Vendor Management and Performance Training Course

Duration 10 days 19 modules · 65 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends Procurement Managers, Category Managers and others
Fee from USD 2,200 KSh 190,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 16 Nov 2026 Course code SD-P-097

Before you join: Participants should have experience buying goods or services, working with suppliers, administering contracts, managing operational requirements or contributing to sourcing decisions.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

Supplier relationships can create service continuity, innovation and cost control, or expose an organisation to delivery failure, contract leakage, poor quality, fraud and reputational damage. Procurement teams need a disciplined approach that connects supplier selection, contract terms, performance measures, governance and corrective action. This is particularly important where suppliers support critical operations, regulated services, major projects or customer-facing delivery.

This course develops the practical skills required to manage vendors through the full relationship lifecycle. Participants analyse spend and supplier portfolios, define sourcing requirements, conduct supplier due diligence, build weighted evaluation models, negotiate commercial and performance terms, establish service levels, and run supplier performance reviews. They also learn how to segment suppliers using the Kraljic Portfolio Matrix, develop supplier scorecards, manage non-performance, control contract changes and prepare exit or transition plans.

Teaching combines concise instructor briefings with procurement cases, supplier selection simulations, contract and scorecard analysis, peer review and structured application planning. Participants progressively build a vendor management pack for a realistic supplier category, beginning with spend and risk analysis and ending with governance, performance and improvement arrangements. They leave with reusable templates and a completed vendor management plan that can be adapted for their own supplier portfolio.

The course is suited to procurement, supply chain, contract management, operations and risk professionals who already work with suppliers and need stronger methods for selecting, governing and improving vendor performance. It is relevant to public-sector procurement, banking, infrastructure, manufacturing, healthcare, telecommunications, NGOs and corporate shared-service environments.

What you will be able to do

  • Analyse supplier portfolios using spend, risk, dependency and criticality criteria
  • Develop supplier selection strategies using market analysis and weighted evaluation models
  • Conduct supplier due diligence covering financial, operational, compliance and ESG risks
  • Draft performance requirements, service levels and measurable supplier scorecards
  • Negotiate commercial, governance and performance provisions for supplier contracts
  • Run structured supplier business reviews using evidence, root-cause analysis and action tracking
  • Apply corrective action, escalation and supplier improvement methods to underperformance
  • Produce a complete vendor management plan covering selection, contracting, governance and exit

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Build credible supplier scorecards linked to contractual service and commercial measures
  • Lead supplier review meetings with evidence, actions and clear accountability
  • Assess vendor proposals using defensible weighted evaluation criteria
  • Identify contract leakage and supplier performance risks before operational failure occurs
  • Prepare for procurement, category management and supplier relationship management responsibilities

For your organisation

  • Improves supplier selection decisions through documented criteria and due diligence
  • Reduces service disruption through earlier identification of supplier performance deterioration
  • Strengthens contract compliance, change control and commercial accountability
  • Creates consistent governance for strategic, critical and high-risk suppliers
  • Supports measurable supplier improvement plans instead of informal complaint management

Course modules

19 modules over 10 days

Participants can map the vendor lifecycle and define accountabilities for each control point.

  • Procurement operating model mapped from demand intake through supplier exit
  • Stakeholder RACI distinguishes budget owner, technical evaluator, buyer and contract manager
  • Three-lines accountability applied to sourcing, contract administration and supplier assurance
  • Spend cube dimensions expose supplier, category, business-unit and location patterns
  • Process swimlanes identify handoffs, approval delays and uncontrolled supplier engagement
  • Baseline metrics separate price variance, service failure, risk and relationship costs

Participants can segment suppliers and select management approaches proportionate to value and risk.

  • Kraljic Portfolio Matrix classifies spend by profit impact and supply risk
  • Supplier criticality criteria assess operational dependency, substitutability and customer impact
  • Portfolio heat maps combine spend concentration, risk exposure and performance trends
  • Segment-specific governance distinguishes transactional, preferred, strategic and critical suppliers
  • Supply positioning strategies address bottleneck, routine, leverage and strategic purchases
  • Relationship investment matched to supplier importance, market power and improvement potential

Participants can convert spend data and stakeholder needs into clear sourcing requirements.

  • Spend cleansing reconciles supplier names, categories, currencies and duplicate records
  • Pareto analysis identifies suppliers driving most expenditure, incidents and invoice volume
  • Demand specification separates mandatory requirements, preferences and optional supplier services
  • Should-cost inputs identify labour, materials, overheads, margins and volume assumptions
  • Requirements traceability matrix links business needs to evaluation and contract clauses
  • Stakeholder interviews test demand forecasts, service priorities and internal constraints

Participants can assess market conditions and incorporate findings into supplier strategies.

  • Porter's Five Forces assesses market power, rivalry and entry barriers
  • Supply market mapping identifies incumbent positions, alternatives and concentration risks
  • PESTLE factors test regulatory, economic, technological and geopolitical supply exposure
  • Supplier capacity analysis compares demand forecasts with available production capability
  • Market sounding gathers supplier insight without creating unfair competitive advantage
  • Sourcing strategy records market assumptions, constraints, opportunities and contingency options

Participants can design proportionate prequalification and due diligence for supplier risk profiles.

  • Prequalification questionnaires screen legal status, capacity, experience and financial standing
  • Financial health review examines liquidity, profitability, debt and cash conversion
  • Beneficial ownership checks identify sanctions, conflicts, fraud and corruption concerns
  • Quality assurance evidence tests certifications, inspection controls and corrective-action records
  • Site assessments verify facilities, workforce capability, equipment and process discipline
  • Risk-based due diligence determines review depth, approval levels and monitoring frequency

Participants can structure fair sourcing processes and prepare effective supplier solicitation documents.

  • RFI, RFQ and RFP selection matched to requirement complexity
  • Instructions to bidders define timetable, submission rules and clarification protocols
  • Statement of work specifies deliverables, acceptance criteria, milestones and dependencies
  • Pricing schedules separate fixed, variable, indexed and reimbursable cost elements
  • Bidder questions managed through controlled clarifications and documented responses
  • Procurement probity controls protect confidentiality, equal treatment and decision records

Participants can assess supplier proposals using transparent scoring and documented award logic.

  • Weighted scoring models balance technical, commercial, quality and risk criteria
  • Evaluation rubrics define evidence standards for each scoring level
  • Consensus scoring resolves evaluator differences without obscuring individual assessments
  • Total cost of ownership compares acquisition, operation, failure and exit costs
  • Abnormally low bids tested against scope, pricing assumptions and delivery feasibility
  • Award recommendation documents evaluation evidence, approvals, risks and negotiated conditions

Participants can prepare negotiation positions based on cost, risk and supplier bargaining power.

  • Cost breakdown analysis distinguishes direct cost, overhead, margin and contingency
  • Price benchmarking compares supplier quotations against market indices and peer contracts
  • BATNA analysis defines walk-away positions, alternatives and negotiation priorities
  • Negotiation planning sets targets, concessions, tradeables and approval boundaries
  • Volume commitments assessed against demand certainty, capacity and price incentives
  • Should-cost models challenge unexplained supplier premiums and escalation requests

Participants can select contract structures and define terms that support supplier accountability.

  • Contract models compare fixed-price, time-and-materials, framework and outcome-based arrangements
  • Scope hierarchy resolves conflicts between specifications, proposals and contract schedules
  • Payment terms link invoices to milestones, acceptance and disputed-service controls
  • Price adjustment clauses define indices, thresholds, evidence and review periods
  • Warranty provisions allocate responsibility for defects, remediation and replacement
  • Liability caps, indemnities and insurance align with assessed contract risks

Participants can design measurable service levels and balanced supplier performance scorecards.

  • SMART KPIs define measure, target, owner, data source and reporting frequency
  • Service level agreements specify response times, resolution standards and exclusions
  • Balanced scorecards combine cost, quality, delivery, risk and relationship measures
  • Leading indicators detect capacity shortfalls, backlog growth and quality deterioration
  • Data definitions prevent disputes over calculations, exclusions and reporting periods
  • Performance thresholds trigger escalation, service credits, recovery plans or incentives

Participants can establish governance forums that drive decisions, accountability and supplier collaboration.

  • Governance architecture assigns operational, tactical and executive review responsibilities
  • Meeting charters define purpose, attendance, decision rights and escalation routes
  • Quarterly business reviews connect performance results with improvement priorities
  • Relationship maps identify formal sponsors, operational contacts and informal influencers
  • Supplier communication protocols control issue reporting, commitments and action ownership
  • Joint business plans align supplier initiatives with demand, innovation and risk priorities

Participants can control supplier obligations, contract records and changes throughout delivery.

  • Contract management plans identify obligations, dates, owners and evidence requirements
  • Obligation registers track supplier deliverables, customer dependencies and approval points
  • Change control procedures assess scope, cost, schedule and risk impacts
  • Variation requests distinguish authorised changes from informal operational instructions
  • Document control maintains current specifications, amendments, notices and correspondence
  • Invoice validation checks contractual rates, accepted deliverables and approved variations

Participants can assess supplier risks and establish proportionate continuity controls.

  • Supplier risk registers record threat, likelihood, impact, owner and treatment
  • Single-source dependency analysis identifies alternatives, stock buffers and qualification requirements
  • Business continuity plans test supplier recovery priorities, sites and communications
  • Supply chain mapping reveals sub-tier dependencies, geographic exposure and transport constraints
  • Early-warning indicators monitor financial distress, delivery variance and adverse media
  • Contingency sourcing plans define trigger points, approvals and transition responsibilities

Participants can apply quality assurance methods to prevent and correct supplier quality failures.

  • ISO 9001 principles connect supplier controls with documented quality requirements
  • Incoming inspection plans define sampling, acceptance criteria and nonconformance handling
  • Supplier audits test process controls, traceability, competence and corrective actions
  • Eight Disciplines method structures containment, root-cause analysis and recurrence prevention
  • Control plans identify critical characteristics, inspection points and evidence records
  • Cost of poor quality quantifies rework, scrap, complaints and service disruption

Participants can diagnose supplier underperformance and lead structured recovery or escalation actions.

  • Performance variance analysis separates isolated incidents from systemic delivery failures
  • Five Whys identifies causal chains behind recurring service and quality problems
  • Fishbone diagrams test people, process, equipment, materials and measurement causes
  • Corrective action plans define actions, owners, dates, evidence and success measures
  • Escalation ladders specify informal resolution, formal notice, remedy and termination stages
  • Performance improvement notices document breach, required recovery and review milestones

Participants can design supplier improvement programmes that create measurable operational benefits.

  • Supplier development plans prioritise capability gaps, benefits, owners and milestones
  • PDCA cycles structure improvement experiments, review points and standardisation decisions
  • Value-stream mapping identifies delays, rework, queues and handoff failures
  • Joint improvement workshops define baseline performance and agreed future-state measures
  • Gainshare mechanisms allocate benefits from verified cost, quality or productivity improvements
  • Innovation pipelines evaluate supplier proposals against value, feasibility and implementation risk

Participants can include ethical, social and environmental controls in supplier management arrangements.

  • Supplier codes of conduct address labour, ethics, safety and environmental expectations
  • ISO 20400 principles inform sustainable procurement decisions and supplier engagement
  • Modern slavery indicators identify recruitment fees, document retention and restricted movement
  • ESG questionnaires gather evidence on emissions, waste, diversity and governance controls
  • Audit findings distinguish immediate remediation from longer-term capability improvement
  • Responsible sourcing clauses establish reporting, access rights and corrective-action obligations

Participants can plan supplier transitions and exits while protecting service continuity and information.

  • Exit plans define transition scope, milestones, responsibilities and acceptance criteria
  • Knowledge transfer schedules capture procedures, data, assets and operational contacts
  • Termination rights reviewed against breach evidence, cure periods and notice requirements
  • Data return provisions address access revocation, retention, destruction and certification
  • Incoming supplier mobilisation coordinates readiness checks, training and parallel operations
  • Lessons-learned reviews capture selection, contract and governance improvements

Participants can build, review and present a complete vendor management plan for a selected supplier category.

  • Supplier portfolio analysis prioritises the selected category's commercial and operational risks
  • Sourcing approach defines requirements, market route, evaluation criteria and approvals
  • Due diligence plan specifies financial, compliance, operational and sustainability checks
  • Contract schedule sets service levels, KPIs, remedies and change-control arrangements
  • Governance calendar assigns review forums, decision rights, reporting and escalation
  • Risk and continuity plan defines controls, indicators, contingencies and ownership

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. Supplier segmentation and risk heat-map template
  2. Weighted supplier evaluation and award recommendation model
  3. Supplier due diligence checklist
  4. Service level agreement and KPI scorecard template
  5. Supplier governance calendar and review agenda pack
  6. Vendor management plan

Who should attend

  • Procurement Managers — need consistent methods for supplier selection, governance and improvement
  • Category Managers — need to translate category strategies into supplier performance arrangements
  • Contract Managers — need stronger control of obligations, changes and supplier reviews
  • Supplier Relationship Managers — need practical scorecards, governance forums and escalation methods
  • Operations Managers — need to hold critical suppliers accountable for service delivery
  • Risk and Compliance Professionals — need visibility of third-party controls and supplier assurance

Skills and tools covered

Supplier segmentationVendor selectionContract governancePerformance measurementSupplier risk managementCorrective action planning

Tools and standards

Kraljic Portfolio Matrix, Porter's Five Forces, ISO 9001, ISO 20400

How the course runs

Training methodology

The course uses short instructor briefings to introduce methods, followed by procurement cases, supplier-data analysis, contract clause review, group exercises and role-based supplier meetings. Participants work with realistic sourcing documents, scorecards, service failures and corrective-action scenarios. Simulations cover supplier evaluation, negotiation, performance review and escalation. Facilitated discussion compares approaches used in public procurement, regulated sectors and commercial supply chains. Individual application planning helps participants adapt the tools to an active supplier category, contract or vendor relationship.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have experience buying goods or services, working with suppliers, administering contracts, managing operational requirements or contributing to sourcing decisions. They should be comfortable reading purchase specifications, quotations, contracts, invoices and basic performance reports. Familiarity with procurement terminology, such as RFQ, RFP, service level and purchase order, is useful. Participants do not need legal qualifications, advanced financial modelling skills, specialist supply chain software knowledge or prior formal procurement certification. The course explains the required commercial and governance concepts before applying them.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

Participants should already understand basic purchasing, supplier interaction or contract administration. No formal procurement qualification, legal training or advanced financial analysis background is required.

Participants may bring a current supplier issue, category strategy, contract, scorecard or sourcing requirement, subject to their organisation's confidentiality rules. Course materials and practical templates are provided.

It suits procurement, category, contract, supplier relationship, operations and risk professionals with responsibility for supplier decisions or supplier performance. It is also useful for managers who depend on critical outsourced services.

Sourcing courses concentrate on finding and selecting suppliers, while contract management courses focus on administering contractual obligations. This course connects selection, contracting, governance, performance measurement, improvement and supplier exit.

Participants can apply the templates to an active supplier category, contract renewal or underperforming vendor relationship. The vendor management plan provides a structured starting point for discussions with stakeholders and suppliers.

The first part builds supplier analysis, selection, due diligence and contracting methods. The later sessions focus on scorecards, governance, risk, corrective action, development, transition and a final capstone presentation.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.

Ask on WhatsApp info@skillsetdevelopment.com

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