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Compliance

The Compliance application in the Supplier Portal is your central list of audits, licences, certifications, and other compliance records your customer has shared with your supplier account. Use the compliance search view to monitor validity and status, track open Corrective Action Plan (CAP) items, filter by factory and type, export data for internal review, and open individual records for dates, comments, files, and critical path milestones.

Quick Check - Before You Start
  • Confirm you are logged in to the correct Supplier Portal account and customer connection — open Active Instance if you work with more than one brand.
  • Check that Compliance appears in the left navigation menu; if it is missing, your Supplier Portal role may not include View access for Compliance.
  • Enable Compliance notifications in Profile › Notification Preferences — especially Compliance Expiration Notification — so you are alerted when records are shared, comments are posted, or validity dates are approaching.
  • Have compliance numbers or factory names ready if you plan to search by keyword; avoid spaces in identifiers where possible.
  • Understand that expired or non-compliant records on your customer's side may affect whether orders can be shared with your supplier account.

Who This Helps

The Compliance search view serves different audiences across the supply chain. Understanding how each group uses it reduces missed renewal deadlines, audit surprises, and incorrect assumptions about what can be changed in the portal.

Audience How Compliance helps them What to watch for
Suppliers See every compliance record your customer has shared with your factory or agent account; filter by Type, Factory, and Status; monitor CAP progress; export lists for audit preparation; save favourite searches for recurring review cycles (for example, records expiring this quarter). Compliance records are view-only by default in the Supplier Portal. You only see records explicitly shared with your supplier account — not your customer's full compliance library.
Supplier staff Compliance coordinators, factory managers, and quality teams can use the same shared list without asking instance users for spreadsheets. Favourite Searches and Export support hand-offs between teams before audits or renewals. Each staff member needs their own portal login via Invite Staff. Favourites are saved per user, not shared across your organisation automatically.
Instance users (your customer's internal team) When suppliers monitor compliance in the portal, compliance officers and buyers spend less time chasing audit status by email. Suppliers who respond to CAP items and comment threads on time improve visibility into remediation progress on the customer side. You must share each compliance record with the correct factory or agent and assign a Supplier Portal role with Compliance View enabled. Unshared records never appear for the supplier.
Brand customers Indirect benefit: their instance users collaborate with suppliers through a single platform, improving audit readiness, certification tracking, and visibility into factory compliance status. Customers do not log into the Supplier Portal; they work in the Production Portal through their instance users.
Administrators Site Settings › Company › Suppliers, Site Settings › Compliance › General Settings, and Site Settings › Portal › General Settings control which modules, document types, and fields suppliers see on compliance records. Customer-level rules can block order sharing when compliance validation fails. Misconfigured roles, missing member assignments, or expired Valid To dates are common reasons suppliers report "missing" compliance records or unexpected order-sharing restrictions.

View-Only Access by Default

Most Supplier Portal applications are view-only. Instance users create and manage compliance records in the Production Portal. In the Supplier Portal, you review shared records, respond through Comments, Chat, and Activity, and monitor CAP items and critical path milestones assigned to your team. If you need access to an area that is not visible, contact your customer's administrator or instance user.

Compliance Validity and Order Sharing

Your customer may enforce compliance rules that affect production workflows. When Block non-compliant orders from being shared with suppliers or Enforce Component Compliance is enabled, expired or missing compliance can prevent orders from being shared with your supplier account — even if you can still see the compliance record in the portal. See Dates across applications for how Valid From and Valid To dates interact with order sharing.

Accessing Compliance

Open Compliance from the left navigation menu in the Supplier Portal. The compliance search view opens by default and lists every compliance record currently shared with your supplier account.

You can also reach compliance records from:

  • Dashboard: Click the Compliance card to open the application and review summary counts (compliance records, activities, and comments). Click Activities to open Outstanding Activities.
  • Activity: Click a compliance-related notification to open the linked record in context.
  • Favourite Searches: Reopen a saved compliance search view you created earlier.

Compliance Search View

The compliance search view is designed for day-to-day audit and certification monitoring. It combines keyword search, advanced filters, layout options, and export tools so you can work with large compliance volumes without losing context.

Use the search bar at the top of the view to find compliance records by keyword. Keywords typically match compliance numbers, descriptions, factory names, audit references, and other indexed fields on shared records.

Common Pitfall

Compliance numbers and other key identifiers should not contain spaces. Spaces in these fields can cause inconsistent search results and make filtering less reliable. Use a hyphen (-) or underscore (_) as a separator instead (for example, AUD-2026-001 rather than AUD 2026 001). If a search returns no results, try the exact compliance number your customer quoted in email or on an audit document.

Advanced Filters

Open Advanced Search to narrow the list with structured filters. The following filters are available in the Supplier Portal compliance search view:

Filter Description
Type Filter by compliance type (for example, Audit or Licence). Options depend on what your customer configured in Site Settings › Compliance › Audit Type.
Factory Filter by the production factory on the compliance record. Lists factories your customer maintains in Site Settings › Company › Suppliers.
Status Filter by current compliance status (for example, In Progress, Active, Expired, Cancelled, Terminated, or Disabled). Status values reflect the workflow state on each record.

Combine filters to build precise views — for example, all Active audit records for a given Factory, or every Expired record that may need renewal.

Common Pitfall

Overly narrow filter combinations are a frequent cause of empty search results. If Type, Factory, and Status do not match the values on your shared compliance records, the list will appear blank even though records exist. Clear filters one at a time to identify which criterion is excluding results. Remember that records with a passed Valid To date may show Expired status automatically even if you expected them to remain Active.

Grid and List View

Switch between Grid and List view using the layout toggle in the search view toolbar.

View Best for
List Scanning many compliance records quickly, comparing columns side by side, and exporting structured data.
Grid Visual review when preview images are available and you want a card-style layout.

Your selected layout preference is retained for the current session. Saved Favourite Searches restore the layout that was active when you saved the favourite.

Results Per Page

Control how many compliance records appear on each page of results. Choose 25, 50, or 100 records per page from the pagination control at the bottom of the search view.

Use a smaller page size when you need faster load times on slower connections. Use 100 when reviewing a large shared factory portfolio and exporting is not required.

Common Pitfall

Pagination affects what you see on screen, not what exists in the platform. A compliance record on page three is still a valid shared record — do not assume it is missing because it is not on the first page. Use filters or keyword search to locate specific records, or increase the page size temporarily.

Refresh

Click Refresh in the search view toolbar to load the latest data. Use this after your customer tells you they have shared a new compliance record, updated a status, or closed CAP items, especially if you have had the search view open for a long time.

Columns Available

The default compliance search view includes the following columns. Your customer may expose additional columns depending on portal and role configuration.

Column Description
Compliance Number The primary identifier for the compliance record — typically the audit number, licence reference, or certificate ID. Click to open the full compliance record.
Type The compliance category assigned to the record (for example, Audit or Licence). Options come from Site Settings › Compliance › Audit Type.
Factory The production factory the compliance record applies to. This is usually your organisation or a specific facility when the record is shared with your supplier account.
CAP A summary indicator for the Corrective Action Plan on the record — showing whether open remediation items exist, are in progress, or have been completed. Use this column to prioritise audit follow-up without opening every record.
Status The current workflow status of the compliance record (for example, In Progress, Active, Expired, Cancelled, Terminated, or Disabled). Status may update automatically when Valid To dates pass.

CAP Column vs Full Corrective Action Plan

The CAP column in the search view gives a quick summary only. To review individual corrective action items — including severity (Critical, Major, Minor), descriptions, owners, and completion dates — open the compliance record. Instance users manage the full Corrective Action Plan in the Production Portal; see Compliance › Corrective Action Plan for how plans are structured on the customer side.

Status vs Validity Dates

Status and Valid From / Valid To dates work together but are not identical. A record can show In Progress or Active while dates are current, but the system may automatically set Expired when Valid To has passed. Treat both the Status column and validity dates inside the record as authoritative for renewal planning.

Save frequently used filter and layout combinations so you can reopen them without reconfiguring the view each time.

  1. Open Compliance and apply the filters, columns, and sort settings you want to keep.
  2. Click the Love icon in the upper-right corner of the search view.
  3. Enter a descriptive name (for example, Active audits — Factory A) and click Save.

Saved favourites appear in Favourite Searches in the left navigation menu. See Supplier Portal › Favourite Searches for managing, renaming, and deleting favourites.

Common Pitfall

A favourite restores the configuration saved at the time you clicked Save — not live data. If you change filters after saving, the favourite still opens with the original layout until you update and save it again. Record counts change when your customer shares new compliance records, statuses update, or CAP items are closed; click Refresh after opening a favourite to load the latest results.

Export the Compliance Search View

Export the current search view to Excel for offline analysis, audit preparation meetings, or internal reporting.

  1. Apply the filters and columns you want included in the export.
  2. Click the Download icon in the upper-right corner of the search view.
  3. Open the downloaded file in Excel or a compatible spreadsheet application.

The export includes the columns currently visible in your search view and the records that match your active filters. It does not include fields you have not added to the view.

Common Pitfall

An export is a snapshot of the filtered list at export time — not a substitute for an official audit certificate, licence document, or signed corrective action report. Detailed audit findings, CAP line items, and document content may be stored separately in Files, Documents, or Drive. Use exported data for planning and internal review; refer to shared PDFs and uploaded evidence in the compliance record for authoritative compliance details.

Opening a Compliance Record

Click a Compliance Number in the search view to open the full compliance record. From there you can review tabs and side widgets your customer has shared — such as details, audit metadata, critical path milestones, CAP items, comments, and files — depending on your Supplier Portal role and your customer's portal configuration.

Typical supplier workflows from an open compliance record:

  • Review Comments and reply to instance user questions about audit findings, renewal evidence, or remediation timelines without leaving the record.
  • Download audit reports, certificates, and supporting documents from linked Drive files when shared.
  • Monitor Critical Path milestones for upcoming audit or renewal deadlines. See Supplier Portal › Manage Critical Path.
  • Check Valid From and Valid To dates to plan renewals before records expire and affect order sharing.
  • Track open CAP items and confirm which corrective actions your team owns.

Common Pitfall

A compliance record visible in the search view does not guarantee every tab or document is available. Audit metadata, CAP details, Files, and critical path sections depend on portal configuration and what your customer has shared on that record. If a tab is missing or read-only, ask your instance user to confirm Compliance portal permissions and member assignment before raising a support ticket.

Compliance Records and Orders Are Separate

Compliance, orders, and styles are linked through business rules but maintained as separate records. Sharing a compliance record with your supplier account does not automatically share every related order, and vice versa. However, your customer may block order sharing when compliance validation fails — confirm both compliance validity and order assignment if production is affected.

Staying Informed About Compliance Changes

Configure notifications in Profile › Notification Preferences so you are alerted when compliance activity affects your team:

Notification When it fires
Shared Compliance Notification A new compliance record is shared with your company.
New Message in Compliance comment A new message is posted in a compliance-related comment thread.
Compliance Expiration Notification A shared compliance record is nearing expiration, with reminders at 30, 60, and 90 days before Valid To.

See Supplier Portal › Profile for full notification settings.

Common Pitfall

Disabling Compliance Expiration Notification to reduce email volume is a common mistake. Expired audits and licences can block order sharing or trigger customer compliance breaches. Keep expiration alerts enabled for compliance coordinators and factory managers, or assign a team member to monitor Status and Valid To dates weekly.

These Site Settings pages are maintained by your customer's administrators. Share them with your instance user contact if compliance records, visibility, or order-sharing rules do not match expectations.

Troubleshooting

Why can I not see any compliance records in the search view?

The compliance list only shows records your customer's instance users have shared with your supplier account. An empty list usually means no compliance records are shared yet, you are on the wrong connection, or your role lacks Compliance View access.

Steps to resolve:

  1. Open Active Instance and confirm you are connected to the correct customer.
  2. Check the Dashboard — if number of Compliance is zero, no compliance records have been shared with your account.
  3. Contact your customer's instance user and ask them to verify your Supplier Portal role in Site Settings › Company › Suppliers includes Compliance with View enabled.
  4. Ask them to confirm the compliance records are assigned to your factory or agent on each record and that you are added as a member where required.
  5. Log out and back in after access changes, then click Refresh on the compliance search view.
Why is the Compliance module missing from my navigation menu?

Module visibility is controlled by the Supplier Portal role on your supplier record. If Compliance is not granted View permission, Compliance will not appear in the menu.

Steps to resolve:

  1. Ask your customer's administrator which modules you should have access to.
  2. Request an update to your Supplier Portal role in Site Settings › Company › Suppliers.
  3. Log out and back in, then confirm Compliance appears in the left navigation menu.
Why does keyword search not find a compliance record I know exists?

Search only returns compliance records shared with your supplier account. Keyword matching can also fail when identifiers contain spaces or when filters still restrict the result set.

Steps to resolve:

  1. Clear Advanced Search filters and retry the keyword.
  2. Search using the exact Compliance Number your customer provided — try with and without hyphens if unsure.
  3. Confirm the record is assigned to your factory or agent and shared on the customer side.
  4. Click Refresh to load the latest shared data.
Why are my advanced filters returning no results?

Active filters — especially combinations of Type, Factory, and Status — can exclude every record in the list when values do not match your customer's naming or when statuses have changed (for example, records moved to Expired).

Steps to resolve:

  1. Clear all filters and confirm compliance records appear without restrictions.
  2. Reapply filters one at a time to identify which criterion is too narrow.
  3. Verify Type and Status values match your customer's configuration in Site Settings › Compliance.
  4. Click Refresh after your customer confirms they updated statuses or factory assignments.
Why does a compliance record show Expired when I thought it was still valid?

The system can automatically set Expired status when the Valid To date has passed, regardless of what the record showed previously.

Steps to resolve:

  1. Open the compliance record and review Valid From and Valid To in the Dates section.
  2. Contact your instance user to confirm whether renewal documentation is in progress or a replacement record will be created.
  3. Do not assume an Expired record in the portal still satisfies your customer's order-sharing rules — ask whether production or new orders are affected.
  4. See Dates across applications for cross-module date behaviour.
Why does the CAP column show open items but I cannot update them in the portal?

Corrective Action Plan management is typically handled by instance users in the Production Portal. In the Supplier Portal, you usually monitor CAP status and respond through Comments or assigned critical path tasks rather than marking items complete directly.

Steps to resolve:

  1. Open the compliance record and review the full CAP section to see item descriptions, severity, and owners.
  2. Post evidence or progress updates in Comments if you cannot edit CAP rows directly.
  3. Ask your instance user whether your role should allow CAP updates or whether they will mark items complete after verifying remediation.
  4. See Compliance › Corrective Action Plan for CAP workflow details on the customer side.
Why can I see compliance records but my customer says orders cannot be shared with us?

Your customer may enforce compliance validation that blocks order sharing independently of what you see in the Compliance search view.

Steps to resolve:

  1. Filter compliance records by Status and check for Expired items linked to your factory.
  2. Ask your instance user whether Block non-compliant orders from being shared with suppliers or Enforce Component Compliance is enabled in their Site Settings.
  3. Confirm Valid To dates cover the order ETD or created date according to their rules.
  4. See Dates across applications and Order › Members for component compliance restrictions.
Why can I open a compliance record but not see Files, CAP, or Critical Path?

Tab and side widget visibility are controlled separately from the compliance search view. Your customer configures portal access in Site Settings and shares specific documents and milestones on each record.

Steps to resolve:

  1. Confirm whether the section is missing entirely or visible but read-only.
  2. Ask your instance user to verify Compliance portal permissions and that the relevant files, CAP items, or critical path template are attached to the record.
  3. Use Comments or Chat to request missing documents until sharing is updated.
  4. Review Compliance › Overview with your instance user contact for Production Portal configuration.
Why does my export not include all compliance records or columns?

Exports reflect the current filter set, pagination context, and visible columns — not the entire shared compliance library.

Steps to resolve:

  1. Clear or adjust filters so every record you need is included in the filtered result count before exporting.
  2. Confirm the columns you need are visible in the search view; add any missing columns before clicking Download.
  3. Click Refresh, then export again if your customer recently shared new compliance records.
Why does a favourite search show outdated results or the wrong layout?

Favourites restore saved filters and column layout from the time you clicked Save. They do not automatically pick up changes you make afterwards.

Steps to resolve:

  1. Open the favourite and click Refresh to load current data.
  2. Adjust filters or columns to match your current workflow.
  3. Click the Love icon and save again — use the same name to replace the favourite, or delete the old entry from Favourite Searches and create a new one.
Why was I notified about a compliance record but cannot find it in the list?

Notifications can arrive before a share completes, or the record may be filtered out of your current search view.

Steps to resolve:

  1. Click the notification in Activity to open the compliance record directly.
  2. Clear all search filters and click Refresh on the Compliance search view.
  3. Confirm you are on the correct customer connection in Active Instance.
  4. If the record still does not open, ask your customer's instance user to verify the compliance record is shared with your supplier account.
Why am I not receiving compliance expiration reminders?

Expiration reminders depend on both notification settings and whether the compliance record is shared with your account.

Steps to resolve:

  1. Open Profile › Notification Preferences and confirm Compliance Expiration Notification is enabled.
  2. Verify the compliance record is shared with your supplier account and that you are a member on the record.
  3. Confirm Valid To is set on the record — reminders at 30, 60, and 90 days require a valid expiry date.
  4. Check Activity and the notification bell for alerts that may have been delivered in-app rather than by email.