Contract managers right across Australia face difficulties in getting the most from their suppliers. How can we set up our contractual relationships so that the supplier will go the extra mile? Look no further than how we manage our staff and you get an idea of what better practice looks like. Here is a list of seven challenges contract managers often face and how to overcome them.
Let’s face it, we’re light years behind in how we source and manage suppliers. At least in comparison to how we select and lead our staff. In fact we'd argue that the same strategies work across managing people and managing suppliers. And that those organisations that do receive much better performance from their supply base
Often, contract management is something that gets thrown at you. Without much explanation of what is required. That changes today! Purchase the seven-part contract management webinar series now. Each 45-minute webinar lesson covers everything you need to know about the art of successful contract management and improving supplier performance.
On average procurement teams can gain an extra 29% performance from their suppliers with some simple changes. Our 2017 research study uncovered what suppliers would like to (but often can't) say to buyers to help them turn this around.
You’re a great team leader, right? Your staff respect you, and you them. Let’s look at the way you work with your staff and see how we can transfer your success there to success in the procurement field.
We have gut feeling about plenty of things and maybe we think we know what works when it comes to incentivising behaviour. That’s because we know how we respond to sticks and carrots. But maybe not everyone responds as we do. Maybe different situations call for different approaches.
Problems with suppliers create problems for your business. Consider those suppliers who can’t meet deadlines, are financially unstable, have staffing issues, can’t deliver the required quality of work or have weak compliance standards – the list of potential problems can run on and on.
Most performance management systems that fail, don’t fail because they can’t do the job. They fail because they are too hard to use, take too much effort and as a result, don’t get used as much as they should.
Don’t ask a lawyer to scope a contract. By that I mean don’t ask them to define the scope of services, the pricing model or the performance management structure for a contract.
A recurring theme for many procurement staff is the erosion over time of the actual performance of their service contracts. Why is it that, despite the increasing use of robust tools and templates and the increasing proficiency of procurement staff, purchasers continue to feel dissatisfied with their contracts?
