Supplier management: conditional questions

Sometimes you may want to add logic to your supplier approval process - to ask or skip subsequent questions depending on an answer. This can also be called "branching" or "conditional questions".

In this article we detail how to set up conditional questions as part of your supplier approval process.

When would I need branching or conditional questions?

It is common that the answer to one question determines if other questions are needed.

For example, if someone has ISO 45001 certification for occupational health and safety, you may want to let them skip over a number of other health and safety questions you’d otherwise need to ask.  

Equally if a supplier says they have ISO certification you should require proof of this. 

Another benefit: using conditional questions means you can mark more questions as mandatory instead of leaving them as optional.  This helps with your assessments as information is not skipped.

How to create conditional questions in your supplier approval process

Based on the example above:

Create your screens and questions

1. Create a screen with a question that asks “Are you certified to ISO 45001?”, with Yes/No answer options. Mark it as mandatory.
   
   
2. Create a screen for the additional questions you'd like answered if they are not ISO 45001 certified. Add those extra questions.
3. Create a screen for the additional evidence question, for those who say they are ISO 45001 certified. Add your extra question, marking as mandatory.

Configure the display of screens 2 and 3

4. For screen 2, edit the screen and set the screen to be hidden ‘if the user answers Yes to the ISO question’ (i.e. if they are certified, skip the detailed questions)
   
5. For screen 3 set the screen to be hidden if the user answers No (i.e. if they are certified, then ask for proof)
6. 

Troubleshooting

If your screen is not showing when you think it should, check the permissions for the roles and stages. Make sure the right roles can see the screen at the correct stage.

For more information, see the detailed supplier management article.