Supplier award schemes
28 August 2012
Q: I work for a systems integration company and we are looking at how we develop our suppliers. One possibility is a supplier awards scheme. What typically works and doesn't work in such schemes, and what are the main benefits they deliver?
A: Christopher Barrat, director of the Greystone Partnership, writes: Award schemes come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Likewise the concept of "developing" your suppliers leaves a wide spectrum of potential, with a carrot at one end and a large stick at the other.
Start with defining the effect you want the scheme to have on...