Avendra has a comprehensive auditing and monitoring framework for its contracted suppliers.  This structure includes inspections prior to the contract being signed, and ongoing throughout the term of the contract, taking into account all of the interaction points critical to the supply chain (e.g. manufacturing plants, distribution facilities, point of delivery). 

One of the most innovative aspects of the quality assurance approach is the “Meet the Truck” audit, which is an inspection program performed as a supplier delivers to an Avendra customer location. This audit helps ensure that deliveries made by our contracted suppliers, meet a wide range of quality, safety and service requirements. The process involves an Avendra Quality Assurance professional coordinating a visit at a customer location on a day when there are multiple suppliers making deliveries. Suppliers, who are not given notice of the planned audit, are rated on important delivery criteria including adherence to specifications, completeness of orders, condition of delivery equipment, product integrity and overall performance.

 “We developed our Meet the Truck criteria utilizing industry best practices to ensure that product quality was maintained through the point of final delivery and that the delivery services were satisfactory,” says Ed Thompson, vice president of Quality Assurance for Avendra. “In 2010 we conducted 978 Meet the Truck audits at approximately 300 customer locations in addition to 546 audits conducted at manufacturer and distributor facilities. All of these ‘check points’ help manage the supply chain and ultimately safeguard our customers. Our goal is to provide that extra level of assurance that makes a difference for both customers and suppliers.”

Out of the 232 suppliers who participated in Meet the Truck Audits, 226 scored 90% or better. To be eligible for the award, audited suppliers must have participated in at least four or more audits and also had to pass separate price accuracy audits which ensure customers are charged the correct, contracted price. The 50 suppliers mentioned below were noted as exceptional performers, meeting all of the above criteria and achieving average scores of 95% or better.

 “I am very happy to see that 97% of the eligible suppliers scored above 90%,” said Walt Sheffler, senior vice president of Strategic Contracting at Avendra. “We have a rigorous selection process in place that helps us choose the best suppliers. These ongoing audits ensure that the standards we require are in place throughout the life of the contract for our supplier community. The suppliers recognized below are clearly dedicated to providing superior service to our customers, and I congratulate them on their outstanding performance.”

Avendra’s 2010 Meet the Truck Award Recipients

1. 1.     A New Dairy – Chicago, IL
2. 2.     Alpha Baking Company – Chicago, IL
3. 3.     Atlanta Foods International – Atlanta, GA
4. 4.     Ben E. Keith – Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX
5. 5.     Bix Produce Company – St. Paul, MN
6. 6.     Cambridge Packing Company – Boston, MA
7. 7.     Chefs’ Warehouse – Hanover, MD
8. 8.     Cloverland Green Spring Dairy – Baltimore, MD
9. 9.     European Imports, LTD – Chicago, IL
10. 10.  First Seasons Inc. – Chicago, IL
11. 11.  FreshPoint – San Antonio, TX
12. 12.  Garelick Farms – Lynn, MA
13. 13.  Gary's Seafood Specialties, Inc – Orlando, FL
14. 14.  GFS Atlantic – Amherst, NS, Canada
15. 15.  GFS BC (formerly Neptune Foodservice) – Delta, BC, Canada
16. 16.  Gourmet Foods International – Lakeland, FL
17. 17.  Gourmet Kitchen – Neptune, NJ
18. 18.  Green Tree Packing, Inc. – Passaic, NJ  
19. 19.  Halperns Steak and Seafood – Atlanta, GA
20. 20.  Halperns Steak and Seafood – Dover, FL
21. 21.  Halperns Steak and Seafood – Pompano Beach, FL
22. 22.  Harry Wils & Co., Inc. – Secaucus, NJ
23. 23.  K&M Meat Co. – Vernon, CA
24. 24.  Keany Produce – Landover, MD
25. 25.  Kennesaw Fruit & Juice – Pompano Beach, FL
26. 26.  Labriola Baking Company – Alsip, IL
27. 27.  Maryland Quality Meats – Baltimore, MD
28. 28.  Masada Bakery – Norcross, GA
29. 29.  Metropolitan Meat, Poultry & Seafood Company – Landover, MD
30. 30.  Mid-West Imports, LTD – Hillside, IL
31. 31.  North Star Seafood – Pompano Beach, FL
32. 32.  Oak Farms – San Antonio, TX
33. 33.  Paragon Monteverde Produce – Pittsburgh, PA
34. 34.  Phoenix Wholesale Food Service  – Forest Park, GA
35. 35.  Progressive Gourmet, Inc. – Wilmington, MA
36. 36.  Reinhart – Rogers, MN
37. 37.  Schepps Dairy – Houston, TX
38. 38.  Shamrock – Phoenix, AZ
39. 39.  Shamrock Denver – Commerce City, CO
40. 40.  Testa Produce Inc. – Chicago, IL
41. 41.  US Foodservice – Atlanta, GA
42. 42.  US Foodservice – Baltimore, MD
43. 43.  US Foodservice – Boston, MA
44. 44.  US Foodservice – Columbia, SC
45. 45.  US Foodservice – Ft. Mill, SC
46. 46.  US Foodservice – Greensburg, SC
47. 47.  US Foodservice – Knoxville, TN  
48. 48.  US Foodservice – Montgomery, AL
49. 49.  Velda Farms – Auburndale, FL
50. 50.  Wabash Seafood Co. – Chicago, IL

About Avendra
Avendra is North America’s leading procurement services provider serving hospitality-related industries. Avendra customers gain access to contracts leveraging $3 billion of annual purchases, expert advisory services and in-depth purchasing data and analysis. Through Avendra, customers obtain substantial savings on their purchases and other value added services to improve their operations and bottom line results. Formed in 2001, the company is headquartered in Rockville, MD and has regional offices throughout North America. For more information, please call (866) AVENDRA, visit www.avendra.com, or email inquiries to info@avendra.com.