ARTicle
STATE OF FLUX
2014 GLOBAL SRM RESEARCH REPORT
136
SRM skills training demand and supply gap
○ DEMAND ○ SUPPLY ○ GAP
TRUST BUILDING COMMUNICATION CHANGE MANAGEMENT COMMERCIAL AND CONTRACTUAL EXPERTISE CROSS FUNCTIONAL WORKING STRATEGIC THINKING
NEGOTIATION SKILLS CREATIVE MINDSET FACILITATION SKILLS UNDERSTANDING THE SALES AND KEY ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT PROCESS LEADERSHIP INFLUENCING SKILLS
Negotiation and commercial skills are still the focus for training investment
ANALYTICAL SKILLS ACCOUNT PLANNING PROBLEM SOLVING PROJECT MANAGEMENT MARKET AND CATEGORY KNOWLEDGE
GENERAL PRODUCT AND SERVICE KNOWLEDGE DEEP PRODUCT / SERVICE KNOWLEDGE
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
© 2014 State of Flux
INSIGHTS FROM OUR 2014 RESEARCH
Our main reason for broadening the perspective beyond training delivery is because our research indicates that, generally speaking, the supplier relationship manager role is not well defined. Only 52% of respondents to this year’s State of Flux SRM survey indicated that SRM is defined and recognised as a specific role and discipline within their organisation. To qualify this, we also asked about the proof points that should be in place if the role is well defined. Out of the 52% that reported a well defined role, we saw that less than half were aware of their organisation: ö ö Having an SRM specific skills / competencies inventory. ö ö Performing an SRM capability assessment. ö ö Having SRM specific training options available.
Looking back over our last three years of research between 2011 and 2014, we have seen the reported investment in training remain more or less flat. Yet companies who are identified as leaders in SRM (i.e. demonstrating good practice and reaping benefits from investing in SRM), are also the ones that are making the training investment. We also investigated the demand vs. supply aspect of SRM training (see figure 1 below). The biggest gap areas (i.e. SRM skill areas where the demand was not being met) were in strategic thinking, cross functional working, communication, trust building and influencing skills. Interestingly there are two skill areas where there is an apparent over-provision – commercial expertise and negotiation.
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