Delivering enhanced performance through procurement
There is compelling evidence that more competent procurement will enable organisations to be more productive, be delivered on time and help satisfy the client. In essence, better procurement adds value.
Following on from our successful, CITB funded Performance Through Procurement programme, School partners have decided they wish to continue to support best procurement practice through a group.
We have resources for procurement people at all levels, from a series of three modules created by Professor David Mosey and his team at Kings College London on collaborative procurement techniques for procurement leaders, supplier relationship and performance management, (primarily for category heads), procurement off of works and materials for professionals who procure regularly (buyers or Quantity Surveyors) and procurement for people in smaller businesses who don’t necessarily carry out procurement as a full time job.
If you are not sure what level to choose, you can take a self-assessment and the system will provide you with an action plan to follow. The Performance Through Procurement programme also facilitated Supply Chain Improvement Projects (SCIPS) to enable learning through the case studies generated.
SMEs in Procurement
This steering group will consider how large organisations can improve their procurement to engage SMEs and how SMEs can improve their procurement skills. This will lead to two pieces of work.
Improving procurement of SMEs: This group plans to conduct workshops with SME members of the School and large organisations who procure goods and services from SMEs to understand the “pain points” and develop an action plan to improve how this is done.
Improving procurement by SMEs: This group will consult with SMEs who have used the School’s resources aimed at them and some SMEs who have not used the resources. The aim of this exercise will be to understand if the existing content is fit for purpose and just needs to be marketed or if new or modified content is needed.
Collaborative Procurement Techniques
Following on from the successful Performance Through Procurement programme, this group will gather examples of best practice in collaborative procurement and seek to showcase these among the Partner community. The group will consider whether further learning content is needed.
De-carbonising the Supply Chain
To avoid duplication with the Climate Action Group, the Procurement group will engage in their work, briefly outlined below for information:
Industry engagement: Initiated a robust stakeholder engagement programme that successfully brought 33 new Special Interest Groups and NGOs into our network.
Embodied impacts: Collaborating with key players in the built environment, including; Skanska, Taylor Wimpey, and Severn Trent to conduct a lifecycle analysis of common building materials.
Climate skills and scholarships: We are closing out the review of current assets, modules, and learning pathways held on the School’s carbon catalogue.
Climate data group: Investigate the benefit and impact having GHG Protocol Logo on the Tool, which does mean an assessment by SBTi to ensure data analysis is robust and validated.
Due Diligence and Supply Chain Mapping
To avoid overlap with the Modern Slavery Group, this group will engage in their work, described below.
Combatting modern slavery and labour exploitation through procurement. This will address at all the enablers (leadership and commitment, recruitment, through to grievance and remediation), including legislation and frameworks from ILO, OECD etc. It will focus on the things organisations should be doing in their own organisation to address modern slavery and labour exploitation. It will also cover high risk suppliers, addressing the kind of things to ask your supply chain about.
Developing an operational toolkit. This is a library of resources, split into various headings, which will provide links to things like, videos to raise awareness of modern slavery, how to spot the signs, training resources, competency frameworks etc. This is something that procurers can use in their own business and signpost their supply chain to.
Grievance and remediation. A key element of due diligence, and a hot topic for the modern slavery group. They will run a virtual conference on this in Q4 and a webinar on it in Q3. There is very little out there in the built environment in terms of good practice, so we will bring in expertise from other sectors and countries.
What Is Procurement?
Shaun McCarthy OBE, Chair, Supply Chain School, provides a succinct definition for procurement
For people new to the profession.
Creating value through effective procurement
Adding value through managed relationships
Optimising value through collaboration
“The productivity of the construction sector has changed little since the 1990s. The reasons for this are complex but there is no doubt that improved procurement skills are part of the solution. The range of CPD accredited learning available from the School will help to deliver the step change we need.”Shaun McCarthy OBE, Chair, Supply Chain Sustainability School
Procurement for Beginners
Introduction to Procurement
E-learning Module
60 minutesProcurement for Professionals
Delivering Cost & Value in your Subcontract Procurement
E-learning Module
Supplier Performance: Measurement and Management
E-learning Module
Supplier relationship and performance management
Supplier Relationship Management
E-learning Module
“The construction sector remains the least productive industry in the UK economy, at more than 20 percentage points below the average output per hour for the whole economy in 2017. In contrast, the manufacturing sector remains 10% above the whole economy average.”The Office of National Statistics
Construction statistics, Great Britain: 2017
Want to get in touch?