Which of the following is a step in vendor qualification and development?

• A. Assess past performance
• B. Develop marketing plans
• C. Increase production capacity
• D. Enter into exclusive distribution agreements

Answer: (A)

Evaluating a supplier’s track record is essential to determine whether they can consistently meet quality and delivery expectations. Reviewing past performance provides concrete evidence of reliability—how well they deliver quality, stay within specifications, meet timelines, and respond to issues. This information helps assess risk and decide if the supplier should be qualified and onboarded. Other options touch on activities outside the qualification step: marketing plans focus on selling products, not evaluating vendors; increasing production capacity concerns future scalability rather than the qualification process itself; exclusive distribution agreements are contractual decisions made after qualification, tied to business strategy rather than assessing the supplier’s performance.