Best Practices for Working with Vendors and Suppliers

Why Should You Attend:

Everyone in procurement needs to take time out to review how they are doing in getting the best service out of their vendors. Are they unknowingly putting their employer at increased risk by the way they transact business with vendors? Learn how to develop healthy business relationships with your vendors to get the best results for your company or agency. Discover tools you can use to maintain vendor quality standards. Develop your company’s terms and conditions to strengthen your position in an agreement. Learn to use contract language to better your company’s position. Learn how to limit risks to your organization. Review case studies that explore vendor relationships and how to avoid conflicts. Receive information on the tools to be used to prevent being held hostage by an underperforming vendor under contract.

Best Practices for Working with Vendors and Suppliers

1. This is a Business Relationship
• You are representing your Company or Agency
• You’re First Priority should be to look out for the best interests of your Employer
• Your Vendor will be looking out for their best interests
• Avoid getting into a personal relationship with your supplier or their representative
2. Coming to Terms with your vendor
• Make your vendor aware of your company or agency purchasing terms and conditions
• Bind your agreements with vendors using your written or published terms
• Avoid using agreements drafted by your vendor
• Review all vendor terms and conditions of sale, warranty, liability, indemnification, etc.
3. Limit the Risk to your Organization
• Require Insurance of all appropriate types
• Require certifications or licenses if required
• Provide for Penalties for unsatisfactory performance
• Provide convenient exit clauses for your organization
• Do a vendor Responsibility Check
4. How to increase the quality of your business relationship with vendors
• Know what products and services they provide
• Offer them open and competitive solicitations
• Give them adequate time to respond to solicitations
• Monitor their Performance
• Pay them timely in accordance with your published payment terms
5. Case Studies
• Vendor is doing work that puts your company at High Liability Risk
• Vendor is not providing Quality Transportation Services
• Long time vendor is protesting their loss of Business
• Monitoring Supply vendor leads to more flexibility to the end user
• Poor results are discovered after the vendor has left the job

Areas Covered in the Webinar:

• Building a Business Relationship
• Procurement Terms and Conditions
• Limiting Risk
• Increase Quality
• Case Studies
• Review

Who Will Benefit:

• Purchasing Agents
• Buyers
• Contract Managers
• Contract Officers

Kenneth Jones
Procurement Specialist, Center for International Development, University of Albany, NY

Kenneth Jones has been working in the public and non-profit procurement field for 30 years. He worked for the New York State Office of Taxation and Finance as a Purchasing Assistant from 1985-87 and left there to work for the University at Albany, SUNY where he served as a Purchasing Agent and in 1999 was the Assistant Director supervising and providing training for the Office of Purchasing and Contracts. This included providing training for both State procurement and The Research Foundation for SUNY procurement rules and regulations. His previous purchasing experience included procuring commodities, services and construction for the departments on campus.

A past Director of the SUNY Purchasing Association, Ken retired from the position of Assistant Director in January of 2014. However he was requested to continue to assist the office through the end of 2014. Currently Ken works part time for the SUNY Center for International Development as a Procurement Specialist assisting primarily with their program in Kenya, Africa.

Ken has trained many University staff on procurement rules and regulations. He established online ordering processes with vendors ranging from office supplies to lab chemicals and continues to provide training in his current position to procurement staff in Nairobi, Kenya. Ken has presented on various procurement topics both in person and on the Web.

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