As facilitators of collaborative sourcing, we deeply value our partnership with each one of OECM’s 300+ awarded supplier partners. In December 2022, OECM’s Supplier Relationship Management team, in tandem with our Business Development team, established the Supplier Working Group (SWG) to strengthen the relationship with our supplier community, promote dialogue to develop strategy, and enhance our joint value proposition for customers. The SWG currently comprises 12 supplier organizations from various industries, including IT, education, business services, and facilities, and meetings between OECM and the SWG are held quarterly.
Since the conception of SWG, supplier partners have shared insight into several emerging aspects of public procurement that impact the supply chain. Through discussion and exchange of ideas, the SWG will help us improve our business processes in the areas of strategic sourcing, customer service, supplier and contract management, marketing, and communications, as well as support the implementation of OECM’s strategic initiatives, such as Supplier Recognition Program, Supplier Success Program, Environmental, Social, and Governance and others. To ensure the long-term sustainability and feasibility of the SWG, OECM will consistently reinforce the group’s core objectives, which include a code of conduct (e.g., confidentiality) for members to follow and maintaining membership diversity.
Khusen Shukurov, OECM’s Director of Supplier Relationship Management, shared his views on forming the SWG, “The goal for OECM’s SRM team is to strengthen and advance our strategic partnerships with the supplier community. Establishing the Supplier Working Group is a step closer to that goal, and in 2023 we will continue to brainstorm, engage, and collaborate with SWG members to bring strategic insights from our supplier community back to OECM.”
