Table of Contents
A supplier can be approved to sell components while the part it offers remains unapproved for a particular board. The reverse is also possible: engineering may have qualified a manufacturer’s device, but the offered source has not passed the purchasing requirements.
An approved manufacturer list, or AML, and an approved vendor list, or AVL, should preserve those separate decisions. Organizations use the acronyms differently, so the first control is a shared definition. For this guide, AML means approved manufacturer part choices; AVL means approved commercial suppliers and their permitted scope.
What is the difference between an AML and an AVL?
The AML identifies which manufacturer ordering codes may implement a controlled BOM item. The AVL identifies which suppliers may provide material under defined purchasing conditions. Part approval answers a technical and program question; supplier approval answers a sourcing and quality-system question.
Altium’s supply-chain documentation illustrates the distinction by mapping a design component to manufacturer part choices, then associating those parts with supplier offers. That structure is useful even when the organization manages its records in a different system.
An internal part number can map to several approved manufacturer codes, and each code can have several approved sources. Do not flatten that relationship into one cell containing a manufacturer name and a distributor name.
Which combinations can be released for purchase?
Release a combination only when both the exact part and its offered source satisfy the applicable approval scope. A missing approval should enter a controlled review or exception process rather than disappear inside a price comparison.
| Manufacturer part status | Supplier status | Purchasing action |
|---|---|---|
| Approved for this use | Approved for this source scope | Confirm current conditions and release |
| Approved for this use | Not approved | Complete source review or a bounded exception |
| Not approved for this use | Approved | Obtain part qualification before substitution |
| Not approved | Not approved | Resolve both decisions; do not treat one as a substitute |
“Approved” should include the relevant revision, program and restrictions. A supplier approved for prototype quantities may not be approved for a regulated production program. A component accepted for a room-temperature fixture may not be qualified for an outdoor controller.
The matrix also helps buyers reject a common shortcut: a trusted supplier’s recommendation is useful input, but it is not the buyer’s technical approval.
How should approval records handle suffixes and restrictions?
Store the complete ordering code and the conditions under which it was approved. Keep temperature grade, package, termination, packing and qualification distinctions wherever they affect the purchased item or its use.
A practical AML record contains the internal part number, approved manufacturer code, board or assembly revision, qualification evidence, restrictions, effective date and change reference. The corresponding supplier record contains the legal selling entity, permitted source category, quality requirements, approved locations where relevant, and review status.
Use a separate deviation field for a one-time exception. For example, a limited quantity from an alternate source may be accepted for an engineering build without adding that source to the production AVL indefinitely. Record the quantity, purpose and expiry of the exception.
The supplier qualification process creates evidence for source approval. The AML/AVL relationship controls how that evidence is applied to an actual BOM and order.
Keep three identities visible during quoting
Each quotation should retain the internal item, manufacturer ordering code and supplier’s commercial SKU. These may all differ.
Suppose internal item P-1042 permits manufacturer codes A and B. A supplier quotes its own SKU S-778 against code A, while another quotes a shortened family name. The first mapping can be checked; the second still needs clarification. A low price against an ambiguous family description should not become an approved mapping by being copied into the ERP.
Packing can create another distinction. If cut tape and a factory reel have different supplier SKUs but the same device code, retain both device identity and delivered format. That lets receiving verify the material without confusing packaging options with a technical alternate.
Who should control changes after the first approval?
Assign ownership for technical part approval, source approval and purchasing execution, then join them through a change record. The important control is that one function cannot silently overwrite the others’ decision.
A change should state what becomes valid, when it becomes valid and what happens to existing material. Review open orders, inventory and work in process against those instructions. Keep superseded mappings available for traceability while preventing their accidental reuse.
A maintained approval graph gives procurement room to compare real options. It also makes a shortage response faster because the team can see whether the missing step is technical qualification, supplier review or simply confirmation of the offered ordering code.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Does an AVL entry prove manufacturer authorization?
No. Internal supplier approval and manufacturer authorization are different facts. Record authorization separately when it is required, with a source and a scope that can be verified.
Can an approved alternate be used on every product?
Only if its approval scope permits that use. An alternate may be qualified for one board revision, temperature range or customer program and remain unapproved elsewhere.
What happens to an open purchase order after an AML change?
Review the order against the change's effective date and disposition instructions. The change record should state how already ordered, received and work-in-process material will be handled.
