Supplier Communication and Governance
Ensure appropriate communication channels are in place to address problems as they arise. Plan, manage, and execute the exchange of information with appropriate governance and performance oversight structures.
Improvement Planning
Practices-Outcomes-Metrics (POM)
Representative POMs are described for Supplier Communication and Governance at each level of maturity.
- 1Initial
- Practice
- Best endeavours of available personnel.
- 2Basic
- Practice
- Collate contact lists for all IT suppliers with all relevant internal/external contacts.
- Outcome
- There is a single repository of contacts for all IT supplier related communication to facilitate effective communication.
- Metric
- % of suppliers included in contact list
- Practice
- Define basic standards for communication with IT suppliers (including a common vocabulary and some standardized documentation), and hold regular meetings between the organization and IT suppliers to review performance, progress, and process.
- Outcome
- There is increased consistency and improved understanding of pertinent issues.
- Metric
- Historical analysis: % documents complying with communication standards# of communication document templates % areas using non-standard documentation
- Practice
- Implement a process to share some information with preferred IT suppliers — including updates to orders, on-order schedules, plans, and any issues that arise.
- Outcomes
- There is improved visibility of product/service availability.
- The quality of orders is improved and IT suppliers have an improved perception of the organization.
- Metric
- % of accuracy of Orders, % faulty ordersHistorical analysis: number of order updates/changes
- Practice
- Agree a basic level of supplier integration and governance.
- Outcome
- Suppliers are individually managed albeit from a distance, by the appropriate manager(s).
- Metric
- % of suppliers with agreed governance model
- 3Intermediate
- Practices
- Define and implement a detailed communications plan for all tiers of suppliers.
- Document the contact personnel for all IT suppliers, including details of their roles and responsibilities, their information requirements, and their position on escalation paths.
- Outcome
- There is improved clarity and consistency of communications between IT, the rest of the business, and IT suppliers.
- Metric
- % suppliers with documented contact personnel # interactions per IT supplier contract% suppliers covered by detailed communications plan
- Practice
- Begin to share some business-sensitive information more openly with preferred (Tier 1) suppliers.
- Outcome
- There is open communication with preferred (Tier 1) suppliers enhancing levels of mutual trust and commitment.
- Metric
- % of key IT suppliers with whom there is a planned meeting schedule
- Practice
- Agree and implement a formal process for sharing information between IT, IT suppliers, and the rest of the business.
- Outcome
- There is an improved awareness of issues that could potentially impact on availability, price, and quality.
- Metric
- % of key IT suppliers covered by formal information sharing process
- Practice
- Furnish suppliers with information on the organization's IT and business processes and supplier governance procedures.
- Outcome
- Suppliers have a general understanding of their responsibilities for inputs to/outputs from the business processes.
- Metric
- % of suppliers with agreed governance model
- 4Advanced
- Practices
- Invite senior IT supplier staff to strategic and operational meetings that are relevant to their service provision.
- Conversely, representatives of the organization are invited to relevant meetings in the suppliers' side.
- Outcome
- There is strong alignment of goals between the organization and the IT supplier.
- Metric
- # of key IT supplier staff in operational meetings# of key IT supplier staff in strategic meetings # of key IT staff in IT supplier meetings # of shared goals
- Practice
- Appoint advocates to represent the organization to key IT suppliers and expect them to do the same.
- Outcomes
- There is an improved process flow and potential for idea-sharing.
- There is a reduction in the number and severity of information bottlenecks.
- Metric
- % of key suppliers with advocates in placeHistorical analysis:# of IT supplier incidents
- Practice
- Share extracts of the IT Product/Service roadmap with IT suppliers and expect them to share similar documents.
- Outcome
- Alignment of IT suppliers with IT strategy improves.
- Metric
- Historical analysis: # key suppliers replaced # suppliers providing roadmap
- Practice
- Consider service integration issues and inter-supplier relationships in multi-sourcing situations by joint management governance.
- Outcome
- Suppliers co-operate with one another within the framework of a joint governance model.
- Metric
- % of suppliers signed up to multi-supplier agreements% of suppliers fully integrated with the organization governance model
- 5Optimized
- Practice
- Establish a forum to explore improvement ideas with IT suppliers.
- Outcome
- There is robust and efficient communication with IT suppliers, ensuring that any disagreements can be resolved through collaborative and creative problem-solving.
- Metric
- % of Tier 1 suppliers participating in the ideas forum
- Practice
- Co-locate staff with IT supplier staff working on joint initiatives, where appropriate.
- Outcome
- There is increased collaboration and less of a ‘them and us’ culture.
- Metric
- # staff collaborating e.g. through co-location, joint projects
- Practice
- Share extracts from key documents with key suppliers and expect them to share similar documents, including IT Product/Service strategy, P/L statements, and so on.
- Outcome
- There is improved long-term alignment and increased trust and the opportunity to manage IT supplier profit margin.
- Metric
- % key suppliers providing P/S Strategies% key suppliers providing P/L extracts
- Practice
- Continually pay attention to service integration and to inter-supplier governance and processes, ensuring that everyone carries out the roles and responsibilities appropriate to their authority.
- Outcome
- When the organization contracts new suppliers or ends a supplier contract, this happens without disruption or risk to the delivery of the IT service to the organization.
- Metric
- # of issues that relate to the disruption of a process between suppliers% of services that are delayed due to integrating a new supplier % of completion of actions arising from review of sourcing effectiveness.