Certificate requests get messy when they live in personal inboxes. One buyer asks for a document, another follows up, and quality receives a file with no clear link to the shipment. A shared tracker can keep the chase orderly without shifting quality decisions to administrative staff.
Open one record per request
Record the vendor, item, lot or batch reference, purchase order, request date, due date, requester, and approved contact channel. Use a status that describes the work: not requested, sent, vendor replied, document received, or escalated.
Attach or link the original request. This matters when a vendor replies with a certificate for a different lot or sends a revised file later.
Follow a fixed cadence
Set follow-up intervals with procurement and quality. Templates should name the exact document and reference rather than asking for "the paperwork." When a vendor replies, save the message with the file and record the received time.
Administrative staff can check whether the file opens and whether the stated lot matches the request. They should not decide that test results, signatures, specifications, or methods are acceptable. Route those questions to the quality owner.
Preserve the decision trail
Close the request only when the designated owner records the document disposition or confirms that no document is required. If a replacement certificate arrives, retain the earlier version according to document-control policy and link the revision.
Weekly reporting should focus on overdue requests, mismatched references, and repeat vendor delays. A large total request count alone says little about risk.
The tracker is not a supplier qualification system and does not release material for use. Procurement and quality leaders should approve its fields, retention rules, and escalation thresholds.
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