Supplier Value Awards Programme 2009 | Home Office

Many big customers will have a lot of suppliers to provide a variety of services: cleaning, construction, security, IT, postal delivery. The public sector uses many suppliers, so supplier relationship management (SRM) must be as important to public sector organisations as customer relationship management (CRM) is to business. I wonder why there are few business courses that include a module on SRM, or management of third party professionals. MBA courses seem aimed at people who are going to become consultants, rather than people who are going to use consultants. I'm not aware and am trying to work out where SRM fits into an MBA. CRM is usually marketing, but SRM?

The Home Office has recognised the importance of suppliers and now awards the best, hoping to encourage all. It appears to have a pragmatic approach to its suppliers. One of the criterion (from the FAQs here) for the award is:

value for money delivered through cost savings or enhanced delivery

The italics are mine because value for money is important but value for the Home Office is more than just the cheapest option - value is in the quality of the service and relationships between supplier and client and other collaborating organisations, though of course the money matters because it's our taxes that pay for services.

So it was a pleasure and a privilege to be present when the SVAP awards were announced yesterday. The winners deserve their accolades. the competition was strong - just look at the nominees in each category to see what suppliers were up against. And all praise due too to the Home Office for such positive encouragement to its suppliers.