Services we offer
Supplier Risk Qualification Audits
Supplier audits are used as risk qualification tools, not compliance exercises.
Purpose: To determine whether a supplier is capable of safely performing a defined scope of work and where risk must be controlled.
Typical Scope:
- Management system maturity
- Process capability and stability
- Traceability and documentation discipline
- Sub-tier control
- Special process governance
- Cultural and transparency risk
Deliverables:
- Risk-focused audit report
- Supplier risk classification
- Identified CTQ exposure
- Go / conditional / no-go recommendation
- Oversight and control recommendations
Audits are never delivered without a defined risk position.
Supplier Risk Assessments & Decision Support
Risk management is Sentinel’s core service.We translate audit results, technical requirements, and supplier realities into structured risk decisions. Includes:
- Supplier risk profiling
- CTQ identification and prioritization
- Oversight planning proportional to risk
- Escalation and decision logic
- Release criteria definition
- Ongoing risk reassessment
Our role is not to eliminate risk — it is to ensure risk is understood, controlled, and never discovered too late.
Certification Readiness & Gap Assessments
Sentinel provides independent certification readiness assessments, not consulting or implementation.
Purpose: To identify management system gaps and certification risk before formal audits.
Scope:
- Gap assessment against applicable standards
- Identification of high-risk clauses
- Process maturity evaluation
- Documentation and evidence readiness
- Management responsibility and governance review
Important Boundaries:
- Sentinel does not implement systems
- Sentinel does not write procedures
- Sentinel does not represent organizations to certification bodies
- Sentinel does not guarantee certification outcomes
Deliverables are objective gap and risk reports.
Quality Assurance & Verification Oversight (QAV / QAVMI)
When required, Sentinel designs and manages independent oversight programs to enforce CTQs during production.
Model:
- Oversight scope defined by risk, not habit
- Independent inspectors execute defined checks
- Sentinel retains decision authority
- Release based on evidence, not schedule pressure
Applications:
- First article and early production
- High-risk suppliers
- Tight tolerance or special processes
- Overseas manufacturing and sub-tiers
Sentinel controls decisions; execution is documented and auditable.
Release Authority & Shipment Control
Where engaged, Sentinel provides disciplined release authority to prevent unsafe product from progressing downstream. Includes:
- CTQ-based release criteria
- Objective evidence review
- Formal release or hold documentation
- Waiver and escalation governance
Release authority is exercised conservatively and independently.