanning; position equivalents for easy cross-reference; provide an offline copy for quick access when digitization faces gaps. Use barcodes to attach each certificate to its corresponding record and ensure a concise digital workflow readers can follow from the quality manual through process logs to supplier audits; dont rely on guesswork; if isnt aligned with a standard, lack of data slows reviews and may hinder shipments. If you operate greenhouse facilities or controlled environments, include facility-specific compliance docs to avoid mismatches. Prepare concise narratives and direct cross-references so reviewers can read quickly, address potential questions, and decide best next steps, accelerating moving conversations with buyers onto a signed agreement.

Define Audit Scope: Product Categories, Regions, and Factory Lines

Define a precise scope: map product categories to regions and factory lines, and lock this scope before audits started.

Implementing this scope begins by sizing product families into sized groups: smartphone devices & accessories, consumer electronics, apparel, home goods, and packaged goods. For each category, assign high-level risk criteria such as demand volatility (unstable), warehousing throughput, and replenished stock cycles. Use statements from suppliers to validate responsibilities and to enhance transparency across the chain, with good practice indicators to guide evaluation.

Regions must be defined with an active footprint: APAC, Americas, and EMEA. Link each region to the factory lines that serve it, and identify neighborhood suppliers near major hubs to reduce transit risk. This alignment makes making audit allocation much clearer and allows sorting by risk so teams can focus on high-impact areas.

Factory lines must be delineated by function: final assembly, sub-assembly, component fabrication, testing, and packing. Ensure lines started and remain active; capture line capacity, process stability, and labor practices. Linking lines to product categories clarifies audit focus and supports optimized planning and resource use. This structure enables optimized sampling and helps you optimize travel routes.

Adopt predictive risk scoring to schedule audits; maintain clear statements on scope decisions; use click-ready checklists to capture evidence. Making the plan actionable requires collecting concrete data and keeping replenished stock and warehousing data synchronized with supplier portals. Examples from the field help refine the framework and enhance transparency. This plan takes a pragmatic approach to verify results.

Schedule and Access: Arranging On-Site vs Remote Audits

Recommendation: Prefer on-site audits for facilities with complex storage, high-risk products, or sensitive handling of food, and reserve remote audits when the complete documentation is in place and practices are consistently followed. dont rely on memory; documented evidence clearly demonstrates what the facility meets and helps fulfill the requirements to complete the audit trail.

On-site audits deliver direct verification of storage, labeling, and handling. Plan for 2-3 days on site; travel to the facility adds 0.5-1 day; expect to review storage height, pallet stacking, and vehicle flow at docks. During the visit, verify that stock is stored properly, that labels and tags match the purchase orders, and that those handling products know the date when items were received. If issues are found, immediate feedback helps reduce out-of-stocks and drives improvement in SOPs and training, which supports a faster path to compliant results.

Remote audits: best used when documented controls are stable. Evidence is submitted beforehand via a secure portal or shared drive; expect 0.5-1 day to review documents plus 1-2 hours for a live session. Require photos and video that show storage conditions, temperature logs, labeling schemes, and proof of social compliance where applicable. Tools such as video, photos, and screen shares enable you to verify requirements without travel, enabling faster start and reduced dollars spent on travel. For those suppliers with limited bandwidth, you can drive the evidence to a secure storage area and tag items for easy retrieval.

Access and scheduling process: 1) determine risk tier and scope; 2) align checklist and evidence with the Walmart SQEP criteria; 3) set a realistic window for access, site entry, and data sharing; 4) finalize post-audit actions and improvement plan. Use a centralized calendar; enable buyers to track status; keep storage and transfer of data secure. Consider the market timing so you avoid delays that would impact purchase decisions and out-of-stocks. The goal is to meet the date commitments and keep the audit process fast and manageable.

Evidence Requirements: Records to Present During the Audit

Prepare a complete, date-stamped records packet organized by category two weeks before the audit to ensure fast access and minimize questions.

Create a separate folder for each area: quality, packaging, labeling, advertising, inventoryoraz transit. Each folder should begin with a one-page index that lists the documents, the date of capture, and the responsible role of the person who maintained it.

Include QC logs, calibration data, nonconformance records, and CAPA actions, with entries showing precyzja measurement methods, instrument IDs, and the date of each test. Ensure the spent time and costs are tracked for corrective actions.

For packaging, attach the packaging specs, any perforations documentation, and inventory-ready counts by quantity oraz down to the pallet level. Include the trays configuration and floor plan where visible.

Provide inventory records with a clear date stamp, showing current stock, quantity on hand, and reconciliation with shipping docs. Note any stock that is still in transit or held in reserve and the other locations where it resides.

Supply chain documentation includes advertising approvals, packaging artwork, and any sustainable messaging claimed on the product. Verify that statements align with actual product attributes to avoid mismatches and protect satisfaction with customers.

Record transit data: carrier agreements, bills of lading, transit events, with precise timestamps, and the date of each movement. This record set can become the single source of truth across facilities. Include quantity transferred and any exceptions.

Show role and accountability: list the personnel who prepared each document, the themselves responsible for updates, and the training completed. Include the project owners and the cadence for reviews.

Present performance metrics and customer satisfaction signals, with evidence of actions taken and funds spent. Include any corrective actions tied to suppliers, and the impact on quality and delivery times.

Cross-check data across worlds of systems and supplier records to prevent contradictions. Maintain a separate chain of custody for each document to help the auditor quickly verify accuracy and keep data precise oraz very reliable.

Adopt an ongoing practice embracing continual documentation, focusing on the project outcomes and the mere right evidence that demonstrates compliance. This approach supports sustainable improvements and fosters auditor satisfaction beyond the current review.

Non-Conformities and Corrective Action Timeline: Turnaround Expectations

Begin containment within 2 business days of identification. Isolate the affected lots, pause shipments from the implicated fleet, and quarantine non-conforming packaging to prevent recirculation. Use a concise containment report to minimize cost and protect margins while preserving trust with retailers like Walmart and those customers who rely on reliable replenishment.

Set a clear target to complete root-cause analysis within 10 business days and document the plan for corrective actions. Track daily status updates with a shared, simple dashboard to support compliance, visibility, and timely decisions. An example of a fast path is starting with a 5-Why or fishbone session led by the quality lead and including cross-functional collaboration from procurement, packaging, and logistics.

1. Containment and initial actions

   Containment begins within 2 business days by isolating affected units, halting shipments of the specific lot, and marking trailers and pallets containing the non-conformity. Capture sample data, verify packaging specs, and re-route clean inventory. Document evidence (receipts, QA notes, photos) to support the later root-cause review. This step protects compliance and reduces the risk of repeated issues in the next outbound cycle.

2. Root-cause analysis and evidence gathering

   Conduct a focused analysis using the collected data: process drift, packaging defect, labeling mismatch, or supplier process gaps. Assign a single owner, set a due date within 10 days, and use objective measures (QA test results, inspection pass rates, and inbound audit findings). If the root cause is unstable or intermittently observed, escalate to design or process owners for a rapid verification loop.

3. Corrective action plan (CAPA) development and approval

   Draft a CAPA with concrete actions, owners, and due dates. Include controls to prevent recurrence, updated packaging or labeling specs, and changes to receiving checks. Require sign-off from the supplier quality team and documented alignment with compliance requirements. Include cost estimates and anticipated impact on margins, so leadership can approve quickly.

4. Action implementation and change control

   Implement the CAPA in a controlled manner: update SOPs, revise packaging guidelines, and modify packing lines or labeling workflows. Notify the fleet operations and packaging teams, and provide brief training where needed. If replenished stock is involved, verify that new batches meet specs before reintroduction, and send a restart notice to the distribution network.

5. Verification, validation, and effectiveness review

   Verify impact with defined metrics: defect rate, containment duration, and failed lots per week. Target validation within 15–30 days after implementation, with data showing a sustained drop in non-conformities. Track whether the corrective actions eliminated the root cause; if not, re-open the CAPA with revised actions.

6. Closeout, documentation, and ongoing monitoring

   Close the CAPA only after two consecutive review cycles show stable performance. Archive the formal record, share outcomes with Walmart SQEP stakeholders, and implement ongoing checks on packaging, labeling, and inbound quality. Maintain a routine review cadence to catch early signals from the packaging line, trailers, or inbound freight, keeping the process simple and repeatable for future incidents.

Key indicators to track include containment time, root-cause time, CAPA duration, and verification pass rate. Regular collaboration with suppliers and logistics partners keeps those timelines realistic and helps prevent repeated failures that erode trust, squeeze margins, or trigger unnecessary spend on air or expedited shipping. Use a clear, frequent cadence for status updates and ensure all actions are traceable to the complete corrective plan. This approach aligns with best practices and helps ensure consistent, measurable improvements across the packaging, fleet, and distribution network.

Audit Report and Continuous Monitoring: Tracking Findings Post-Audit

Publish a findings report within five business days that lists each nonconformity, its potential impact on supply operations, and a remediation owner. Since the program began, attach the verification data and a road map showing milestones, owners, and due dates. Align this with purchase and environmental controls and assign walton’s compliance liaison alongside the supplier.

Set up continuous monitoring with a dashboard that flags high-priority findings weekly. Use just-in-time alerts when status changes, and verify corrective actions with independent verification steps. Schedule frequent status updates to maintain momentum and prevent recurrence. Theyre designed to trigger rapid follow-up.

Create phase owners: purchase, supply, labor, environment, and logistics. Link each finding to a specific phase, measure time-to-close, and track recurrence. Use a shared log that records root cause, corrective action, responsible party, and verification results. This drives improvement across retailers and suppliers and supports full transparency to walton and advertising teams. This creates strategic alignment with retailers and suppliers.

Establish cadence for verification and escalation: monthly trend reviews, quarterly performance discussions with top-tier suppliers, and an immediate escalation if a finding breaches thresholds. If another issue surfaces, repeat the cycle. Keep a central data feed with supply, operations, labor, and environment metrics; compare current results above the baseline to identify patterns and potential risk, enabling proactive prevention.

Maintain a single source of truth for findings, actions, and verification results. Tie evidence to purchase orders and supplier contracts. Keep evidence organized by phase and environment, so audits and future reviews start from a solid base. Align budget and advertising plans with the road to ongoing supplier quality improvement, and watch labor, environmental, and safety indicators for signs of risk.