Successful supplier relationship management
This course is designed to empower the participant with the skills and knowledge required to understand and apply contract and commercial relationship principles and techniques in an operational and managerial role to ensure optimal outcomes. The emphasis is on working in a cross-functional way with key stakeholders and suppliers.
Supplier relationship management is all about maximising opportunities for value for both sides by means of highly effective relationships. Ultimately, those suppliers that have the greatest influence on an organisation’s performance are the ones to directly involve in SRM activities.
Learning objectives
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
- Understand the different types of commercial relationship
- Audit current suppliers and develop more effective future relationships with them
- Understand the motivation of suppliers to perform
- Take a proactive, collaborative, and agile approach to managing contract and commercial relationships
- Develop and monitor appropriate and robust KPIs and SLAs to manage and improve relationships
- Appreciate the cross-functional nature of supplier relationship management
- Collaborate with suppliers to deliver sustainable performance and to manage and exceed stakeholder expectations
- Make effective use of lessons learned to promote improvements from less-than optimal outcomes, using appropriate templates
- Effectively manage the process of change, claims, variations, and dispute resolution with suppliers
- Make appropriate use of best practice supplier relationship management tools and techniques.
Who should attend?
The course is also suitable for technical people, focal points, commercial managers, sales managers, customer account managers, business development managers, project managers, team leaders and finance managers who have a responsibility for managing contracts but are not contract or commercial specialists.
Format
This one-day programme can be delivered on-site or virtually.
The expert trainer takes a proactive, participative, and participant-centred approach with an emphasis on the practical application of the tools, techniques and templates discussed. The creation of Action Plans by the participants is a key element in the experiential dimension to all our courses. The learning needs to be embedded into the fabric of the organisation and the trainer uses context-based case studies and other tasks to achieve this.
Special features
The content of this course has been cross-mapped with established competency frameworks and other international standards.
Certificates of attendance are provided on request (for CPD purposes: the programme qualifies for six hours, which for most professional bodies translates as six points).
The majority of the training we deliver is either tailored or completely bespoke. This workshop can therefore be delivered entirely as advertised, or it can be tailored to your particular requirements, or we can simply take it as a starting point for a conversation with you before we draft a completely bespoke programme for you – the choice is yours.
Expert trainer
Sharon Croome spent more than 25 years with the Ministry of Defence and various UK-based major contractors before setting up her own consultancy in commercial, procurement and supply chain management. She supports MOD and DE&S clients with procurement strategies, supplier/customer contract drafting and advice, and the design and delivery of commercial professionalisation training. She also supports private sector clients (including many SMEs) with procurement strategies, supplier/customer relationship management, strategic sourcing advice, and other associated commercial activity. She also designs and delivers training on commercial issues (especially commercial awareness) and, in particular, how to work with the public sector.
Sharon is a Fellow of both the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) and World Commerce and Contracting (WCC, formerly the International Association of Contract and Commercial Managers). She is a Chartered CIPS trainer and courseware Peer Reviewer for commercial and contract management, and negotiation, a WCC Expert in supplier relationship management, and co-author, with Dr Ray Carter, of Practical Supplier Selection and Relationship Management.
1 Introduction
- Learning outcomes
- Learning styles
- Plan for the day
2 Commercial environment
- The contracting context
- Key objectives of contract management
- Successful supplier relationships – importance and impact on the organisation
3 Critical success factors
- Essential principles of contract management and administration
- A six-step model
4 Putting the ‘management’ into contract management
- Contract management as a key management activity
- Traditional v new age models of contract management
- The need for a fully commercial approach
- Added value of effective contract management
5 Analysing the role
- Contract management and contracting defined
- The necessity for formal contracts
6 Developing the role
- Stakeholder mapping and analysis
- The ‘shared vision’ concept
- Engaging with HSE, Finance, Operations
7 Performing the role
- Developing effective contracting plans and strategies
- Contract close-out and acceptance
- HSE
- Final payments
- Evaluation of performance
- Completion – capturing the learning
8 Conclusion
- Further information
- Open forum Q&A
- Action planning
- Summary
Any questions? Please just give us a call on 01582 463463 – we’re here to help!