The best Supplier Managers have the following traits:
1. They are empathetic, yet tough
2. They make evidence-based decisions
3. They are great influencers
4. They are great leaders
5. They have a (very) broad range of skills; akin to a General Manager/MD
6. They understand what Supplier Management is – and can explain it simply to others
It’s not easy to find great Supplier Managers; but you’ll certainly be able to tell if you don’t have any in your organisation, because you won’t be seeing:
1. Great value for money delivered by your suppliers
2. Risk management & risk reduction in your supply chain
3. Improved supplier performance
4. Great customer & stakeholder satisfaction
5. Lots of innovation
If you do have great Supplier Managers, make sure you do all you can to keep them – they’re tough to replace.
