A supplier scorecard template is a spreadsheet for grading suppliers against weighted KPIs such as delivery, quality, cost and service. Each metric is scored 1-5, weighted, and added up into one grade you review with the supplier every month or quarter.
A supplier scorecard, often called a vendor scorecard, turns a supplier's track record into numbers both sides can agree on. It lists five to ten KPIs, gives each a weight so the weights add up to 100%, and rates real performance on a 1-5 scale.
Procurement and category managers use it to decide which suppliers to keep, grow or put on an improvement plan. A procurement scorecard template like this one also gives you facts for renewal and price talks, instead of impressions from whoever shouted loudest last month.
Critical suppliers are usually scored monthly and the rest quarterly. Built as a vendor scorecard Excel file, it needs no extra software, and the supplier sees exactly how the grade was worked out.
On-time delivery, order accuracy and lead time. Usually the heaviest weight, because late or wrong orders stop your own work.
Defect rate, returns and compliance with your specs, certificates and paperwork.
Price competitiveness, invoice accuracy and total cost of ownership, not just the unit price.
How fast the supplier answers, how well they fix problems and how flexible they are on changes.
Five to ten KPIs, weights totalling 100%, a 1-5 score per KPI, and score times weight for the final grade.
Monthly or quarterly reviews with the supplier, so the scorecard leads to action rather than a filed report.
Ready to use in Excel and Google Sheets. Fill it in, save it, reuse it.
Pick five to ten measures across delivery, quality, cost and service. Only pick ones you can measure from your own records.
Split 100% across the KPIs by what matters most for this category. Share the weights with the supplier up front.
Pull order, receiving, returns and invoice data for the period. Ask the team for service ratings on the same day each month.
Convert each result to a 1-5 score using fixed thresholds, then multiply by the weight and add up.
Walk the supplier through the grade, agree actions for any KPI under 3 and set next period's targets.
Start with four rows: On-time delivery, Defect rate, Price, Responsiveness, weighted 35/30/20/15, each scored 1-5. Add more KPIs once the data is reliable.
This example scores three suppliers for the third quarter. Delivery carries 35%, quality 30%, cost 20% and service 15%, which sits inside the common ranges for each category. Each cell shows the raw score with the weighted score in brackets.
| KPI | Category | Weight % | Acme Office Supply | Northwind Logistics | Kestrel Components |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| On-time delivery | Delivery | 20 | 4 (0.80) | 5 (1.00) | 3 (0.60) |
| Order accuracy | Delivery | 10 | 5 (0.50) | 4 (0.40) | 3 (0.30) |
| Lead time | Delivery | 5 | 3 (0.15) | 4 (0.20) | 2 (0.10) |
| Defect rate | Quality | 20 | 4 (0.80) | 5 (1.00) | 2 (0.40) |
| Compliance and documents | Quality | 10 | 5 (0.50) | 4 (0.40) | 3 (0.30) |
| Price competitiveness | Cost | 10 | 3 (0.30) | 2 (0.20) | 5 (0.50) |
| Invoice accuracy | Cost | 10 | 4 (0.40) | 5 (0.50) | 3 (0.30) |
| Responsiveness | Service | 10 | 4 (0.40) | 3 (0.30) | 3 (0.30) |
| Problem resolution | Service | 5 | 3 (0.15) | 4 (0.20) | 2 (0.10) |
| Weighted total (out of 5) | 100 | 4.00 | 4.20 | 2.90 |
Illustrative scores for fictional suppliers. Weighted score = score x weight / 100. Kestrel is cheapest but falls below 3.0, so it goes on an improvement plan.
Works in Excel and Google Sheets. One supplier per tab, KPIs in rows 2-10, totals in row 12.
| Col | Header | Entry or formula | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | KPI | Text | The measure, e.g. On-time delivery |
| B | Category | Drop-down: Delivery, Quality, Cost, Service | Lets you subtotal by category |
| C | Weight % | Number, e.g. 20 | Share of the total grade |
| D | Target | Number, e.g. 0.95 | What good looks like for this KPI |
| E | Actual | Number | This period's result, from the KPI data tab |
| F | Score (1-5) | =IF(E2>=D2, | Converts the result to a score for higher-is-better KPIs |
| G | Weighted | =F2*C2/100 | Score times weight |
| C12 | Weight check | =IF(SUM(C2:C10)=100, | Stops a broken scorecard going out |
| G12 | Weighted total | =SUMPRODUCT(C2:C10, | Final grade out of 5 |
| H12 | Grade % | =G12/5 | The same grade as a percentage |
| I12 | Rating | =IF(G12>=4, | Band used in the review |
The KPI data tab holds the raw records: purchase orders, goods received, returns and invoices. Formulas work out each supplier's result, and a threshold table converts it to a score. Suppliers accept a low grade far more readily when they can see the maths.
| KPI | How to measure | Score 5 | Score 3 | Score 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| On-time delivery | Orders received by the promised date ÷ all orders | 98% or more | 90-94% | Under 85% |
| Order accuracy | Orders with the right items and quantities ÷ all orders | 99% or more | 95-97% | Under 92% |
| Defect rate | Units rejected ÷ units received | 0.5% or less | 1-2% | Over 3% |
| Invoice accuracy | Invoices matching the PO first time ÷ all invoices | 98% or more | 92-95% | Under 88% |
| Responsiveness | Median hours to a first useful reply | 4 hours or less | 1 working day | Over 3 days |
Illustrative thresholds. Set your own per category and keep them fixed for the year.
These read an Orders tab with supplier in column D, status in column F, units in G and rejected units in H.
| KPI | Formula |
|---|---|
| On-time delivery % | =COUNTIFS(Orders!D:D, |
| Defect rate % | =SUMIF(Orders!D:D, |
| Score, higher is better | =IF(E2>=0.98, |
| Score, lower is better | =IF(E5<=0.005, |
| Category subtotal | =SUMPRODUCT((B2:B10='Delivery')*C2:C10*F2:F10)/100 |
Use this tab when onboarding a new supplier or at an annual check of an existing one. It asks what the supplier can prove today: certificates, capacity, finances and references. Read more on supplier evaluation methods.
| Criterion | What to check | Evidence to request | Weight % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality | Quality system, defect history, certifications | Certificates, quality manual, sample inspection | 25 |
| Cost | Price level, payment terms, cost transparency | Price breakdown, rate card, terms | 20 |
| Delivery | Capacity, lead times, backup sites | Capacity plan, lead-time history | 25 |
| Service | Account management, escalation path | Named contacts, escalation matrix | 10 |
| Risk and stability | Financial health, security, insurance | Accounts, insurance certificates, security questionnaire | 20 |
| Total | 100 |
Illustrative weights. Raise risk for single-source or data-handling suppliers.
Selection weights differ from performance weights because there is no track record yet. Price and capability carry more weight, and references stand in for delivery history. Here three packaging suppliers bid for a two-year contract.
| Criterion | Weight % | Harbour Packaging | Lumen Supply | Cedar Components |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price and total cost | 30 | 4 (1.20) | 5 (1.50) | 3 (0.90) |
| Capability and fit | 25 | 4 (1.00) | 3 (0.75) | 5 (1.25) |
| References | 15 | 3 (0.45) | 4 (0.60) | 4 (0.60) |
| Delivery capacity | 15 | 4 (0.60) | 3 (0.45) | 4 (0.60) |
| Risk and stability | 15 | 5 (0.75) | 3 (0.45) | 4 (0.60) |
| Weighted total (out of 5) | 100 | 4.00 | 3.75 | 3.95 |
Illustrative scores for fictional suppliers. Harbour leads Cedar by 0.05, too close to call on scores alone.
Send the scorecard to the supplier two days before the meeting so nobody is surprised. Spend most of the time on KPIs scoring under 3. For the wider approach, see this guide to supplier performance management.
This period's grade, rating band and score per KPI.
The last three periods side by side, so one bad month isn't over-read.
Each KPI under 3, with the supplier's explanation and your evidence.
What will change, who owns it and by when.
Any change to targets or weights, agreed in the room.
Both sides confirm the actions in writing within two working days.
| Issue | Action | Owner | Due | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defect rate 2.4% (score 2) | Add final inspection on line 3 | Kestrel quality lead | 31 Oct | In progress |
| Lead time slipping to 15 days | Hold two weeks of safety stock | Kestrel planning | 15 Nov | In progress |
| Late replies to tickets | Named account manager, 1-day reply | Kestrel sales | 10 Oct | Done |
Illustrative corrective action log for Kestrel Components after a 2.90 grade.
Scores matter most at renewal. Spendflo tracks contracts, renewals and supplier risk together.
See how it worksBeats the target every time this period, with no issues raised.
Meets the target, with only minor slips that were fixed quickly.
Mostly meets the target, but needs watching next period.
Misses the target often enough to affect your team's work.
Misses the target badly or repeatedly. Escalate straight away.
| Weighted total | Rating | Review cadence | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0 to 5.0 | Preferred | Quarterly | First call for new work, longer contract terms |
| 3.0 to 3.9 | Acceptable | Quarterly, monthly if falling | Agree one or two improvement targets |
| Below 3.0 | Improvement plan | Monthly | Corrective action plan, with a date to re-score or exit |
Illustrative bands. Adjust the cut-offs to your own risk appetite.
Fewer misses problems, and more makes every KPI too light to matter.
Send the KPIs, weights and thresholds to the supplier before the first period starts.
Pull delivery, receiving and invoice data rather than relying on memory.
A logistics supplier needs more weight on delivery than a software reseller.
Tie preferred status, new work and renewals to the rating band.
The cheapest supplier often costs more once defects and late orders are counted.
It looks like you moved the goalposts, and suppliers will dispute the grade.
A scorecard nobody discusses with the supplier changes nothing.
Define what a 3 means for responsiveness, or scores just reflect mood.
Start with the ten suppliers that carry the most spend or the most risk.
Choose five to ten KPIs with the budget owners and split 100% across them.
Run the formulas on last quarter's orders and invoices to test the thresholds.
Put monthly or quarterly reviews in the calendar and send each supplier its first scorecard.
Kestrel scored 5 on price but 2 on defect rate (2.4% of units rejected) and lead time. Weighted, that gave 2.90, below the 3.0 line. The buyer agreed three actions with a 31 October deadline and a re-score in January. Figures are illustrative.
Every part on this page, in Excel and Google Sheets, with the examples filled in.
Delivery and quality carry 65-70% between them. Track defect rate in parts per million if volumes are high.
Swap order accuracy for SLA attainment and first-time fix rate. Service and responsiveness can rise to 25%.
Score uptime, support response, adoption and renewal pricing. Larger teams run this as their vendor management vendor scorecard template, one tab per vendor. See the vendor scorecard guide.
Best for the full workbook and formulas.
Best when several people score.
One tab to send to a supplier.
$3.7B in software spend processed through Spendflo, at 30% average savings.
See your savingsA good supplier scorecard shows who performs, proves it with data and drives a clear next step for every supplier. When the grades start shaping renewals and new work, suppliers start managing to them.
Quick answers to what people ask most about the supplier scorecard template.
Pick five to ten KPIs across delivery, quality, cost and service, weight them to total 100%, then score each 1-5 and add up score times weight. Review the result with the supplier monthly or quarterly. You can download the template on this page with the formulas already built.
It is a weighted report card that grades a supplier's performance on agreed KPIs over a set period. Both sides use it to spot problems and agree improvements. Download the free template to see a filled example for three suppliers.
List KPIs in rows with a weight column, add a 1-5 score column, and use =SUMPRODUCT(weights,scores)/100 for the total. Add an IF formula to turn the total into a rating band. Or download the Excel template from this page and skip the setup.
Quality, cost, delivery, service and risk, including financial stability. Weight them to fit the category, with risk higher for single-source or data-handling suppliers. The download includes an evaluation scorecard with all five.
Right here: the download includes a performance scorecard, KPI formulas, an evaluation tab, a selection scorecard and a review agenda. It works in Excel and Google Sheets with no add-ins.
Vendor management
Purchase orders
Contracts
Sourcing and RFx
Budgets and business cases
Procurement
Accounts payable
Purchasing
Software buying
Supply chain
Spendflo brings supplier onboarding, risk checks, contracts and renewals into one place, so the scorecard has somewhere to go.
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