# Risk Assessment in Supplier Selection for Intelligent Manufacturing Systems Based on PLS-SEM
## 4 Empirical Analysis
### Evaluation Results and Suggestions
#### 4.3.2 Secondary Index Level  
(1) Supplier qualification (SQ). SQ includes secondary indicators, such as quality management system, environmental management system, information security management system, national and industrial standards and good public image. Its standard factor loads are 0.780, 0.822, 0.765, 0.814, and 0.813, respectively, and all loads are higher than the critical value of 0.6. It can be seen that the five secondary indicators involved in SQ have a great impact on its primary indicators. The higher the achievement degree of each index, the lower the implied risk of IMSS suppliers. In addition, considering that the value of SQ path coefficient ranks second among all primary indicators (0.229), it suggests that manufacturing enterprises should give priority to IMSS suppliers with good performance in environmental management system, national and industrial standards and good public image, and avoid cooperation with IMSS suppliers with insufficient qualifications. (2) Supplier system (SS). SS includes secondary indicators, such as document management system, system equipment management information and after-sales service management system. Its standard factor loads are 0.812, 0.940 and 0.840, and all loads are higher than the critical value of 0.6. It can be seen that the three secondary indicators involved in SS have a greater impact on its primary indicators. The higher the achievement degree of each indicator, the lower the implied risk of IMSS suppliers. As a mode of code of conduct, SS should be taken into consideration by manufacturing enterprises in the process of IMSS supplier selection, so as to avoid selecting IMSS suppliers with imperfect systems and reduce the risk of cooperation. (3) Supplier core technology (SCT). SCT includes secondary indicators, such as the number of patents, the number of relevant software copyrights and the level of technical equipment. Its standard factor loads are 0.901, 0.919 and 0.842, respectively, and all loads are higher than the critical value of 0.6. It can be seen that the three secondary indicators involved in SCT have a greater impact on their primary indicators. The higher the achievement degree of each indicator, the lower the implied risk of IMSS suppliers. In view of the different application departments of information systems in intelligent manufacturing enterprises, it suggests that different attitudes should be adopted in the selection process of IMSS suppliers. For the intelligent information systems that affect the core production links of enterprises, the core technical capabilities of relevant suppliers should be mainly considered. (4) Supplier service capability (SSC). SSC includes secondary indicators, such as consulting planning ability, personalized customization ability, system integration and secondary development ability, system implementation ability, platform construction, and promotion ability. Its standard factor loads are 0.808, 0.899, 0.829, 0.817, and 0.745, respectively, and all loads are higher than the critical value of 0.6. Therefore, the five secondary indicators involved in SSC have a great impact on its primary indicators; the higher the achievement degree of each index, the lower the implied risk of IMSS suppliers. Combined with the value of SSC primary index path coefficient, in the process of IMSSsuppliers selection, it is suggested that intelligent manufacturing enterprises focus on the five secondary indexes of SSC to avoid the problem of low service capacity. (5) Supplier project (SP). SP intablescludes secondary indicators, such as the number of docking projects, project investment amount, project satisfaction, and project success rate. Its standard factor loads are 0.644, 0.802, 0.887, and 0.808, respectively, and all loads are higher than the critical value of 0.6. It can be seen that the four secondary indicators involved in SP have a greater impact on its primary indicators. The higher the achievement of each indicator, the lower the implied risk of IMSS suppliers.