Supplier Data Agent

Overview

Contacts suppliers to collect compliance, emissions, and commercial data across recurring collection cycles. Validates responses, chases non-responders, and updates internal systems including the ERP and regulatory tracking tools when data arrives or drifts out of date.

KPI it moves

• Doesn't move a top KPI — but keeps supplier records current for compliance, audits, and reporting.

What it does

• Contacts suppliers to request structured data

  Sends templated email requests to suppliers for conflict minerals surveys (CMRT), component compliance data, and emissions factors, then tracks response status and sends follow-up requests to non-responders.

• Validates incoming supplier responses

  Checks responses against format, unit, and completeness rules; records that pass are loaded into the target system (compliance tracker, emissions platform, or ERP), while records that fail or fall outside expected thresholds are held for human review.

• Flags smelters and stale emissions data

  Compares loaded CMRT smelter data against the RMI conformant list and identifies suppliers whose emissions data has not been refreshed within the past 12 months.

• Reconciles ERP prices and lead times against contracts

  Reads current item prices, lead times, and partner records from the ERP, compares them against the latest contract terms and supplier price lists from the contract repository and shared drives, and writes corrections back where values have drifted.

• Contacts suppliers to resolve missing or ambiguous terms

  Where no current price list exists or contract terms are unclear, reaches out directly to the supplier contact to confirm the correct figures before updating the ERP.

How it works

1. Trigger 1

   Scheduled data collection cycle opens

   A calendar-driven or manually initiated collection run starts for one or more data types: annual conflict minerals surveys, periodic emissions factor requests, component compliance attestations, or ERP price and lead time reconciliation.

2. Trigger 2

   Supplier certificate enters expiry alert window

   An expiry date on a tracked supplier insurance certificate, quality certification, or product certification crosses the 60-day threshold in the compliance tracking system.

3. Step 1

   Identifies in-scope suppliers and dispatches structured data requests

   For each active collection type, determines which suppliers are in scope based on commodity codes, component assignments, or regulatory applicability. Sends the relevant template to the named supplier contact via the email platform: the CMRT form for conflict minerals, an emissions data template specifying required units and format, or a compliance questionnaire for component-level attestations. For certificate renewals, sends reminder emails at 60, 30, and 14 days before the expiry date. Logs dispatch status and expected response date per supplier in the tracking system.

4. Step 2

   Chases non-responders and validates incoming supplier responses

   Monitors open request status and sends follow-up emails to non-responders at defined intervals until the collection window closes. As responses arrive, checks each against format rules, unit requirements, and completeness criteria: CMRT forms must be complete and signed, emissions figures must arrive in the specified unit and format, compliance attestations must cover all required product lines, and certificates must include correct coverage dates and issuer details. Records that pass validation are queued for loading. Records that fail or fall outside expected thresholds are held and routed to the ESG or procurement team for review before any system update is made.

5. Step 3

   Loads validated records and flags non-conformant or stale data

   Loads passing records into the target system: smelter and sourcing data into the conflict minerals tracker, emissions factors into the sustainability platform, compliance attestations into the regulatory reporting tool, and replacement certificates into the supplier document repository. Compares each loaded CMRT smelter against the RMI conformant list and flags any non-conformant entry for ESG team review. Checks the last submission date for each active supplier's emissions data and flags any supplier whose data has not been refreshed within 12 months.

6. Step 4

   Reads ERP commercial records, compares against contracts, and corrects drift

   Pulls current item prices, lead times, and partner records from the ERP and compares each value against the latest contract terms and supplier price lists retrieved from the contract repository and shared drives. Where a value has drifted from agreed terms, writes the correction back to the relevant ERP record. Where no current price list exists or contract terms are ambiguous, contacts the supplier by email to request confirmation of the correct figures before making any update. Routes any supplier response that proposes terms outside the documented contract to the category manager for review before the ERP record is changed.

7. Resolution

   Supplier records updated across all target systems

   Validated data is loaded into the conflict minerals tracker, emissions platform, compliance reporting tool, and ERP. Each supplier record in scope is either current and confirmed or flagged with a specific reason and held for procurement or ESG review.

Why it matters

• Supplier data collected without manual chasing

  so that procurement and ESG teams are not spending analyst hours on follow-up emails and format corrections, and can redeploy that time to reviewing exceptions and acting on the data instead of gathering it.

• Compliance and emissions coverage stays current

  so that regulatory reporting is not delayed or qualified by missing supplier responses, reducing the risk of filing gaps that attract regulatory scrutiny or block product shipments.

• ERP pricing and lead times reflect agreed terms

  so that planning and finance are working from accurate contract data rather than stale figures, avoiding purchase orders raised at wrong prices and the reconciliation effort that follows.

What it needs

Supplier email and outreach access

Connects to the organization's email platform (e.g. Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace) to send data requests, distribute survey templates such as the CMRT, chase non-responders, and receive replies. All four use cases depend on this channel to initiate and complete collection cycles. Without it, the agent cannot contact suppliers or track response status.

Read/write access to the ERP

Connects to the ERP (e.g. Infor LN/M3/CloudSuite, Microsoft Dynamics 365, IFS Cloud, or SAP S/4HANA) to read current item prices, lead times, and partner records, and to write back corrected values where the ERP has drifted from agreed contract terms. The price and lead time reconciliation use case cannot run without this access.

Contract and document repository access

Reads supplier contracts, published price lists, and related files from the contract repository and shared document storage (e.g. SharePoint or a shared network drive). The agent uses these sources to determine the terms that the ERP should reflect. Without access, it cannot identify drift or resolve ambiguous pricing.

Compliance and ESG data system write access

Writes validated supplier responses into the conflict minerals tracking system and the emissions or sustainability data platform. Also reads the RMI conformant smelter list to flag non-conformant smelters. Without write access to these systems, CMRT results, emissions factors, and regulatory reporting coverage cannot be recorded or maintained.