Supplier Relationship Development

The Supplier Relationship Development Project will, in conjunction with its partners, examine ways of improving the relationship between selected strategic suppliers and their local authority customers for mutual benefit.  Many avenues will be explored, from technological to relationship-building, to good procurement practice.

As a starting point, two suppliers have been selected; one in the waste industry, and the other in the social care industry.  We are only working with local authorities that are not in a retender position to avoid any potential conflicts of interest.  Depending on its success, it is envisaged that the model and process could be rolled out to other contractors.

In the first phase, local authorities will develop an opportunity assessment via a Common Assessment Framework approach, while at the same time, suppliers will also examine how local authority customers can make improvements in the way they procure.  A joint meeting will be held to agree a development strategy for both sides, and an action plan will be created as a result.  The action plan will consist of items that will produce mutual benefit.

The project has been launched as a direct result of the improvement and efficiency agenda in Government and the Comprehensive Spending Review 2007. 

Background

London local authorities spend over £9 billion annually on goods and services.  The top 100 suppliers in London account for approximately 25% of this total and the top 1,000 suppliers for nearly 60%.  Collectively, London authorities can account for over 70% of the turnover for some of these suppliers and are therefore in a very strong position to ensure the best possible outcomes in terms of quality, value for money and innovation.

The Contract and Relationship Management and Strategic Supplier Intelligence Projects, predecessors to the Supplier Relationship Development project, have delivered outputs that can support London local authorities in achieving these best value outcomes by improving the way contract relationships are managed. In particular, this involves collaborative working to achieve improvements in performance and deliver efficiencies.

Project id: CA30
Theme: Delivering Together
Status: Active
Project director: Mark Atkinson
Contact: mark.atkinson@london-fire.gov.uk
Phone: 020 8555 1200 ext 31185
Mob: 07909 536931
Project manager: Christine Morton
Contact: christine@mortonatlantic.com
Phone: 07734 915176