Data & Verification Policy

Trust in a match depends on trust in the underlying data. This page explains where shop information comes from, how we tell a reported claim from a verified one, and how your spec files are handled. For privacy of your personal information see the privacy policy; for data sovereignty and controlled goods see the trust and compliance page.

Where shop data comes from

Shop records are built from public business sources and directory data, then organised into capabilities, materials, certifications and region. Some records are seeded from a shop's public materials before the shop has claimed its profile; others come directly from the shop. We work to keep records accurate, but public data can be incomplete or go out of date, so a record is a starting point for a conversation, not a guarantee.

Reported versus verified

This distinction is the core of the policy:

• Reported means a capability or certification was spotted from a shop's public materials or self-declared. It is treated as a claim for review and is never presented as confirmed.
• Verified means we checked the credential against the issuing registry before marking the record verified. A certification is only shown as held once it is confirmed this way, never auto-asserted by our enrichment process.

A verified badge on a record reflects that its certifications were confirmed against the issuing registry. Certification is then enforced as a hard, exact requirement during matching: an RFQ that requires a certification is never routed to a shop we cannot confirm holds it.

Claiming and correcting a record

A shop can claim its record to manage its own information and submit certifications for verification. Once a shop claims a listing, our bulk processes stop overwriting its content, so the shop's own details take precedence. If you are a shop and something is wrong, or you want your record corrected or removed, email compliance@madetospec.ca and we will fix or remove it.

The MTS Score

The MTS Score is a single 0 to 100 rating shown on each shop's profile. It is a transparency signal about how complete and how verified a listing is, not a measure of a shop's workmanship. It is built from two parts:

• Profile and capability (the larger share) rewards a complete public listing: a business location and region, documented core services (machining or finishing), capability breadth, materials, industries served, a real company description, and contact details. A shop earns most of this by having a thorough, accurate profile.
• Verification and trust is the premium layer: a quality system on file, certifications confirmed against the issuing registry, business details verified by Made to Spec, an owner-claimed listing, cross-border readiness, and a recently reviewed profile.

We band the total as:

• Excellent, 85 and above
• Good, 70 to 84
• Fair, 50 to 69
• Developing, below 50

The score is computed only from data we actually hold: a field we have not captured or confirmed counts as not met, never assumed. That is why an unclaimed, unverified listing scores lower than a claimed one whose certifications we have verified, and why a score rises as a shop claims its profile, completes its details and has its credentials verified. The score is a guide for buyers; certification requirements are still enforced separately as a hard, exact filter during matching, as described above.

Controlled goods

Controlled work is routed only to registered shops, and Controlled Goods Program registration is surfaced on a shop's record so it can be checked rather than assumed. The full controlled-goods handling is on the trust and compliance page. If your part or drawings are controlled goods, tell us before you upload.

How your spec files are handled

A drawing you upload is used only to match and route your RFQ to capable Canadian shops. It is not sold, published, or used to train models, and it is shared with a shop only when your job is routed to it. Retention and access are covered in the privacy policy and the trust and compliance page.

Corrections and contact

To report inaccurate data, verify a credential, or request removal, email compliance@madetospec.ca.

This page describes our current data and verification practices and may change as the service evolves; material changes will carry a new review date. Last reviewed: October 2026.