Approved Vendor List
An approved vendor list (AVL), or approved manufacturer list, is the controlled record in PLM of which suppliers and manufacturer part numbers are qualified to supply each internal part at each revision. It is the part-level foundation of supply chain traceability and the trigger point for supplier change notification.
Why it matters
The AVL is the single source of truth that engineering, procurement and quality must share. Kept in spreadsheets it becomes data debt that slows every supply chain crisis response; kept in PLM and linked to parts it makes every downstream trace possible.
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Cite this definition
Finocchiaro, Michael. “Approved Vendor List.” DemystifyingPLM PLM Glossary, 2026, https://www.demystifyingplm.com/glossary/approved-vendor-list