PharmaDB
Use case · Compliance, Inspection & Supplier Risk · Supplier Risk Tier Mapping v.04.2026 · refreshed weekly
Use cases Compliance, Inspection & Supplier Risk Supplier Risk Tier Mapping
Compliance, Inspection & Supplier Risk Buyer view Data · FDA inspection feedData · compliance event archive Live

Supplier Risk Tier Mapping

Bucket every supplier into a risk tier from the joined view of inspections, enforcement, sanctions, and litigation. The pre-RFQ exclusion model.

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Example output · risk-tier distribution across a 60-supplier resolved list
4 tiers Block, watch, qualifiable-with-conditions, qualifiable-clean · the canonical pre-RFQ exclusion model
n=4 rows · PharmaGraph catalog Indicative

Risk tier collapses the joined compliance picture into four buckets: block (active enforcement that precludes commercial commitment), watch (recent enforcement that warrants close monitoring), qualifiable-with-conditions (clean today but with a yellow signal), qualifiable-clean (clean across inspection, enforcement, sanctions, and litigation). The tier is the canonical pre-RFQ filter; PharmaDB computes it from the joined view of inspections, compliance events, sanctions, and litigation.

# TierDefinitionTriggersExample countRecommendation
1 Block highest severity 4 of 60 example WL + IA active OAI
2 Watch elevated signal 9 of 60 example VAI + 1 enforcement event VAI
3 Qualifiable with conditions yellow signal 17 of 60 example VAI no enforcement VAI
4 Qualifiable clean green 30 of 60 example NAI no enforcement NAI
Tiers
4
Inputs joined
compliance + sanctions + litigation
Tier compute time
instant
Catalog refresh
weekly
30 seconds

How it works

molecule losartan origin IN destination BR
01

Subscribe a supplier list.

Upload or define your supplier base. PharmaDB resolves each supplier to its plant entities and corporate parent.

0 HHI 0.42 1
computed · pre-joined · anonymised
02

The AI agent computes the tier.

Inspection trajectory, active enforcement events, OFAC and equivalent sanctions, and litigation status are joined per supplier. The tier is the worst signal across the inputs.

brief · cited
Lane concentration · structurally concentrated
HHI0.42
Top-3 share71%
Actionqualify second source
03

Save the exclusion list.

Citation-anchored tier mapping with the per-tier triggers and the recommended response per supplier. Useful as the pre-RFQ filter and the C-suite exception register.

Why a buyer runs it

One number, every signal.

Canonical four-tier model.

Block, watch, qualifiable-with-conditions, qualifiable-clean. The vocabulary the procurement, QA, and BD teams can all use to talk about the same supplier.

Worst-input rule.

The tier is the worst signal across the inputs. A clean inspection record cannot upgrade a supplier that carries an active sanction. The rule is conservative by design.

Tier-change alerts.

When a supplier moves between tiers, the notification fires. Useful for the QA team's exception review and the BD team's pipeline maintenance.

Distribution view.

Tier distribution across the supplier base, the watchlist, and the open market. Useful for the C-suite portfolio review and the supplier-diversification programme.

What a real chat looks like

Type a supplier list. The AI agent returns the tier mapping.

A real chat thread in PharmaDB. Type a question, the AI agent runs the tools, the answer lands as a saveable note.

Risk tier mapping · 60-supplier list
chat · saved 2 min ago
You
Bucket my supplier base into four risk tiers. Block, watch, qualifiable-with-conditions, qualifiable-clean. Combine inspection class, active enforcement, sanctions, and litigation into the tier.
F
Running tool pharmagraph_query
v_risk_flags ⋈ supplier list · 60 suppliers · 4-tier mapping · worst-input rule
F
Of sixty resolved suppliers, four fall into the block tier (active warning letter or import alert at the supplier plant). Nine fall into the watch tier (recent VAI with at least one enforcement event in the last 24 months). Seventeen are qualifiable-with-conditions (VAI without enforcement). Thirty are qualifiable-clean (NAI without any enforcement, sanction, or litigation flag). Four block-tier suppliers concentrate in three trade lanes; recommend an immediate diversification programme for those lanes and a Watchlist alert on the nine watch-tier suppliers.
Risk-tier distribution · 60-supplier example
1 Block · 4 suppliers active WL or import alert · hard exclusion · escalate to QA/BD review
2 Watch · 9 suppliers recent VAI with stacked event · close monitoring
3 Qualifiable with conditions · 17 suppliers VAI without enforcement · stronger CAPA evidence at qualification
+1 more · open in PharmaDB
Cited v_risk_flags 60 suppliers compliance_events active overlay company_sanctions + company_litigation joined
Ask a follow-up... ⌘ ↵
Time-to-answer

Manual workflow vs. PharmaDB.

Manual workflow
Excel · email · syndicated reports
  1. 01 Pull FDA inspection class per supplier 3-4 hr
  2. 02 Cross-check active enforcement events 2-3 hr
  3. 03 Screen sanctions lists 1-2 hr
  4. 04 Query litigation registry 2-3 hr
  5. 05 Compose the tier map 2-3 hr
Total cycle time 1-2 days per refresh
PharmaDB
The AI agent · one query · cited
One query.
Pre-joined warehouse. Inspections, compliance events, sanctions, and litigation are pre-joined per supplier in the `v_risk_flags` view. The AI agent returns the tier mapping with citation anchors per row.
Total cycle time Under a minute
Run it across cohorts

Where each tier concentrates.

Approximate tier distribution across a 60-supplier resolved list · the canonical pre-RFQ exclusion shape · live warehouse.

Block tier thin
4 suppliers
active enforcement · hard exclusion
Watch tier adequate
9 suppliers
recent enforcement · close monitoring
Qualifiable with conditions adequate
17 suppliers
VAI no enforcement · stronger CAPA needed
Qualifiable clean deep
30 suppliers
NAI no enforcement · standard pathway
Watchlist alert tiers adequate
13 suppliers
block + watch · for QA/BD notification
Standard-pathway tiers deep
47 suppliers
QwC + clean · for procurement default
Thin · < 5 suppliers · qualify additions Adequate · 5–24 Deep · 25+ · negotiable

The risk-tier mapping is the canonical pre-RFQ filter. PharmaDB joins inspections, compliance events, sanctions, and litigation per supplier and computes the worst-signal tier. The view is v_risk_flags. Refresh cadence is weekly.

FAQ

Frequently asked

What defines block tier?+

Active warning letter, active import alert, active consent decree, active OFAC sanction, or repeat-OAI status at the supplier plant. Any one of these triggers block-tier classification. The rule is conservative by design: block tier is the hard-exclusion bucket.

What defines watch tier?+

Most-recent inspection VAI plus at least one compliance event in the trailing 24 months, or repeat-VAI sequence with no NAI cycle in the last three years. The watch tier is the elevated-signal bucket: not a hard exclusion but worth close monitoring.

Can a supplier appeal a tier?+

The tier is computed from the joined view; the underlying signals are the appeal surface. If a supplier disputes the inspection record or claims an event has been resolved, the catalog row is the citation anchor for the conversation. Tier changes flow automatically when the underlying signals change.

How often does the tier change?+

On the cadence of the underlying inputs. Inspections and compliance events refresh weekly; sanctions refresh weekly. A supplier can move tier mid-week if any input signal changes. Tier-change alerts are first-class notifications.

Does the model handle multi-plant suppliers?+

Yes. The tier is computed per plant and rolled up to supplier at the worst-plant rule. A supplier with one block-tier plant and five clean-tier plants is overall watch-tier, with the block-tier plant separately flagged so the buyer can route around it.

Is the tier a finance-grade risk metric?+

The tier is a procurement and quality screening output, not a credit metric. It captures regulatory and quality risk, not financial distress. Finance teams should pair tier with credit-bureau and trade-decline signals for a complete supplier-risk view.

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