Verified, claimed, unknown, not met: how to read a supplier shortlist
Three suppliers say they “have FSC.” One publishes a supporting statement on its own site. Another appears in a directory. For the third, you can’t find evidence. Those are different starting points for your next conversation.
The four evidence labels, explained
Verified means a supporting quote was found on the supplier’s own website in a stored copy of that page. Claimed means the claim only appears in a search result or directory. Unknown means no evidence was found, so it becomes a question in your RFQ. Not met means their own page contradicts your requirement.
Four labels. A next step for each.
Verified
A supporting quote on the supplier’s own website, found in a stored copy of that page.
Next: Inspect the quote and its source. Check that it covers the product and requirement you mean.
Claimed
A claim in a search result or directory, without a supporting first-party quote.
Next: Treat it as a soft signal. Look for the supplier’s own page before relying on it.
Unknown
No evidence found. Procyra keeps the gap visible and never guesses.
Next: Ask about it in your request for quotation (RFQ). Say what you need the supplier to confirm.
Not met
A quote on the supplier’s own page contradicts your requirement.
Next: Deprioritize a supplier that misses a must-have. Exclude in Procyra only when a disqualifier is verified.
What verified is not
Verified is not an independent certification or a guarantee. It tells you where the supporting quote was found, not that Procyra audited the supplier.
Read the quote in context. For an FSC requirement, check which materials or products the supplier describes, then ask for the documentation you need before ordering. A stored page lets you inspect what Procyra read; it cannot guarantee that the supplier’s statement is current.
Claimed vs verified: follow the source
A directory listing can help you find a supplier. Without a supporting quote on the supplier’s own website, the claim stays claimed.
To verify supplier claims on a website, look for the page that addresses your requirement: materials, certifications, minimum orders or shipping. Keep the exact quote and page address. A search snippet alone is a soft signal, even when it points to the supplier’s domain.
Turn unknowns into RFQ questions
Unknown means no evidence was found. It does not tell you whether the supplier can meet the requirement.
If you cannot find a minimum order, ask: “Can you supply 500 cartons in this specification? Please confirm your minimum order quantity.” Procyra drafts questions for unknown requirements on your shortlist. You send the RFQ.
If Procyra cannot read a candidate’s pages, that candidate is “not assessed,” not matched.
Not met, weak fit and exclusion
Not met needs a contradicting quote. If you need an order of 500 units and the supplier’s page states a 2,000-unit minimum, that requirement is not met.
Fit is not a score. Procyra uses strong, promising, weak or excluded. Strong means every must-have is verified; weak means a must-have is contradicted. A verified disqualifier produces excluded. Missing evidence alone does not verify a disqualifier.
Ranking is deterministic: the same evidence produces the same order. Inspect the checks behind the fit label before deciding who to approach.
The same brief, different evidence
Brief: FSC-certified board, an order of 500 cartons and delivery to the EU. Treat all three as must-haves for this example.
These suppliers and checks are invented to explain the labels. On a small screen, scroll the table horizontally.
| Supplier | FSC board | Order of 500 | EU delivery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sample supplier A | Verified | Verified | Verified |
| Sample supplier B | Claimed | Unknown | Verified |
| Sample supplier C | Verified | Not met | Unknown |
- Sample supplier A: Inspect all three sources before outreach.
- Sample supplier B: Find first-party FSC evidence; ask about the minimum order.
- Sample supplier C: A published 2,000-unit minimum contradicts the brief. Weak fit; EU delivery is still unknown.
A five-step check you can do yourself
- Write a precise brief. Separate must-haves, preferences and disqualifiers. State the quantity, material and destination.
- Read each supplier’s own pages. Use directories to discover candidates, then follow the first-party source.
- Keep the evidence. Save the quote, page address, a copy of the page and the date you checked it.
- Label each requirement. Use verified, claimed, unknown or not met. Keep unreadable candidates marked not assessed.
- Draft the RFQ around the gaps. Ask suppliers to confirm unknowns and provide relevant documentation. Review the evidence before you send.
Bring the checks into one shortlist
Procyra compares suppliers against your requirements, keeps the source behind each check and drafts RFQ questions for the gaps. You decide who to contact and send the message yourself.
See how Procyra works →What does verified actually mean?
What does "verified" actually mean?
The exact quote supporting a requirement was found in a stored copy of a first-party page. If a claim only appears in a search snippet or a directory listing, it is "claimed". "Not met" needs a contradicting quote. Anything else is "unknown". Disqualifiers only exclude a candidate when they are verified.
What happens when nothing can be verified?
It stays visible. A requirement with no evidence is marked unknown, never guessed, and a candidate whose pages could not be read is marked "not assessed" rather than matched. Every unknown for a shortlisted vendor becomes a question in the RFQ, so the first email you send asks exactly what the research could not confirm.
Is fit a score?
No. Fit is one of four words computed from the checks: strong (every must-have verified), promising, weak (a must-have contradicted), or excluded (a disqualifier verified). Ranking is deterministic, so the same evidence always produces the same order.
Does Procyra contact suppliers or candidates for me?
No. Procyra writes the RFQ for each shortlisted vendor; you copy it or open it in your own email client and send it yourself. Nothing is sent on your behalf and nobody is contacted without you.