2015_Global SRM Research Report - Supplier Relationships

Business and cultural change isrequired to deliver sustainable value

State of Flux ’ s experience indicates that each business area and

stakeholder will have a slightly different take on what they need

SRM to deliver . As Melanie Evans , head of supplier relationship and

contract management at Essex County Council , explains : “ I think it

was the increased realisation that effective category management

and strategic sourcing had created more of a dependency on fewer

suppliers , delivering more integrated solutions , but where the risk

remained with the council . It was clear that we needed to drive more

than just financial value – although this was still critical . We needed

to deliver better , more effective services while still saving money .”

Our survey suggests , however , that this is not currently being

treated as a priority , with only 38 % of respondents saying that they

have a strategy or plan in place to improve their standing as a

customer of choice with key suppliers . There are also some gaps in

the information that they share with them , with only 47 % of

respondents imparting their supplier relationship improvement

strategy with the suppliers themselves . The picture is different in the

leaders ’ group , however : there , more than 70 % have a strategy for

improving their standing as a customer of choice .

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