Training - Contract Management
Let’s be frank – contract management isn’t the most exciting aspect of procurement. After all, who likes paperwork and minutia? Most people don’t. For those in the earlier stage of their career understanding legal jargon can be daunting and negotiating the contract with the supplier, harder still. More experienced professionals might not have even been taught this core skill properly and, with a desire to focus on more exciting activities, try to steer clear of contracts whenever possible.
Robust contracts are a key tool to manage your suppliers and minimise risk. So, like them or loathe them, you need to be good at them. Following some simple steps and with a bit of practice, I’ll show you that contract management isn’t nearly as arduous as you might think.
If you’re a Head of Procurement or Procurement Director you might have different needs. Perhaps you’re unhappy with the low level of spend under contract, the poor accessibility of contracts or that the full contract value isn’t derived. As a Procurement Director I’ve had this challenge myself and have some god ideas of how to help you.
Training - Contract Management
Let’s be frank – contract management isn’t the most exciting aspect of procurement. After all, who likes paperwork and minutia? Most people don’t. For those in the earlier stage of their career understanding legal jargon can be daunting and negotiating the contract with the supplier, harder still. More experienced professionals might not have even been taught this core skill properly and, with a desire to focus on more exciting activities, try to steer clear of contracts whenever possible.
Robust contracts are a key tool to manage your suppliers and minimise risk. So, like them or loathe them, you need to be good at them. Following some simple steps and with a bit of practice, I’ll show you that contract management isn’t nearly as arduous as you might think.
If you’re a Head of Procurement or Procurement Director you might have different needs. Perhaps you’re unhappy with the low level of spend under contract, the poor accessibility of contracts or that the full contract value isn’t derived. As a Procurement Director I’ve had this challenge myself and have some god ideas of how to help you.
Course Prospectus
Training - Supplier Relationship Management
My first ever visit to a supplier was to a rice miller in Holland in 2002 – the meeting didn’t go well. I read systematically down a list of questions. The burly Dutch MD refused to answer most of my questions and he was pretty nonplussed. After the meeting, my boss gave me almost as many improvement areas as the number of questions I’d tried to ask.
Thankfully, I got a second chance and having visited and worked with well over a thousand suppliers these last 18 years (including this rice mill in Asia when the meeting went a little better) I now understand Supplier Relationship Management. I’ve heard many businesses claim they are adept at SRM. However, it’s often a veneer – the relationship is fragile, supplier performance is hit & miss and full value is not being realised by both parties.
This course is aimed at step changing your SRM, whether you are in the infancy of setting up an SRM programme with an inexperienced team or you would like to make some up-grades to your existing approach.
Benefits
The benefits you derive will be heavily dependent on where you are on your SRM journey and how you and your team apply the techniques. Typical benefits might include:
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Significantly more financial value from suppliers, whether it be unit cost reduction, minimising price volatility or extended payment terms
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Access to more non-financial value from suppliers such as first rights to innovation, recipe and specification development, additional account resources and access to data and marketing support
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Uncovering and delivering mutual synergies, efficiency and resource gains
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Delivering you better quality than your competitors
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Reducing risk right across the supply chain
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Having a stronger relationship with your suppliers that reserves tough dialogue only when needed
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Providing you a stronger platform for growth
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Giving your business flexibility when your plans and needs change
Other Details
Course Material
Attendees will receive a full training pack containing a summary of content from the course as well as copies of all case studies and group exercises.
Trainer
Frost, Procurement Adventurer
Course Length
1 day intensive, 2 days advanced
Location
Typically, clients like to host the training on their own site. I get asked to train all round the World and I'll head to where you'd like to be. From time-to-time I run a course open people from non-competing businesses in a fixed location.
This course can be run remotely by video conference.
Cost
Depending on your specific needs and on request
Course Prospectus
Course Approach
The course is a fun and highly interactive day blending theory, many examples and two case studies. It’s usually followed up with two further sessions – one to apply the techniques to your portfolio and the second, several weeks later, to ensure the skills are embedded in your DNA and your business.
Course Timing
I flex this course from a 2-hour focus session on a specific SRM topic to a 2-day intensive course that teaches the full set of techniques and applies these techniques to your supply base. Depending on the approach you would like, the course will blend relevant theory, examples and case studies. Many clients go on to seek support applying the techniques with their supply base.
Course Level
I tailor the training specifically to you and your team catering from junior procurement experts to senior sourcing managers. It's not unusual for Category Directors and Heads of Procurement to join too.
Sectors covered
The techniques covered work across direct and indirect spend. I tailor the course material and case studies specifically to your portfolio
Learning Objectives
The objectives of this course will depend considerably on where you are on your SRM journey. Typical areas that we cover are:
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An explanation of the SRM framework, concepts and architecture
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What we really mean by ‘relationship’
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Gathering and analysing supplier related data and information
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End-to-end supply chain mapping for key supply chains
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Supplier segmentation that is more tangible and meaningful to how it’s often done
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Creating the appropriate strategy for each segment of your supply base
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Interfacing with different types of suppliers, from different countries
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Finding and developing value levers
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Creating SLAs and tying them in to contracts with your suppliers
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Managing your supplier contracts for maximum value
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Setting up and managing supplier performance metrics, KPIs and dashboards
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Creating a strong SRM governance structure
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Dealing with difficult or nonchalant suppliers
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Getting on your supplier’s radar if you are not currently
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Creating robust action plans with suppliers
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Conducting effective supplier meetings and visits
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Troubleshooting with suppliers when things don’t go to plan