BCS Specialist: Supplier Management

ITIL® is recognised internationally as the best practice approach to IT Service Management (ITSM) aligning the provision of IT Services with the needs of the business. It is used globally by thousands of organisations throughout the private and public sectors to improve the way in which they implement and manage IT Services.

The ITIL qualification scheme also recognises other certifications which add value to ITIL best practices and its own certification portfolio. These certifications are recognised under the ITIL Complementary Qualifications Scheme. Such certifications are given a credit value which successful delegates can add to the credits gained from other ITIL certifications and use towards their ITIL Expert Level qualification.

The BCS Specialist Certificate in Supplier Management provides a comprehensive understanding of the principles required and practical experience of using industry best practices in the identification, selection, contracting, monitoring, reporting, and managing of suppliers.

Audience: Who is the course for?

• Project managers, business managers and business process owners
• Those who require a working knowledge of the industry best practice used in supplier management and how it can be used to improve the quality of ITSM within an organisation
• Those who are required to deliver or improve supplier management within an on-going Service Improvement Programme

Course duration:

This is a three day course. The exam is taken on the third day.

Benefits to the individual:

• Recognised professional qualification
• Understand the application of BCS Supplier Management principles that contribute to industry best practice
• Understand the BCS Supplier Management processes and how they may be used to enhance the quality of IT service support within an organisation

Benefits to the business:

• The adoption and application of proven best practice processes results in improved IT services and increased productivity throughout the business
• Through the production and correct interpretation of Supplier Management reports, suppliers and their performance can be better managed leading to increased productivity
• Better supplier management leads to increased efficiency and reduced costs

Prerequisites:

Delegates must hold the ITIL Foundation Certificate and should also have:

• A minimum of one year's experience in an IT Service Management environment
• Responsibility for the delivery and maintenance of a specific service management process
• Several years' experience in a specialist service management

Course outline:

The objectives of this course are:

• To enable delegates to apply industry best practices in their working environment
• To develop and improve the customer and business focus of Supplier Management
• For delegates to be able to manage suppliers through all stages of the supplier lifecycle, from identification of requirement, through to exit strategy
• Assist with the planning and implementation of Supplier Management

The course is conducted through interactive group study using practical examples and activities. Delegates will also sit a mock exam.

Over the three day course, the following topics are covered:

Introduction:

• Introduction to course
• Overview of course structure, objectives, exam format and agenda
• History of ITSM, introduction to ITSM in general, including standards, good practice and frameworks such as ISO/IEC 20000, ITIL and COBIT® and the differences in approach
• The goal and objectives of the Supplier Management process, and an outline of the related functions, roles and processes.

Supplier Management processes. Supplier Management concepts and principles:

• The responsibilities and objectives in support of generic Supplier Management
• The different categories of supplier and the circumstances under which each is used
• The selection of suppliers and contract negotiation, development and exit
• The relationship between suppliers
• Supplier performance measures
• Obtaining value for money

The how - ITIL and its application to Supplier Management:

• The structure intent and use of ITIL
• The key Supplier Management guidelines within ITIL
• Interfaces with and dependencies on other areas of ITIL and ISO/IEC 20000 especially: Service Catalogue Management, Service Level Management, IT Service Continuity Management and Information Security Management

A generic Supplier Management process, including:

• Identifying the need for a supplier and assessing options
• Supplier selection and contract negotiation
• Contract and performance management
• Improvement of supplier performance
• Integration of suppliers with each other and with the business
• Contract renewal/termination

The what – the requirements of the ISO/IEC 20000 standard:

• The structure, intent and use of ISO/IEC 20000
• The key Supplier Management requirements of Part 1 of the standard (Relationship Processes)
• Supporting material from Parts 2 and 3 of the standard
• The overall Service Management System
• Interfaces with and dependencies on other areas of the standard

Tools, methods and techniques:

• Awareness, knowledge and use of Supplier Management support tools and techniques
• Toolsets designed for other IT functions, such as Financial Management, which incorporate parts of the Supplier Management process
• Generic requirements for Supplier Management toolsets
• Integration with other areas, processes and functions
• The benefits of automation

Supplier Management roles and responsibilities – SFIA and ITIL. Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA) and its use with defining Supplier Management roles:

• Overview of the structure and content of the SFIA framework
• Supplier Management roles, levels of responsibility and work activities

ITIL and its use in defining Supplier Management roles:

• Supplier Management roles and responsibilities

Control, measurement and reporting activities. COBIT® and its application to Supplier Management:

• The structure, intent and use of COBIT®
• The key Supplier Management requirements of COBIT® AI 5 and DS 2
• Interfaces with, and dependencies on, other areas of COBIT®

The preparation of Supplier Management reports for dissemination:

• The purpose of supplier reports, management reports and reporting. What to report on and what not to?
• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Critical Success Factors (CSFs)
• How statistics can be used and abused
• Common categories of supplier classification and analysis

Analysis of supplier performance statistics and trends. The analysis of supplier performance statistics and reports, identifying trends:

• Identification of areas of under-performance, where contractual obligations, or value for money criteria, are not being met
• Proposing remedial actions and identifying hotspots where proactive measures should be instigated

Interfaces and dependencies:

• The appreciation and understanding of the interfaces and dependencies Supplier Management has with other areas, functions and processes, including.
  • Service Level Management
  • Service Catalogue Management
  • Financial Management
  • Projects and major changes
  • Service Asset and Configuration Management
  • IT Security Management
  • Capacity, Availability and Continuity
  • Technical, Support, Operations and Applications Management teams
  • Demand Management
  • Service Portfolio Management
  • Business Relationship Management
  • Request Fulfilment
  • Change and Release Management

Planning, improvement and implementation:

• The planning, implementation and continual improvement (Plan/Do/Check/Act ) of Supplier Management

Exam details:

The 90 minute exam consists of 25 multiple choice questions. The questions are based on a number of scenarios and the pass mark is 16/25 or 64%. This is a closed book exam i.e. entrants may not refer to any course materials or their own notes.

BCS Courses

BCS Supplier Management

ITIL Official Glossary