Achilles Logo ARTICLE 5 qualities of a perfect supplier ← Resources TOPIC Supply Chain INDUSTRY Education SHARE SUBSCRIBE Subscribe What does the perfect supplier look like in the eyes of a buyer? The UK’s rail, utilities and construction industries have gone from strength-to-strength in recent years, with the kick-off of major projects such as HS2 and the world’s biggest offshore wind farm all creating opportunities for suppliers. It could be argued that the perfect supplier is simply one that can supply whatever it is that the buyer needs, but there is a lot more to it than that. Here, we look at the top five qualities we think buyers want from the perfect supplier. 1. Remains compliant with industry standards Ultimately, buyers need to know that suppliers aren’t going to add extra risk to their organisations’ risk profiles. The main way to ensure this is by making sure the supplier is operating in a compliant manner. At Achilles, each of our communities works towards the relevant industry standards, but they all tend to centre around the same areas, such as making sure suppliers are complying with the Modern Slavery Act, have a good health and safety record and a clear stance on corporate social responsibility. In fact, research commissioned by Achilles led to the discovery that the biggest concern for buyers when dealing with SME suppliers is ensuring that they follow the latest procurement standards and regulations. Buyers tend to be particularly wary of smaller contractors’ ability to comply with up-to-date legislation, so it’s vital for suppliers to demonstrate that they are on top of this. 2. Keeps information up-to-date Secondly, in the eyes of the buyer, a perfect supplier should always ensure its records are up-to-date. Whether this is with regard to insurance certificates, financial performance, health and safety, environmental policy or training courses that have been completed, businesses need to make sure all information is relevant and regularly updated. Not only does this make it easier for the supplier to keep on top of their policies and paperwork, but it also helps the buyer to make better-informed decisions. Achilles gathers information on various areas relevant to the industry during the pre-qualification questionnaire stage, that is a prerequisite of joining our communities, and requires suppliers to undergo regular updates, at a minimum annually, for a further guarantee that this data is all up-to-date, something which buyers are extremely keen on. 3. Strives to continually improve For those suppliers who have undergone an Achilles Audit, a score – depending on a community this can be pass/fail or numerical – will be given that indicates how well they have done, which is made visible to buyers together with the audit report. Demonstrating to buyers that your organisation is committed to continual improvement by learning from the audit results and achieve better audit scores year-on-year, shows buyers that your organisation is continually meeting the ever increasing buyer standards. You may not be always perfect but ensuring that you have action plans in place where required will go a long way. Read more on how you can turn your business into the perfect supplying organisation. 4. Demonstrates innovation Innovation is a key supply chain trend at present, and buyers want to see signs of this from the suppliers they work with because it could be what gives your customer an advantage. The Achilles pre-qualification questionnaire includes a dedicated ‘supplier profile’ section where businesses can showcase their credentials, giving them the chance to show off about their achievements and anything unusual they may have worked on, either internally or with an external organisation. Buyers want their suppliers to be ahead of the game, always looking to better themselves, while remaining compliant. Therefore, it’s important for contractors to bear in mind that buyers will be looking for signs of innovation, but they’ll also be searching for compliant suppliers, so these two factors need to go hand-in-hand. 5. Has a proactive attitude Last but not least, the perfect supplier should have a proactive attitude. Joining an Achilles community demonstrates to buyers that suppliers are serious about meeting buyer and industry requirements. However, just joining isn’t enough. Remember to engage with your customers outside of the Achilles platform and, your own marketing team or the person responsible for marketing to promote your organisation’s achievement. This can be done on their company website, social media, exhibitions, and email signatures – get as creative as you like. Find out which Achilles community is right for your business. ← Resources You might be also interested in… Five areas of supply chain risk 5 reasons why suppliers should undergo an audit Get great insights in your inbox every month Subscribe ---- Select a sector ---- Automotive Chemicals Construction Cement and Mining Oil and Gas Utilities Transport Industrial Manufacturing Facilities Management Consumer Goods ---- Please select a country ---- United States United Kingdom Australia ---- Afghanistan Aland Islands Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia Comoros Congo Congo, The Democratic Republic of the Cook Islands Costa Rica Cote D"Ivoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Heard Island and Mcdonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran, Islamic Republic Of Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macao, SAR China Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands Netherlands Antilles New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Reunion Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Saint Helena Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Svalbard and Jan Mayen Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Republic of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand Timor - Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Virgin Islands, U . 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