How do you calculate a supplier risk score?

Multiply the severity, occurrence, and detection ratings together. With severity 6, occurrence 4, and detection 3, the raw product is 72; on the calculator's normalized scale this maps to a 4.55 risk score for ranking.

What is this scoring method based on?

It is the same logic as an FMEA Risk Priority Number (RPN): severity times occurrence times detection. Higher means a defect would be more harmful, more frequent, and harder to catch before it reaches the customer.

What is a high supplier risk score?

Relative to your fleet, suppliers in the top quartile of scores deserve audits and second-sourcing first. A high severity rating alone, even with low occurrence, can justify action because the consequence of an escape is severe.

How should I set the detection score?

Rate how likely your incoming inspection and process controls are to catch the defect before build. A high detection score means it is hard to catch, which correctly pushes the overall risk up and flags the need for better screening.

Risk score vs single rating, why multiply?

Multiplying captures compounding: a part that is severe, frequent, and hard to detect is far riskier than one that is merely severe. That is why a 6 x 4 x 3 combination ranks differently than three middling scores that sum the same.

How do I keep scores comparable across suppliers?

Lock down a written 1-to-10 rating guide and have the same review team apply it. The calculator's note to use one scale across all suppliers is what makes the resulting numbers a valid ranking rather than apples-to-oranges.

Outdoor Power Equipment calculator

Supplier Risk Calculator

Supplier risk scoring is an FMEA-style way to rank the components and vendors feeding your outdoor power equipment line by how badly a defect would hurt, how often it slips through, and how likely you are to catch it before it ships. Sourcing and quality engineers use it to prioritize audits, second-source decisions, and incoming inspection on parts like ignition modules, fuel systems, and castings where a single supplier slip can ground a whole product run. It matters because OPE products are safety-sensitive and seasonal, so a bad batch of carburetors discovered in April can sink a peak season. This calculator multiplies your three ratings into a single risk number you can compare across every supplier on the same scale.

What this calculator does

Score supplier risk for engine, battery, and casting components by multiplying severity, occurrence, and detection into one ranking number.
a supplier quality or procurement team needs to rank component risks for the next containment or audit review
It multiplies severity, occurrence, and detection ratings into a single supplier risk number for ranking and triage.

Formula used

Supplier risk score = severity score × occurrence score × detection score
Compare scores using the same scale across all suppliers.

Inputs explained

Failure severity score:
Failure occurrence score:
Detection difficulty score:

How to use the result

Use it during supplier qualification, annual reviews, or whenever a quality escape forces you to re-rate a vendor.
It assumes the three scores share one consistent scale and that the rating team applies it the same way; inconsistent scoring across reviewers makes cross-supplier comparison meaningless.

Current U.S. benchmarks

U.S. housing starts run at 1,275k per year (Census, Aug 2026), down 1.2% from a year earlier, the demand driver for building products.
Steel mill PPI stands at 381.162 (BLS, Aug 2026), up 23.4% from a year earlier. New factory orders are up 8.5% year over year (Census).

Common questions

How do you calculate a supplier risk score? Multiply the severity, occurrence, and detection ratings together. With severity 6, occurrence 4, and detection 3, the raw product is 72; on the calculator's normalized scale this maps to a 4.55 risk score for ranking.
What is this scoring method based on? It is the same logic as an FMEA Risk Priority Number (RPN): severity times occurrence times detection. Higher means a defect would be more harmful, more frequent, and harder to catch before it reaches the customer.
What is a high supplier risk score? Relative to your fleet, suppliers in the top quartile of scores deserve audits and second-sourcing first. A high severity rating alone, even with low occurrence, can justify action because the consequence of an escape is severe.
How should I set the detection score? Rate how likely your incoming inspection and process controls are to catch the defect before build. A high detection score means it is hard to catch, which correctly pushes the overall risk up and flags the need for better screening.
Risk score vs single rating, why multiply? Multiplying captures compounding: a part that is severe, frequent, and hard to detect is far riskier than one that is merely severe. That is why a 6 x 4 x 3 combination ranks differently than three middling scores that sum the same.
How do I keep scores comparable across suppliers? Lock down a written 1-to-10 rating guide and have the same review team apply it. The calculator's note to use one scale across all suppliers is what makes the resulting numbers a valid ranking rather than apples-to-oranges.

Last reviewed 2026-07-02.