How to Audit an Organic Pigment Supplier: 40 Questions to Ask Before You Switch

Quick answer. A pigment supplier audit has eight blocks: legal standing, quality system, batch-to-batch consistency, technical capability, compliance documentation, supply continuity, commercial terms, and complaint handling. Most buyers over-index on price and under-ask on blocks 3, 6 and 8 — which is exactly where a cheap supplier becomes an expensive one. Below is the question set we recommend, with the answers that should raise a green flag and the ones that should stop the audit.

Why this list exists

A pigment priced a little lower rarely stays a little cheaper. Shade drift on press, a reformulation, a rejected batch, a customer claim — the cost lands on your line, in your labour, and on your delivery date.

So the audit is not a formality. It is the cheapest test you will ever run on a supplier — ask these 40 questions before the first container, not after the first complaint.

Block 1 — Company and legal standing (5)

1. What is your full legal entity name, registration number and registered address?
2. Who manufactures the pigment — you, or a third party? If third party, can you name the plant?
3. Which countries did you ship to in the last 12 months, and can you provide two references from buyers in our region?
4. Are you a manufacturer or a trader? If both, which grades are yours?
5. Who is our single point of contact for technical issues, and what is their escalation path?

Block 2 — Quality system and incoming control (5)

6. Which quality standard are you certified to, and by which body (with certificate number and expiry)?
7. What do you test on incoming raw material, and what do you reject it for?
8. What in-process checks run during production, and at how many points?
9. Is every lot released with a Certificate of Analysis, or only on request?
10. Can we see a sample CoA for the exact grade we are qualifying, with the test methods named?

Block 3 — Batch-to-batch consistency (5)

11. What is your typical ΔE variation batch to batch, and against what standard?
12. Do you test tint strength on every lot, and what is the acceptance band?
13. Can you send CoA data for the last 5 production lots of this grade?
14. How do you handle a lot that fails your own release test — is it reworked, downgraded or scrapped?
15. If our incoming check disagrees with your CoA, what is the resolution process and timeline?

Block 4 — Technical capability (5)

16. Can you adjust particle size distribution for our dispersion system?
17. Do you offer surface treatment, and can you state what it is?
18. Can you select crystal form (for example α vs β phthalocyanine), or is the grade fixed?
19. What data do you hold on heat stability — temperature and residence time, or just a headline figure?
20. Will you run an application test in our resin system, or only in your standard let-down?

Block 5 — Compliance and documentation (5)

21. Can you provide a REACH compliance statement per grade, with the registration status?
22. Is a full SVHC statement available, and how often is it refreshed?
23. What food-contact documentation do you hold — FDA-related, EU 10/2011, AP(89)-1?
24. Can you provide heavy-metal and EN 71-3 statements for toy applications?
25. Who signs these documents, and do you accept liability for their accuracy?

Block 6 — Supply continuity (5)

26. What is your production capacity for this grade, and what share would our volume take?
27. Which raw material inputs are single-sourced, and what is your plan if one fails?
28. What is your notice period if you change raw material, process, or production site?
29. Do you carry buffer stock for this grade, and how many weeks does it cover?
30. Can you guarantee the same grade, from the same plant, for the life of our contract?

Block 7 — Commercial terms (5)

31. What is the MOQ per grade, and does it change for custom grades?
32. How long is your quoted price valid, and what are the stated triggers for revision?
33. What are the payment terms, and which Incoterm does the quote use?
34. What happens to open orders if raw material prices move sharply?
35. Is pricing tied to a published index, or is it at your discretion?

Block 8 — Logistics, packaging and complaints (5)

36. What is the standard packaging, and can you ship in our preferred bag size?
37. What is your dispatch time for stock versus custom grades?
38. How are containers loaded and documented, and who bears damage risk in transit?
39. If a batch is out of specification on arrival, what is your replacement or credit process?
40. What is your record of claims in the last 24 months, and how did you resolve them?

Green flags and red flags

Download the printable version: Organic Pigment Supplier Audit Checklist — 40 Questions (PDF)

How to run it in practice: send the 40 questions as a written list before the audit call. What matters is not how fast the answers come back, but whether they come back specific — with numbers, documents and written processes. The vague ones are what your line will pay for later. Then repeat the same list with your second source — the comparison is the real output of the audit.

FAQ

Q1. How do I qualify a new pigment supplier?
Start with a written question set covering quality system, batch consistency, documentation, supply continuity and complaint handling, then ask for CoA data from the last five production lots and a sample of the exact grade. Test the sample in your own resin system before committing to a production quantity.

Q2. What is the most important thing to check when adding a second source?
Batch-to-batch consistency and notice periods for raw material or process changes. A second source that matches on the TDS but drifts in production costs more than the primary one you were trying to de-risk.

Q3. What documents should a pigment supplier provide before shipment?
A grade-level TDS, an SDS, and a batch CoA as standard; REACH and SVHC statements per grade; and food-contact or toy-safety documentation where the end use requires it.

Q4. What should I look for in a Certificate of Analysis?
That it is lot-specific, that the test methods are named, and that the results sit inside the specification band you were quoted — not just that a CoA exists.

Q5. What is a reasonable MOQ for a trial order of an organic pigment?
A trial order can start at one bag per grade, and custom grades typically start at 500 KG per grade. Any supplier quoting a full production run before you have tested the grade in your own system is asking you to carry their risk.

Related reading on honorpigment.com: Knowledge centre · Quality control · Organic pigments · Contact our technical team