Selection of a supplier in the procurement activities of a trading company. The main criteria for choosing a supplier when purchasing material and technical resources

How to build relationships with suppliers. How to choose a reliable supplier. What are the methods of working with suppliers. How the company regulates the conditions of work with suppliers.

How to build relationships and work with suppliers

There are two types of supplier relationships.

Some enterprises take the simplest path - when negotiating, they take a tough stance. The purpose of such a strategy is to obtain the most favorable conditions. In this case, the relationship between firms is based on the principle of economic expediency. Their other name is opportunistic. Such a system of working with suppliers is effective in the short term, but if it is necessary to build a long-term relationship with a supplier, it will not give positive results.

The second type of supplier relationship is partnership.

It is also possible that both approaches can be used when working with a particular organization. A variant of coordination (selective competition) or cooperation (selective partnership) is possible.

The relations of the enterprise with suppliers should be built both on the principle of economic expediency (that is, be opportunistic) and based on strategic partnerships.

To determine which type of relationship is most suitable for a particular enterprise, you need to carefully analyze a number of factors (both external and internal), obtain information about the work of suppliers. First of all, you should study the object of procurement. After that, you can choose a negotiating strategy.

If an organization works with non-strategic material or commodity groups, when there is no need to change the properties and characteristics of the product in accordance with customer requirements, then it is necessary to build relationships with the supplier based on the principle of economic feasibility (opportunistic). In this case, such a strategy will not adversely affect the quality characteristics of the supplied goods.

If, when purchasing simple products, it becomes necessary to standardize them, relationships also need to be built on the principle of economic feasibility, especially if the enterprise producing the desired product does not fully utilize production capacity or has difficulties with marketing. In such a situation, it is possible to change the supplier or replace the product.

How to start organizing work with suppliers of goods

Organization of work with suppliers begins with their search. To select a provider, you can:

announce a competition
study promotional materials, professional periodicals, directories;
visit any industry fairs or exhibitions;
establish contact with potential suppliers.

Below are the criteria by which it is necessary to decide whether or not to conclude a deal with a supplier.

Influence on the final result. Products and services purchased by an enterprise can make a different contribution to the cost of the finished product, have a different impact on the final result of the activity. The type of relationship between firms depends on the degree of influence. The more significant the impact of the purchased product on the final product (or service), the more necessary it is to build partnerships.
Purchase volume. The larger the volume of purchases, the greater the impact this category of goods has on the formation of the cost of the finished product. Therefore, with an increase in the volume of purchases, partnerships become appropriate.
The complexity of the goods and the completeness of the delivery. If an enterprise needs to purchase a simple single object, then relations with the supplier can be built opportunistically. But when a complication of the purchased goods is required, an increase in the completeness of the delivery, it is better to make a choice in favor of partnerships with the supplier. By acquiring technically complex products, the firm becomes dependent on the knowledge of the supplying enterprise in the field of technology. If she still uses services for installation and maintenance of equipment, technical and consulting support, then changing the supplier may entail an increase in costs.
Risks. Both external and internal risks must be considered. Internal arise due to the instability of consumption. If irregular deliveries are needed, the supplier must be flexible. External risks - monopolization of the market, the number of possible supplier firms; balance of supply and demand; geographic risks associated with the remoteness of suppliers, etc.

How to choose a reliable supplier: 10 evaluation criteria

To be sure that the new counterparty will deliver in a quality and timely manner, check it by checklist of 10 indicators. With its help, it is possible to determine which of the counterparties is an "excellent student", and who is a "loser".

You can download the checklist for verification in the article of the electronic magazine "Commercial Director".

2 schemes for working with suppliers

Scheme No. 1. One supplier

It is not necessary to conclude contracts with several firms. For some organizations, it is more convenient to work with a single supplier (or two or three). In this case, if the goods are purchased in large quantities, you can get a good discount, which will lead to a reduction in the cost of production. To be sure of the reliability of the supplier, you should look for one that has a long-term reputation, its own name. Also, before making a decision to conclude an agreement, you can read the reviews of enterprises - partners of the company.

Such a scheme is suitable for organizations that have been operating for many years, have significant experience working with suppliers and working capital, allowing them to purchase goods in large quantities.

Scheme #2: Multiple Suppliers

With a shortage of working capital or at the stage of promotion of the company, work with suppliers on procurement should be organized differently. The most important will be to ensure timely payment of invoices for the products supplied. This will avoid falling into a debt hole and stopping the enterprise due to delayed payments and refusal to fulfill the terms of the contract.

When you work with one or two suppliers, you overpay for the purchased goods. If a wholesale supplier has a fairly wide range of goods, then he is a reseller. Its prices are much higher than those that the manufacturers could offer you directly.

When working with one supplier, there is a risk of not receiving the goods for various reasons. If you take products for sale, then by the time you pay for it, you may not have the required amount, since the money will be used to pay other bills, pay wages employees, etc. Delay in payment will mean failure to fulfill the obligations of the contract.

low cost of goods purchased from a distributor;
low cost of goods purchased from the manufacturer;
guarantee of the quality of products purchased from those resellers who specialize in certain categories of goods;
lower cost of goods purchased from organizations engaged in the supply of products only from a certain manufacturer (authorized dealers);
the ability to defer payment, purchase the missing quantity of goods from other suppliers while the debt is being paid to the rest;
the possibility of ensuring the life of the enterprise "on credit" at the expense of small amounts of debt to each specific supplier;
participation in various bonus programs developed by suppliers;
cooperation with the possibility of concluding exclusive contracts.

If an enterprise cooperates with a large number of suppliers, then it can develop its own strategy for interacting with each of them, taking into account the specifics of the products and the conditions offered by them. When purchasing products that have a very short shelf life and are sold by many organizations, you should build relationships with the supplier based on the principle of economic feasibility, requiring strict fulfillment of the terms of the contract, excellent quality, high price. In this case, it is better not to count on long-term cooperation.

A newly launched enterprise will not be able to interact with only one supplier, even working with a wide range of goods.

Expert opinion

4 more supplier selection criteria

Boris Tsyrkin,

Managing Partner, KASKAD Family

We needed to buy ceramic blocks. Suppliers were selected within six months in two stages. At the first stage, we studied preliminary commercial offers were negotiating. As a result, we weeded out two companies whose conditions were unacceptable to us. At the second stage, we tested the work of the companies that passed the selection in practice, having issued short-term contracts with them for the supply of ceramic blocks.

Within six months, building materials were purchased from three suppliers, while the supply volumes were the same. This was necessary in order to choose the most reliable of them, which would meet our requirements according to certain criteria.

Quality. To confirm the quality, the product was tested in independent laboratories. A very important point in assessing quality is the organization of feedback from other customers of the manufacturer. We collected feedback from workers and foremen at various construction sites. All samples corresponded to ours and state standards, there were only minor differences. Therefore, the selection was carried out according to other criteria.

Price. This indicator must be assessed taking into account the cost of delivery to the construction site, since manufacturing plants are located at different distances. The specific weight of the "price" criterion when making a decision is about 60-70%.

Prices for purchased products fluctuate depending on the season, so we used average annual values in our calculations.

Supply stability. If during the season the manufacturer has a shortage of products, then short deliveries are possible. Large enterprises, on the other hand, need a guarantee of stable supplies, and sometimes supplies in excess of the volume specified in the contract.

Loyalty and partnership trust. This is the criterion that is most difficult to assess, but extremely necessary. If the supplier is sometimes ready to deliver the goods without prepayment, to respond promptly to complaints and to do more than agreed upon in the contract, then this is a significant advantage for him.

Methods of working with suppliers: the pros and cons of each

Method 1. Purchase of goods in one batch

It consists in carrying out the purchase of a large consignment of goods at a time (wholesale).

pros: it is quite easy to draw up documents, there is a guarantee of delivery of the whole batch, the opportunity to get a good discount.

Minuses: large areas of warehouse space are needed, the turnover of capital with this method slows down.

Method 2. Regular purchases in small lots

The organization issues an order for the supply of the required quantity of products within a certain time. The goods are delivered in small batches.

pros: capital turnover is good, since payment is made for each small batch, and not for the entire volume at once; there is no need to have large storage areas; paperwork costs are reduced, as the order is placed on total goods.

Minuses: there is a risk of ordering goods in excess of the required quantity; the need to pay for all ordered goods.

Method 3. Daily (monthly) purchases according to quotation sheets

This method is acceptable for those who buy inexpensive and quickly expendable goods. Quotation sheets are compiled every day (or every month). They should include:

a complete list of purchased goods;
the number of products available in stock;
the required number of goods.

pros: capital turnover accelerates; warehousing and storage costs are reduced; deliveries are made on time.

Minuses: the need to maintain strict records of purchased products.

Method 4: Receiving goods as needed

Similar to regular deliveries, but has its own characteristics:

the required amount of production is not calculated exactly, but is determined approximately;
there is a need to negotiate with the supplier each order;
invoice for payment is issued only for the delivered goods;
if the contract has expired, the customer has the right not to accept the goods, which are yet to be delivered, and not to pay for them.

pros: no strict commitments in terms of purchase volumes; capital turnover accelerates; documentation costs are minimized.

Method 5. Purchase of goods with immediate delivery

This method is used when purchased products are used occasionally at the enterprise or if it is not possible to purchase them as needed. When the goods are required, an order is placed, and the products are shipped from the warehouses of suppliers.

The disadvantage of the method is the need for detailed documentation for each order, which entails increased costs, small batches of orders and many suppliers.

How should work with suppliers of goods be regulated

The company must develop a “Regulations on working with suppliers”. It covers such issues as the choice of suppliers, relationships with them. This document is necessary for the proper organization of the work of the procurement department and control over their activities. It also specifies the conditions of work with suppliers. The Regulations should contain the following items:

who should be considered a strategic partner(in which case relations with the supplier should be built as partnerships, not opportunistic ones, who can be considered a partner (for example, these can be organizations with a certain share of supplies));
the order in which bids are considered. This paragraph should also contain the criteria by which a decision will be made on whether or not to negotiate with the company. The terms of cooperation are necessarily prescribed, and if they are not fulfilled, the contract with the supplier is not concluded. Exceptions may be made for manufacturers of unique or exclusive products. When working with suppliers, you should use such tools as the contract work schedule, the category “working out” schedule, and the offer picture. They allow you to effectively search and select suppliers, evaluate their commercial offers, and analyze the effectiveness of concluded contracts. Usually suppliers are found by attending trade shows. After selecting potential partners for a certain time, the company considers commercial offers, evaluates them and, if necessary, searches for manufacturers of purchased categories of goods in other ways. The offer picture is a tool needed to compare several offers, either for products of the same category or for similar contracts. When using such a tool, you need to follow the 7-5-3 rule. It lies in the fact that it is necessary to conduct a comparative analysis of 5-7 proposals, selecting from them the 3 most acceptable ones. It is necessary to sign a contract with two companies, which will ensure uninterrupted supply;
criteria for selecting new suppliers. This paragraph prescribes who is responsible for concluding an agreement with a new supplier, what criteria are the main ones for making a decision on cooperation. The specific gravity of each of them is also indicated;
regulations for adding data about the supplier and product to the information system. Contains information about what documents suppliers must provide when concluding a contract (these can be copies of the charter and constituent documents, price lists, catalogs, specifications goods, certificates and declarations of conformity), who processes them and transfers them to other services;
order and procedure for placing orders. It contains the rules for placing and sending orders to the supplier, examples of forms; it is stipulated how the manufacturer confirms the order;
order and procedure for payment of invoices. This is information about in what form, in what departments and terms it is necessary to submit data on payment of invoices, what to do in case of disagreements with suppliers;
procedure for reviewing existing contracts. It may be necessary to change the terms of the contract if it is necessary to reduce or increase the quantity of purchased products. This paragraph also spells out the reasons why the contract with the supplier can be terminated (the quality of the goods that does not meet the requirements of the standards, short deliveries, the conclusion of a contract with other firms on more favorable terms, etc.);
work with complaints. It determines which products can be considered defective and attributed to the counterparty, as well as how to proceed with the supply of such goods (return, replace, demand full or partial compensation, discounts, etc.). The procedure for the actions of the responsible officer in each specific situation is also prescribed;
rules of the negotiation process. Establishes the rules for preparing for negotiations, determines who should participate in them, as well as the uniform of employees. In addition, it contains information about which negotiations can be considered successful and how to properly draw up protocols;
rules of interaction with suppliers when visiting industry exhibitions, if they are present at presentations held by the organization, corporate events(determines the budget of such meetings, those responsible for their holding and organization, the procedure for obtaining funds and reporting);
travel rules contain information on the amount of funds allocated to them, the procedure for issuing and purposes of business trips, requirements for the preparation of business trip reports (including financial ones);
ethical issues in dealing with suppliers(the attitude of the organization to bribery attempts, kickbacks, the definition of the concepts of "commercial gift", "commercial information and secret").

In order to competently draw up this provision, it is necessary to prescribe the procedure for working with suppliers, to identify all the processes that in one way or another affect interaction with them.

What is contract work with suppliers

To start cooperating with a manufacturing company, it is necessary to conclude a sales contract or a supply contract with it.

Purchase and sale is a universal legal form that regulates exchange relations and allows for its various types. Both the purchase and sale agreement and the supply agreement regulate relations in the sphere of circulation of goods, which are purchase and sale in an economic sense.

An agreement concluded between two organizations may contain other sections that this scheme does not provide for, since the terms of the contract are pre-negotiated by both parties to determine the rights and obligations of each of them.

The contract of sale must contain certain clauses stipulating the conditions for the delivery of goods, the terms for paying invoices and the rules for accepting products.

Terms of delivery and payment. They contain information about the cost, prescribe the calculation procedure (this can be partial or full prepayment, payment after receipt) and the form of payment (cash or bank transfer), as well as the procedure for crediting funds to the supplier's account.
Terms of delivery and order of acceptance of goods. Determine the procedure for accepting purchased products, compiling the necessary documents. This paragraph describes the issue of ownership of the goods.
Responsibility of the parties. It defines the rules for filing claims in the event of the delivery of goods that do not meet the requirements of regulatory and technical documentation, or in the case of the delivery of goods in a quantity that differs from that specified in the contract.

In business, the most commonly used type of obligation is supply contract. This is the best option that allows you to regulate the relationship between two companies, one of which is the Supplier (Seller), and the other is the Buyer. Supply relationships should be built by concluding long-term contracts, and not one-time transactions for the sale of small lots.

When concluding a contract, enterprises must agree with each other on its terms, which will determine the content of the document. These include:

subject of the contract: The supplier ships the goods from the warehouse and delivers them to the customer. Their quantity, assortment and prices reflect in accompanying documents(waybills or sales receipts), the terms of payment are prescribed in the contract;
duties of the parties: the customer must pay for the received products within a certain period from the moment the goods arrive at the warehouse (this date is indicated on the invoice). The basis for the receipt of products by the representative of the customer is a one-time power of attorney. It confirms the right to receive the goods after the supplier's invoice is accepted and signed. When the goods have already been transferred, the buyer is responsible for it;
special conditions and payment procedure: if the order has already been received by the buyer, but has not yet been paid for for any reason, then the goods are considered the property of the supplier, and the responsibility for its safety before payment lies with the buyer.

Sales contracts and supply contracts enter into as enterprises ( legal entities) and individual entrepreneurs. They are necessary in the conduct of business of the company and allow you to cover the entire turnover. A supply contract is one of the types of a sales contract, it has the same economic meaning (receipt of products by one entity from another for a certain fee). These two types of contract have the same economic content and legal features, they provide for the transfer of ownership (or other real rights) to the goods.

Registration of contracts is carried out as follows:

the form of the contract is filled out, while it is necessary to comply with all sections and details;
the contract is registered in the ledger, the conditions must be indicated (number, validity period, terms of delivery and payment);
the data of each contract is entered into a computer database (full names of enterprises that have concluded the contract, its number and validity period).

How to keep records of work with suppliers

Suppliers and contractors are enterprises that:

supply raw materials, materials, other types of inventory items;
provide various types of services to customer enterprises (electricity, gas, water supply, sanitation, etc.);
perform various works (it can be service maintenance, repair work, etc.).

Accounts receivable and accounts payable- this is an integral part of the organization's calculations for the purchased goods, it can occur for all types of them.

Payment for the goods to the supplier or contractor is made after the products are shipped from the warehouse, or after the completion of work, the provision of services, as well as directly during their implementation.

In what form to pay for the received goods or rendered service, the organization chooses itself. If control over timely settlements is organized correctly, then contractual and settlement discipline will be strengthened, deliveries will be carried out on time and in the amount specified in the contract, accounts receivable and payable will be reduced, and cash flow will be accelerated. All this will contribute to the formation of responsibility on the part of the parties for compliance with payment discipline, while the financial condition of organizations will improve.

Currently, almost all organizations have accounts receivable, it is formed due to the following objective reasons:

an organization that has a debt can use additional working capital (free of charge);
an enterprise that provides loans can expand the market for its products, work performed, services provided by concluding agreements with firms that cannot pay immediately.

Accounts receivable is formed if the transfer of ownership from one organization to another and payment for the goods (works, services) received are carried out at different times.

Accounting for settlements with suppliers and contractors is necessary in order to summarize, systematize and store information on settlements with suppliers and contractors. The database should contain information about:

received inventory items, accepted work performed and consumed services (these include electricity, steam, gas, water supply, etc.), as well as on the delivery or processing of material assets, settlement documents for which are accepted and subject to payment through a bank;
inventory items, work performed and services rendered for which there are no settlement documents (these are uninvoiced deliveries);
surplus of inventory items found during their acceptance;
received transportation services, including settlements for shortfalls and excesses of the tariff (freight), as well as for all types of communication services, etc.

Automated accounting method most convenient to manage accounting. Using it, the supplier accountant saves his time, as well as the financial resources that could be needed to hire several additional employees.

If the company uses automated programs to control settlements with suppliers, then the accountant can at any time see what the current debt of the enterprise to a particular supplier is. This is the main advantage of automated systems.

Currently, all automated programs used for accounting have the following functions:

financial accounting;
registration of all cash transactions and settlements with suppliers;
registration of settlements with banking organizations for credits and loans.

These programs can not only enter the necessary data, but also process them, display the final results, and analyze the entered information.

What criteria are used to evaluate and analyze the work of suppliers

Work with customers and suppliers must be constantly monitored. It is recommended to analyze relationships with counterparties every 3 months (for the main categories of purchased products). The criteria by which the performance of suppliers is evaluated are usually the same as those used when searching for a partner company. They are evaluated in points.

Criterion 1. Assortment (it is assessed whether the company can supply all the necessary items of goods, how wide the range of products it provides, whether it works with different product groups or only with one, whether the products of this company are unique).

1 - the company supplies several items of goods (no more than 10%); this product is a replacement for the main range or ancillary.

2 - the company is interested in the assortment, but the supplier also supplies its competitor with its products.

3 - the range of goods supplied is large (more than 30%).

4 - work with the supplier is carried out on 50% of the range, but its products are not unique and can be easily replaced with products from other manufacturers.

5 - the company is a supplier of absolutely all goods of at least one product group, or its products are unique, and it is very difficult to find a replacement.

Criterion 2. Price (the price policy of the supplier, the possibility of supplying goods at the most favorable price, freezing prices for a long time are evaluated; the cost of products includes transportation costs, the risk of currency fluctuations, etc.).

1 - the cost of the product is higher than that at which its competitors buy.

2 - the price of products is not fixed and changes for each batch, which leads to the need to constantly negotiate with the supplier and monitor his pricing policy.

3 - the prices for the supplied goods are the same as those of the competitor; you can easily make a forecast of their changes, since they depend only on fluctuations in the exchange rate.

4 - it is possible to get prices lower than those of competitors if you conclude contracts for the purchase of goods or use deposit programs.

5 - the price of products is exclusive, lower than that of competitors, fixed for a long time.

Criterion 3. Terms of payment (the main advantage here is the willingness of the supplier to provide a long deferred payment that will not affect the price of the goods).

1 - the need to make an advance payment.

2 - the requirement of payment for goods upon receipt or the provision of a delay for a period less than that provided by other enterprises in the industry.

3 - it is possible to defer settlement for a period comparable to that provided by most suppliers in the industry.

4 - payment can be made after delivery, the delay period is longer than the average market in the industry (for example, in the category of stationery, a delay of 30 days is considered average, a good indicator would be 45 calendar days).

5 - implementation.

Criterion 4. Reliability (guaranteed maintenance of the required amount of stock in warehouses, good logistics, the ability of the enterprise to deliver goods in excess of the quantity specified in the contract with the lowest delivery costs).

1 - goods are not delivered on time (delay up to 3 working days), while the company does not notify about this in advance; the number of items and the volume of the order in the invoice do not correspond to the invoice; the warehouses of the supplier often do not have the necessary goods (interruptions in deliveries for more than 2 months), in case of non-payment of the order, deliveries stop the next day.

2 - the level of order fulfillment is less than 60%.

3 - there is no clear delivery schedule, orders are not delivered by our own transport, they are carried out at a level of less than 70%.

4 - transport logistics is debugged, commodity stocks are maintained at a high level (more than 80%); unscheduled orders are not accepted, a low minimum order amount is set.

5 - the supplier's warehouse stocks are sufficient to ensure the fulfillment of 90% of orders, the logistics are debugged - delivery is carried out every week on the agreed day; the supplier accepts unscheduled orders, delivering the products by transport of the carrier company the next day.

Criterion 5. Quality.

1 - in case of delivery of a defective product, the manufacturer does not replace it.

2 - marriage is detected in the products of each order.

3 - the amount of marriage is low (no more than 1%), the supplier replaces it within a month.

4 - the number of defects - less than 0.5% for a certain period of time (at least six months), the company promptly replaces defective products and reimburses cash claims (within 14 calendar days).

Criterion 6. Marketing support (it is assessed whether the company participates in the catalog, loyalty programs, whether joint promotions, sales "champions" are held; whether the supplier provides the necessary number of catalogs, POS materials, trains employees).

1 - The number of catalogs provided by the supplier is not enough.

2 - the marketing program is not debugged, the holding of promotional campaigns is not agreed with partners, their effectiveness is low.

3 - the company takes part in the publication of the catalog, exhibits goods in the online store.

4 - the manufacturer promotes its range by holding various promotions.

5 - the supplier allocates funds to promote his products in the assortment of the customer company, actively cooperates with the partner's marketing service, trains his sales staff; promotional materials are provided in the required quantity.

If marketing support is not provided at all, then work with suppliers for the purchase of goods according to this criterion is evaluated at 0 points.

Criterion 7. The image of the supplier (here it is necessary to analyze what place the supplier occupies in the market, as well as whether the goods of his trademarks are recognizable).

1 - No-name products; this means that the company entered the market not so long ago (it has been operating for no more than a year and has not yet earned a reputation); or it is a wholesale company that is not a manufacturer, importer or regional exclusive distributor.

2 - the company supplies products known in this category of goods, and is a regional exclusive distributor.

3 - the supplier is a domestic manufacturer.

4 - a domestic manufacturer that supplies its products throughout the country and abroad, being a leader in the industry; trademarks of this company are recognizable, it also has its own private labels.

5 - the company is the absolute leader in its product category, its brand is recognizable on the international market.

Criterion 8. Service (this criterion involves an assessment of the promptness of order processing, response to customer requests, professional competence of employees, completeness of the information provided, the timing of the replacement of defective products, compliance of supplies in terms of quantity and quality with the terms of the contract).

1 - delivery of products is not carried out within the agreed time, reservation of goods is not provided.

2 - product reservation is problematic, accurate data on the availability of certain goods in warehouses cannot be obtained at any time (this information is available only at certain times).

3 - when delivering goods, not all necessary documents are provided, there are no hygienic certificates for some products, and it takes a lot of time to replace documents.

4 - the company warns of possible interruptions in supplies, gives preference in the distribution of "deficient" products.

5 - the supplier provides additional services (puts a logo on goods, provides analytical data on purchases).

Criterion 9. Remoteness of the supplier (this criterion is important if the products are taken from the warehouses directly by the customer’s transport, and also when the delivery is paid by the buyer separately; in this case, when assessing the cost, it is necessary to add the delivery costs per unit of goods to the price of the product; the remoteness of the supplier also affects the reliability of supplies (working with local suppliers is more profitable).

When evaluating work with suppliers of services and goods, it must be taken into account that different criteria have different weights. The score of each criterion must be multiplied by a correction factor, which is set based on the importance of this factor:

assortment, price - 2;
payment terms, reliability - 1.5;
quality, service - 1.25;
marketing, supplier image - 1.

Based on the evaluation results, the supplier is assigned the status:

key supplier is an enterprise that manufactures or imports products of trademarks for which it has exclusive rights; such a supplier works with the customer on special terms (ideally exclusive); deliveries are reliable;
convenient supplier- provides goods at the same prices as direct competitors; deliveries are reliable;
back-up supplier an enterprise that manufactures products in the same range as a key supplier, which has its own trademark; orders are placed when it is impossible to purchase goods from the main supplier; an important evaluation criterion here is the prompt delivery of the order, and the price is not of paramount importance.

4 rules to ensure that work with suppliers is established correctly

In order for the business to be profitable, work with suppliers in the enterprise must be organized properly.

There are certain regulations, which must be observed in the course of its activities by the department of work with suppliers.

In the order, it is necessary to clearly indicate what, in what quantity and in what time frame must be delivered.
The supplier must have the appropriate nomenclature to perform the required work.
Supplier responsibilities should be clearly defined to avoid disputes.
The overall success depends on the conclusion of an agreement with the supplier.

In the West, the work of the store with suppliers is based on the fact that the basis for the successful production of goods is the established relationship of the enterprise with creditors and suppliers.

When organizing supply chain logistics, you need to follow the rule: companies in the same logistics chain should not compete with each other. Their competitors are organizations operating in other supply chains. Based on this rule, several principles building relationships with suppliers:

interaction with counterparties should be carried out in the same way as with the organization's clients;
treat suppliers in the same way as customers of the firm;
it is necessary to show the supplier a community of interests;
it is very important to share information about tasks and business operations;
if the supplier has problems, be ready to help resolve them;
obligatory fulfillment of all obligations assumed;
the interests of the supplier must be taken into account;
it is necessary to maintain contacts with partner organizations in the business sphere.

What are the "pitfalls" of working with suppliers of goods

For an enterprise to function successfully, it is necessary to be able to properly organize work with suppliers, to avoid the risk of financial losses in the event of a counterparty refusing to supply products for which an advance payment has already been made. If the supplier is dishonest, then he may not return the funds transferred to his account. In this case, you will have to sue him, and the money will be returned, but only after a long period of time. What can a sourcing manager do to avoid such embarrassing situations?

A guarantee can be the use of a letter of credit settlement system. It implies the possibility of the supplier withdrawing funds from his bank account only after the documents confirming the receipt by the customer of all paid goods are provided. If the supplier is dishonest, then he may refuse to use this financial mechanism without explaining the reasons for the refusal.

There is also a risk that the goods may be damaged during shipment or delivery. This problem can be eliminated by competently organizing the acceptance of products, carrying it out before the documents on the transfer of goods are signed.

Expert opinion

How to reduce risks when working with suppliers

Dmitry Shiryaev,

Head of Litigation Practice, Audit and Consulting Group Ural Union, Moscow

To eliminate technical risks and be able to distinguish unscrupulous suppliers, you need to follow the following recommendations.

Check if the terms of delivery of the goods are specified in the contract. It must be indicated, within what time the supplier undertakes to deliver the order, whether an advance payment is required and in what amount. If this is indicated in the contract, then in case of non-fulfillment of its conditions, it will be possible to terminate cooperation with this organization. In order to avoid disagreements, it is recommended to clarify which days are taken into account when determining the delivery time (calendar or working days).
Notify the partner in writing of your intention to terminate the contract with reference to the reason for your actions. It is desirable to specify in the contract the terms in which notifications should be sent. The grounds for terminating cooperation can be not only a disruption in delivery or inadequate quality of products, but also, for example, a delay in payment. If partner enterprises conduct business correspondence by e-mail, then it is necessary to fix the mailbox addresses in the contract and indicate that the correspondence on the Web is official, even if the enterprises do not use an electronic digital signature.
Demand to indicate the actual address of the company in the contract. If, due to incorrectly specified coordinates, the letter does not reach the recipient, the contract may still be terminated.

Information about experts

Boris Tsyrkin, managing partner, KASKAD Family. Boris Tsyrkin graduated from the Russian Academy of Economics. G. V. Plekhanov. Certified Professional by the Institute for Commercial Real Estate Investments (CCIM). Since 2010 - Managing Partner of KASKAD Family. "KASKAD Family" unites six companies providing a full range of services in the suburban real estate market of the Moscow region. Founded in 2008. Staff - 190 permanent employees and 450 temporary. In the portfolio of customers: JSCB Investtorgbank, CB Otkritie, Coalco, Orion Property Fund, Sekisui House and others.

Mikhail Krapivin, Managing Partner, Verity Advisors, Moscow. Mikhail Krapivin is a graduate of MGIMO and the University of Chicago (Master of Public Policy). He has extensive experience in consulting. Prior to joining Verity Advisors LLC as Managing Partner, he created and led the corporate intelligence team at a Big Four audit firm, where his clients were primarily Fortune 100 companies operating in the former Soviet Union. Associate Member of the Association of Certified Theft Investigators. Verity Advisors LLC was founded in 2008. Provides risk management services. Official site - www.verityadvisors.ru

Dmitry Shiryaev, Head of Litigation at the Ural Union Audit and Consulting Group, Moscow. ACG "Ural Union". Field of activity: audit and consulting services. Number of employees: 90. Annual turnover: more than 311 million rubles. (in 2013). Place in the rating: included in the top 40 audit and consulting groups (according to the Expert magazine, 2013). Main clients: Volgotanker, Oboronservis, Rosnefteflot, Satori, Slantsy plant.

1.2.1. Determining the need for material resources

When solving this problem, consumers of MR within the enterprise are identified, the needs for MR are calculated, requirements for weight, size, service and other parameters of supplies are established. There are the following main approaches to determining the need for MP and the volume of purchases of MP:

1) order based previous experience in the consumption of similar materials in the past;

2) heuristic, intuitive method allows you to assess the need based on the experience of employees obtained in previous work;

3) order based forecast demand. Used for independent demand type. Various forecasting methods and models can be used: regression models, methods smoothing, various models of time series, etc.;

4) MRP– material requirements planning, used for the dependent type of demand (see clause 7.5.2) .

All considered methods for determining the quantity, timing and frequency of purchases have their advantages and disadvantages in terms of accuracy, time costs, cost of services or determining the needs of MRs. Their choice depends on: the profile of the firm; customer capabilities; type of products; availability and type of warehouses; inventory management and control systems.

1.2.2. Purchasing market research

The starting point for market research should be a well-defined setting the subject and goal research. The impetus for the study may be: problems with high own costs of the enterprise; changes in own sales program; decision on the use of the results of scientific and technical progress; decision to increase the company's market share; increased competition; unreliability of current suppliers; uncertainties in the supply volumes of suppliers in the future, etc.

Purchasing market research includes:

1) analysis of the behavior of the supplier market, namely:

modern market analysis (“snapshot”);

· the dynamics of changes in market conditions;

forecasts of market changes;

2) assessment of risks associated with entering a particular market;

3) determination of all possible suppliers and their proposals for goods, prices, conditions, guarantees, business prospects, etc.

Types of procurement markets

1. Immediate markets that currently meet resource needs.

2. Indirect markets, i.e. used by providers.

3. Substitute markets, i.e. wholly or partly replacement products.

4. New markets.

It is very important to study the market in parallel with the development of new products. For example, in mechanical engineering, it begins and is carried out at the stage of product design. Supply agencies provide designers with the necessary catalogs and descriptions. But catalogs and descriptions usually do not contain pricing information, and without this it is difficult to achieve cost-effective solutions for materials and design of future products. Therefore, the direct task of the supply authorities is to collect information not only about the range of goods on the procurement market, but also about prices, possible delivery times, transportation costs and the search for their optimal combination.

1.2.3. The "make or buy" challenge

There are no enterprises that could independently produce all the resources used in their activities. Therefore, the actual task is to make a decision "make or buy" (MOB - Make-or-Buy Problem) about whether to purchase certain materials, components, parts or produce it yourself. This requires taking into account external and internal factors.

To external decision-making factors include the degree of development of logistics relations in a given economic system, the more developed they are, the higher the reliability of supplies and the lower the risk of losses.

To internal decision-making factors include conditions in the enterprise itself.

To the advantages of self-production include: reducing the dependence of the enterprise on suppliers, on fluctuations in market conditions, i.e. increasing the sustainability of the enterprise; the ability to directly control the quality of components at the stage of their production, etc.

The advantages of external procurement relate, as a rule: higher quality and lower cost of components due to the specialization of the manufacturer; concentration of efforts on the main activity; flexibility in changing the types of manufactured products due to the rapid receipt of the required MR from suppliers and the rejection of supplies that have become unnecessary, etc.

Table 1.1 presents the conditions under which may be(but not necessarily) a decision is made on external purchases or own production.

Table 1.1

Conditions for the profitability of purchases or own production

Factors	profitability
Factors	external procurement	own production
Need	small	stable and large enough
Required capacity	missing	present
Required personnel	missing	present
Suppliers of original MR for the production of components	available (range, quality, prices, etc.)	unavailable
Transport rates	low

In addition to the analysis of these factors, in order to make such a decision, it is necessary to determine and compare the costs of purchasing and own production. In general, purchase costs are determined at the price supplier, but include: the cost of placing an order; transportation; insurance; packaging; warehousing; processing (processing, sorting, etc.); payment of personnel related to procurement, etc.

The cost of own production consists of costs on the production(cost of raw materials, energy, labor, storage, depreciation, overhead) and possible capital costs for the organization of the required production (purchase, delivery, installation of equipment, training of workers).

1.2.4. Supplier selection task

Search, processing and analysis of information on procurement markets, suppliers is a very laborious and long process. Most organizations have a list of trusted vendors who have provided acceptable service in the past or are known to be reliable. If a suitable supplier is not on the list, the organization must find it. The final choice of supplier is made by the decision maker and cannot be fully formalized. However, there are standard steps for solving this problem.

The main stages of solving the problem of choosing a supplier

1. Search for potential suppliers:

Competition announcement;

Visiting exhibitions and fairs;

Correspondence, business and personal contacts with possible suppliers.

2. Analysis of potential suppliers according to the criteria:

- price and terms of financing;

- quality products;

- security of supply(compliance with contracts in terms of delivery, assortment, completeness, quality and quantity of products);

Remoteness of the supplier from the consumer;

Terms of execution of current and emergency orders;

Availability of spare capacities;

Organization of quality management at the supplier;

Good reputation;

Convenient and easy purchasing system;

The psychological climate of the supplier;

Ability to ensure the supply of spare parts during the entire service life of the supplied equipment;

Financial stability;

Long-term perspective of the supplier and the possibility of forming long-term relationships.

3. Evaluation of potential or existing suppliers based on:

Supplier selection criteria;

Analysis of the significance of the product (for which MPs are purchased) for the production or trade process;

Significance (importance) of each criterion;

Supplier ratings for each criterion.

Best supplier selection process

Ø Search for potential suppliers.

Ø Make a general list qualified supplierskov, i.e. able to actually supply the necessary products.

Ø They compare the organizations included in this list and remove from it those that for some reason do not suit them.

Ø Continue to strike organizations off the list until you get the so-called short list (usually four - five) of the most promising suppliers.

Ø Prepare a request for quotes and send a short list.

Ø Receive quotes.

Ø Conduct a preliminary assessment of proposals and cross off the list of those with whom problems may arise.

Ø Conduct a technical assessment to determine whether all offered products meet specifications.

Ø Conduct a commercial assessment, compare costs and other conditions.

Ø Prepare preliminary meetings with the remaining suppliers to discuss a possible deal.

Ø Discuss the conditions, agree on individual specific characteristics.

Ø Choose the supplier that best suits the proposed order.

Ø Arrange a meeting with this supplier to clarify the details that arose at the last moment.

Ø Place an order with the selected supplier.

This procedure is fully applicable only for large purchases. If an organization is looking for a supplier for strategically important products, then it must be remembered that a bad supplier can cause many more problems than bad materials.

Typically, an organization spends relatively little time searching for different suppliers if:

She buys cheap materials;

· has only one really available supplier;

an agreement is already in place with a supplier whose work suits you;

· there is not enough time for extended negotiations;

The organization has a policy of selecting specific types of suppliers.

Main criteria for selecting suppliers

The number of supplier selection criteria can be up to several dozen. To the three main criteria include: the cost of acquiring products or services; quality of products or services; service reliability.

One of the key logistics issues is quality of supplied raw materials and components. In developed countries, enterprises producing technically complex products select as suppliers only those who who has shown or can show ability to meet the level of their technical requirements. When considering the supplier's capabilities, the following requirements are put forward in the first place: availability of equipment for the production of products of the required quality; the ability to conduct quality tests according to a given program and with the help of the necessary instruments; control and certification of incoming materials and raw materials; the availability of the necessary documents that determine the number of work operations and their control; availability of documents confirming that all necessary operations for production and control have been carried out.

Programs for maintaining the quality of purchased MR are carefully thought out, even the organization of training for the personnel of allied suppliers is taken into account. The objective of training is usually to increase the level of knowledge of the personnel who are informed about the latest technologies and processes to make the maintenance of machines and devices efficient and effective.

Under service reliability is understood as the guarantee of servicing the consumer with the resources he needs for a given period of time in strict accordance with all the terms of the supply contract (volumes, terms, quality, equipment, etc.).

It should be noted that depending on the significance of the produced goods for the enterprise, the same criteria may change their significance. For example, in one case, the most important for an enterprise will be the quality of MP or speed of delivery, even at the expense of a high price, and in another, the enterprise will look for cheap resources of medium quality, etc. This significance needs to be measured in some way. To do this, experts give each i-th criterion importance scores , which are then converted into importance coefficients ().

Each supplier is evaluated according to the selected criteria, and depending on how well he meets the i-th criterion, the supplier is given a score.

Then the complex rating R of a specific supplier for all criteria (supplier rating) will be calculated using the formula .

Organizations use supplier ratings(supplier rating) or seller ratings(vendor rating) not only for selection, but also for monitoring the activities of suppliers. The goal here is not to replace existing providers, but to monitor their performance, identify areas for improvement, and agree on how best to implement proposed improvements. And only as a last resort, the organization begins to look for new suppliers.

Methods for organizing the supplier selection process

1. Analysis of possible options and proposals is carried out company sales agent in charge of purchasing. Its functions include: selection of a supplier; submitting an order; order fulfillment tracking; resolution of emerging problems. All issues are usually resolved with the help of modern means of communication, the exchange of official documentation is kept to a minimum.

2. Peer discussion opportunities and supply needs. The analysis is carried out both at the level of the company's purchasing department, and at the level of its interaction with other departments.

3. Use of intermediary firms. This method is used mainly to ensure the supply of the company from a new, poorly understood market. A similar situation may arise as a result of the need for a fundamentally new raw materials and components for the company. Such a need arises when diversifying production and developing fundamentally new products, as well as making purchases from imports or in a region not studied by the company, etc. In these cases, the purchasing department or sales agent most often contacts the firm or bureau that performs intermediary functions. At the same time, intermediary firms can:

Find possible suppliers, advise on the legal and financial aspects of proposed transactions;

Obtain authority from the client company and take over the organizational and financial side of the agreement for an agreed percentage of profit or a certain share of the contract amount. In this case, they monitor the volume and quality of supplies, take care of timely delivery, and can provide services for warehousing, picking, packaging, sorting and other support operations.

Search for potential suppliers

The procedure for receiving and evaluating proposals from potential suppliers can be organized in various ways, with the most common and effective being:

· competitive bidding(tenders);

· written negotiations between supplier and consumer.

Competitive bidding (tenders) - a form of search and establishment of highly effective relationships between suppliers and consumers, widely used in industrialized countries. Competitive bidding is carried out if it is planned to purchase raw materials, materials, components for large sum of money or planned to establish long termny connections between supplier and consumer.

Competitive bidding is beneficial for both the supplier and the consumer. The supplier gets an accurate idea of the conditions of work with the consumer. The consumer combines solving the problems of obtaining the required product and choosing the best supplier in all respects.

Stages of the tender:

2) development and publication of tender documentation (bidding procedure, description of purchased goods or services, criteria for evaluating proposals, terms of a future contract;

3) acceptance and opening of tender proposals;

4) evaluation of tender proposals in strict accordance with the tender documentation and the prohibition of any negotiations with bidders;

5) confirmation of the qualifications of bidders;

6) offer and award of the contract.

Written negotiation between the supplier and the consumer, during which the consumer receives an official offer for the supply of goods from a potential supplier, can be organized in two ways.

1. Entry Initiativein the negotiations comes from the seller of the goods. He sends offers to potential buyers of his products ( offers), which indicate: the name of the product; quantity and quality of goods; price; terms and conditions of delivery; payment terms; characteristics of containers and packaging; acceptance procedure. Depending on the number of potential buyers, the validity of the terms of the offer offered to them can be firm and free.

2. The initiative to enter into negotiationscomes from the buyer. He sends out a commercial letter or request to potential suppliers, the main purpose of which is to receive an offer (offer). The request contains all the necessary details (name of goods, required quality, terms and conditions of delivery, payment, etc.), except for the price, which is indicated in the response offer.

Sources of Information on Supplier Characteristics

In order to collect the information necessary to apply the listed criteria, it is required use of various sourcesnicknames, such as:

own investigation;

· local sources, such as legal entities operating in the area or official 'whistleblowers';

banks and financial institutions;

· competitors of the potential supplier;

trade associations, such as the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation;

information agencies;

public sources (registration chambers, tax service, licensing services, etc.) that have open information.

When searching for information about suppliers, one should not be limited to one source of information, regardless of the volume and depth of information provided to them, and at least one of the sources used should not be interested in the possible consequences of using the information provided to them.

Number of suppliers

Recently, there has been a trend towards the formation of long-term associations of partners in the supply chain, which leads to a reduction in the number of suppliers of the enterprise.

Advantages of a single source of resources:

Stronger relationships between suppliers and customers;

· economies of scale and price discounts for large orders;

· easier communications, simpler administrative functions and procedures for regularly placed orders;

· a smaller range of deviations in the characteristics of materials and their supplies;

· ease of ensuring the confidentiality of requirements, conditions and other similar characteristics.

Benefits of multiple resource sources:

competition between suppliers leading to lower prices;

Reduction of the probability of failures in work with suppliers, prompt elimination of emerging problems by replacing suppliers;

Easier satisfaction of changing demand;

providing access to more information;

The ability to rely on more than one external organization.

Supplier reliability is an important component of a company's success and sustainability. Especially in a crisis. We will determine the principles for forming a portfolio of suppliers, analyze the role of suppliers in our production, formulate requirements for a supplier, and discuss some anti-crisis measures.

In order to competently manage procurement, we need to answer 4 questions:

what we buy
where do we buy
from whom and under what conditions,
how we will buy in the future.

Creating a quality product requires not only the selection and evaluation of a supplier, but also the management of suppliers. Supplier management is the creation and management of a portfolio of suppliers.

Phases of market development and principles of interaction with the supplier.

In the early stages of the market, only one thing was required of supply - the constant availability of the necessary goods. Later they began to demand a minimum price. Then came the time for quality and additional service. Relatively recently, many markets, in particular, the market for electrical products, have entered a phase of development that requires the creation of competitive advantages together with suppliers. So now we are talking about a real partnership.

The highest form of partnership is the form in which the supply chain of three to four companies is a single logistics system − vertical integration. Unfortunately, I cannot give a concrete example in Russian business. Such an example could be, suppose, the integration of a development company, a manufacturer of electrical installation products, a transformer manufacturer, a testing laboratory and an engineering company. Or such a chain: a manufacturer of cable products - a manufacturer of electrical installation products - a manufacturer of lighting products. In another area, it may be such a chain: a fiber manufacturer - a fabric manufacturer - a clothing manufacturer - retail network clothing stores.

This form of partnership will really increase the competitiveness of all enterprises in the value chain. For example, the only advantage local producers have over imports is the ability to produce more of what is sold at a lower cost, faster than importers, and stop making what is not for sale. In such an association, it is possible to exchange information on sales issues and production plans in order to reduce inventory and reduce the time for developing new products, to actually reduce the lead time for customer orders, etc.

For determining own strategy With regard to suppliers, it is necessary to perform several stages of work. Let's look at one specific example.

We have already talked about a company that started the change with a reorganization of internal supply and warehousing. The second step was to create a portfolio of suppliers and develop a supply management strategy.

Step 1. Analysis of the range of purchased products.

To begin with, we analyzed the range of purchased materials and divided them into the following categories:

Non-critical for production / sales - those materials that can be easily replaced by analogues and the absence of which will not lead to a stop in production or loss of customers;
Basic materials for production/sales. These include, among other things, consumables for equipment;
Problematic materials are materials from the basic category that are difficult to purchase, transport, store, process (for example, scarce, perishable, dangerous, requiring special conditions for transportation and storage, etc.);
Strategic materials are those most significant high-margin materials that will now and in the future be the main ones, and from which the main product that is currently under development will be made.

Step 2. Determination of the role of the supplier in the production process.

Figure 1. Dependence of the role of the supplier on the role of materials

Step 3. Determining the characteristics of a good supplier in different categories.

Then we determined what basic requirements this or that type of supplier should meet:

regular supplier

There were quite a lot of non-critical materials. The frequency of deliveries was different: both single, and regular, and periodic. They accounted for about 40% of operations for registration and acceptance of orders. Therefore, the following requirements for suppliers were adopted:

convenience of working with it: the minimum delivery shoulder (from the moment of ordering to the arrival of the goods), mandatory delivery by the supplier according to the agreed schedule, convenient packaging, with multiple deliveries per month, registration with a single invoice and a package of documents, etc.
standard quality and low prices
expedient cooperation on contractual obligations.

At the same time, 2 suppliers were chosen as the optimal number of suppliers for one type of product with a 50:50 division of the volume of purchases between them. For insurance, the purchasing manager will have to periodically monitor the market and have 2 more insurance suppliers in case the need to "intercept" the goods.

In a crisis situation, non-critical materials become the first contender for cost reduction. Carefully analyze the entire range and determine which products can be discarded and which can be replaced with cheaper analogues, for which products the quality requirement can be reduced.

Qualified Supplier

Basic materials are the most expensive part. The frequency of deliveries is, in most cases, regular. Any delay in the supply of materials or poor-quality equipment may result in a stoppage of production. To compensate for this, you have to keep very large safety stocks, which seriously increases costs. Materials with latent defects, getting into production, lead to defects in finished products and customer complaints. Therefore, the following requirements for suppliers of basic materials have been adopted:

Reliable supply: strict observance of the agreed deadlines, accuracy of picking, reservation of materials in the supplier's warehouse, delivery by the supplier
Stable product quality, in addition, the supplier undertakes the functions of quality control of products and guarantees quality control
Mandatory deferred payment. At the same time, the ideal period was considered to be the availability of an investment resource of 7 days (i.e., from the moment when the raw materials are already shipped to the client in the form of finished products and money is received for it, until 7 days remain until the payment of accounts payable).

At the same time, it was determined that the number of suppliers for one type of product will also be 2 (in some cases 3) with the distribution of the volume of purchases between them 70:30, i.e. one main supplier, another spare. Here, market monitoring should be carried out constantly, but the main emphasis is on developing partnerships with selected suppliers. And therefore it is extremely important to take the evaluation of the supplier seriously when choosing it. Changing suppliers can be very costly for a company.

In a crisis, aim…for the future. Evaluate all the resources you have: customers, suppliers, warehouse, goods, technologies, equipment, personnel, etc. Analyze changes in the market and make your forecast for the development of the situation in your market, in the supplier market and for you. You need to determine what is unique to you and what you will need in the future. You need to get rid of everything that you do not need, even if you once paid dearly for it. In the absence of an investment resource in the company, leave only the minimum materials that are extremely important for survival and are needed by customers.

Reliable supplier

There were not so many problematic materials. But the risks and costs were very high. Among them were also goods that had to be purchased in large volumes in China due to periodic shortages in Russian market, long wait for delivery and long store. Problem materials accounted for 24% of costs and 18% of production downtime.

After analyzing all kinds of problems, it was decided that suppliers of problematic materials should meet the following requirements:

Willingness to carry out joint programs to optimize deliveries: change shipping rates, packaging quality, frequency of deliveries, take care of improving the safety of products, safety of transportation, storage, processing.
Joint focus on value creation, including the supplier's ability and willingness to take part of the processing into their own production, as well as provide training for workers and operators in competent work with raw materials, provide technological advice and support.
Proximity of the supplier. For remote suppliers - availability of distribution channels or regional warehouses close to our production; or the provision of such a loan term, albeit in several tranches, which will be repaid at least at the time of processing of the purchased raw materials.
Long term contracts.

For almost all problematic materials, it was decided to select one supplier each, which previously showed not only partnership intentions, but also a willingness to integrate. This is the preferred provider. Joint programs require a lot of time and effort on both sides. And here opportunistic relations and pressure on the supplier do not fit. In case of force majeure, the market should be regularly reviewed for the presence of a safety supplier for a one-time purchase of a one-time volume.

What to do with accounts payable with low solvency? Shift all payment delays to goods that bring neither profit nor money into circulation. Pay on time only for the most important products, selected from the category of basic, problematic and strategic materials. Do not pay immediately with those suppliers that you have replaced or withdrawn from the assortment line. Pay those suppliers that you can't do without and that have demonstrated their resilience and loyalty.

Strategic Supplier

Strategic materials are those materials whose share in value creation is quite high now and in future key, highly profitable products; they have a certain share of costs in total costs, a high share in the creation of profits. Such materials turned out to be about 12% of the entire range. After a thorough analysis of all problem situations with such materials, as well as product development/development plans and supply programs, the following requirements for a strategic supplier were determined:

Readiness for system integration and a coherent business policy based on the technology already available at the enterprise
Optimal organization of in-house production thanks to good cooperation with its sub-suppliers
Availability of sufficient funds for the implementation of research and development work, focus on innovation
Willingness to accept market risks.

After analyzing the supply market, it became clear that virtually no supplier meets these requirements. It was decided to choose one supplier closest to this portrait for its further development and cooperation. Transfer 70% of the volume of purchased products to this supplier, and leave 30% to a qualified supplier. In the future, transfer the entire volume to it, but only when the company is absolutely sure of a high degree of reliability and partnership.

In a crisis, you can see how well the supply strategy was defined, and whether the choice of supplier was carefully carried out in the previous period. It is through the work of existing suppliers of problematic and strategic materials that the quality of your supplier selection and supplier management process will be seen. And it is precisely now that we need to work especially hard and carefully to change the business system. Previous methods have been growth-oriented. Now the situation has changed fundamentally and new, high-quality, low-budget forms of relationships, other processes and technologies are required. It is necessary to build a system that will allow the business to survive now and become the basis for future growth. You should not wait for spring and quietly look at what will happen, or think that the crisis will not affect you much. Already, fast, decisive and methodical action is required, which does not end with budget sequestration.

Step 4. Supplier Portfolio Analysis and Evaluation.

After identifying the portraits of a good supplier depending on his role, a thorough analysis of all available suppliers was carried out to select the main suppliers in order to optimize the entire portfolio. The entire list of used suppliers consisted of 211 companies. At the same time, only 98 of them were used quite constantly, and only 56 did not have serious complaints about their work. The distribution of purchase volumes between suppliers was random, no long-term contracts were signed, and evaluation of the work of suppliers was not carried out, with the exception of fixing complaints. According to some materials, there were claims against all suppliers, and therefore, we additionally conducted an analysis of the market, expanding the lists of potential suppliers by type of product (long list).

After defining the role of materials and the role of suppliers, it was decided to gradually reduce the supplier portfolio to 114 companies (see the supplier selection process in Figure 2).

To select suppliers, a mechanism was created for selecting and evaluating a supplier for all categories and types of goods. As a basis, we chose a scheme of weighted estimates from all methods.

An example of applying a weighted rating scheme:

For example, for one of the types of raw materials, the quality factor was identified as the most important. We also chose two other parameters - price and service, which are less important, but significant. It was determined that the supplier's rating would be evaluated on the assumption that quality is 50% of its original value, and price and service are 25% each.

Choose a scoring system:

Quality - subtract the percentage of rejected items from the original 100

Service - for each delayed delivery subtract 5 points from 100

Price - calculates the lowest price index based on known data as a percentage of the price actually paid (divide the lowest known price by the actual price paid and multiply by 100)

In the last quarter, the supplier delayed deliveries 5 times, the minimum price for that period was 95% of the price paid, 12% of the delivered products were rejected. Evaluated according to the scheme:

Quality: 50%×(100-12)=44.00

Maintenance: 25%×(100-25)=18.75

Price: 25%×95=23.75

_________________Total: 86.50

When evaluating other suppliers according to this scheme, this supplier took 3rd place in the rating.

It should be noted that in each category of materials (non-critical, basic, problematic, strategic) there were certain different types products, individual evaluation parameters, which depended on the degree of importance of the product in the line of purchased products and on the degree of development of the supply market. For example, the requirements for cable and plastic suppliers were different.

Figure 2. Supplier selection and evaluation process

Step 5. Work with the supplier.

Further, meetings were held with all the suppliers who were on the short list. They were informed about the requirements and the most important aspects of the interaction. A kind of trial period was proposed for another quarter (according to some materials - 1 month), after which a decision on the volumes and terms of contracts would be made. All suppliers were given feedback on their performance and their ranking among other suppliers was reported. As a result of such work, the number of suppliers decreased in 2 quarters to the selected value. And claims for the quality of delivery (terms, equipment, product quality) on average decreased only for 1 quarter by 34%.

Now it is necessary to carry out serious work with the main clients and suppliers. Determine together sales and purchase forecasts, opportunities and market conditions for customers and suppliers, openly discuss the position and financial condition. Such meetings should be made regular. It is very important to make criteria measurements and monitor the dynamics. Only such joint and open efforts will allow us to stay afloat and quickly start after the crisis bottom.

Introduction

The importance of choosing a supplier is explained by the functioning of a large number of suppliers of the same material resources and goods in the modern market. A large number and variety of potential suppliers, required goods leads to the fact that special attention is paid to the problem of choosing those that could most effectively ensure the successful operation of the enterprise. At present, there are quite a lot of companies offering their services for the supply of a particular product, and choosing which supplier is better is not an easy task.

The problem of this study has relevance in the modern world. This is evidenced by the frequent study of the issues raised.

The topic "Analysis, evaluation and selection of suppliers of products of a trade organization" is studied at the junction of several interrelated disciplines at once, such as: Economics, Commercial activity, Organization of logistics and sales, Fundamentals of marketing and entrepreneurship. The relevance of this work is due to the great interest in the topic in modern science. Consideration of issues related to this topic has both theoretical and practical significance.

This term paper is the supplier selection analysis. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to solve the following tasks:

1. To study the concept of the selection process of suppliers.

2. Identify the main methods for selecting suppliers.

3. On a practical example, consider the process of selecting suppliers

4. Conduct an analysis and selection of suppliers at a particular enterprise.

5. To study the role of the purchasing service in the activities and development of the enterprise.

The methodological basis for the development of the topic of the work are the works of domestic and foreign scientists and economists, as well as general scientific methods. In this work, such literary sources as "Supplying and marketing activities" edited by T.N. Baibardina, I.I. Grishchenko, L.I. Starovoitova; "Commercial activity" edited by S.N. Vinogradova and O.V. Pigunova, “Organization of commercial success. Specialist's advice "Strong L.M. with the help of which the basics of organizing the selection of suppliers and evaluating the effectiveness of their work are considered. Also, the Regulatory legal acts of the Republic of Belarus were used, which describe the basics of work on the selection, evaluation and analysis of suppliers at Belarusian enterprises. These are such documents as the Civil Code of the Republic of Belarus, the Regulation “On the procedure for choosing a supplier in public procurement in the Republic of Belarus”, Decision of the Minsk City Executive Committee dated January 6, 2009 No. 26 “On some issues of procurement of goods (works, services )" and many others.

1. The value of analysis, evaluation and selection of product suppliers for the effective operation of a trade organization in modern conditions.

1.1 Organization of economic relations and contractual work in trade.

In the context of the formation of market relations, the improvement of the legislation of the Republic of Belarus, the opportunities for the full-fledged economic activity of trade enterprises and the service sector are expanding. venous sa The independence of enterprises and their economic freedom provide the apparatus of enterprises with wide scope for commercial initiative, independence in making decisions on issues of commercial relations, and the use of a financial and credit mechanism. Employees of commercial services independently regulate the structure of economic relations on a permanent contractual basis and independent commercial initiatives in the domestic and foreign markets.

The organization of economic relations between suppliers and buyers of goods is a broad concept. This includes economic, organizational, commercial, and mini-traditional, financial and other relations that develop between trading enterprises and suppliers in the process of supplying goods. . The basis for the successful organization of economic relations is the organization of contractual work. Contractual work is one of the main areas of the legal work of an enterprise and other economic organizations, aimed at the formation and implementation of regulations. Business contracts should be classified as one of the most typical individual legal acts, in connection with the formation of which the enterprise carries out a voluminous and important work of a legal nature.

A properly executed contract itself acquires the force of a legal act that determines the subsequent actions of the parties.

Timely and high-quality execution of the contract is largely ensured by measures established by law and agreements of the parties.

Thus, contractual work is the activity of an enterprise in the formation and legal consolidation of contractual relations and the organization of the execution of contracts.

A contract is an agreement between two or more persons to establish, change or terminate their rights and obligations. Contract work usually includes the following stages:

· Preparation for the conclusion of contracts;

· Development, coordination and adoption for execution of acts of planning economic relations in cases where relations in this part are regulated by the state;

· Registration of contractual relations;

· Bringing contractual obligations to the services involved in the execution of a particular contract;

· Monitoring the execution of contracts;

· Evaluation of the results of the execution of contracts.

The system of economic relations between trade and industry is the most important part of the economic mechanism, representing in total b f forms, methods and levers of interaction between enterprises, about b associations, IRM, branches of the economy with consumers of products. Thus, the main place in the economic relations of trade belongs to intersectoral relations with industries that produce consumer goods, for the supply of these goods, the establishment of such relations through the mediation of trade makes it possible to ensure the sale of their products and their mutual exchange, stimulate and determine the further development of production. Within these links relevant branches of industry, on the basis of the requirements of trade and in accordance with their production and financial capabilities, produce goods and deliver them to the sphere of circulation. Trade at the same time has the ability to influence the industries that produce goods in many ways, including in terms of volume, assortment, quality and ensure their delivery to the final consumer.

The vast majority of economic ties are a conclusion of contracts with suppliers for the supply of goods within a certain period. The essence of such economic relations is complete freedom in the sale and purchase of goods by enterprises, sellers and buyers. But any trading company prefers to deal with an established circle of suppliers and tries to conclude longer contracts with them, with the possibility yu their extension.

AT ra m kah annual economic relations, a clear order of relations between specific supplier enterprises and buyers for the supply of goods is determined in advance

Sysolyatin Alexey Vitalievich

Candidate of Economic Sciences, Associate Professor, Department of Marketing and Strategic Planning, Faculty of Economics, Vyatka State Agricultural Academy, Kirov, Russia

Abstract: the article deals with the problem of choosing a supplier from the standpoint of improving the efficiency of procurement activities trading company, methods and criteria for selecting a supplier are determined, an assessment and selection of a supplier is carried out using the example of a trading enterprise of a regional food market.

Keywords: supplier selection, supplier selection criteria, supplier ratingsupplier selection, supplier selection criteria, supplier rating

The choice of the supplier in the procurement activities of trading companies

Sysolyatin Alexey Vitalievich

candidate of economic sciences, associate Professor the Department of Marketing and strategic planning economic faculty FGBOU VPO Vyatka state agricultural Academy Kirov, Russia

Abstract: the article considers the problem of choosing the provider with positions of increasing the efficiency of procurement trading firms determined methods and selection criteria supplier evaluation and supplier selection on the example of the commercial enterprise of the regional market of food and food products.

Keywords: supplier selection criteria, supplier selection, supplier

The choice of a supplier is one of the main problems in the management of the purchase of material resources. The choice of suppliers is a responsible and difficult task, since the rhythm of deliveries, the company's reputation with customers and its profitability depend on them. The importance can be explained not only by the fact that there are a large number of suppliers of similar material resources on the modern market, but also mainly by the fact that the supplier must be a reliable partner of the enterprise. A large number of potential suppliers and their diversity increases the urgency of the problem of choosing those that could ensure the reliability of logistics processes with maximum effect. The solution to this problem consists of several stages that are inextricably linked with each other: the search for potential suppliers, their analysis and evaluation of work with them.

The following methods are used to search for potential suppliers. Firstly, if it is planned to purchase raw materials, materials for a large amount, then a tender is announced. It allows you to establish long-term relationships between suppliers and consumers. Secondly, the search for suppliers is carried out by studying promotional materials (company catalogs, advertisements in the media). Thirdly, representatives of the commercial service of the enterprise visit exhibitions and fairs, get acquainted with goods and potential suppliers. Fourthly, there is a personal correspondence with possible suppliers. As a result of a comprehensive search, it becomes possible to form a list of potential suppliers, according to which work is being carried out in the future.

At the next stage, the compiled list of potential suppliers is analyzed according to special criteria, which allow the selection of the most profitable suppliers. The number of such criteria can be several dozen and is not limited by the price and quality of the products supplied. The most common method for selecting a supplier is through ratings. To conduct it, it is necessary to determine the main criteria for choosing a supplier, after which the procurement service employees and experts determine their significance.

Table 1 - Supplier evaluation criteria

Reputation of the supplier as a business partner according to a survey of consumers of its products	Fulfillment of contractual obligations Economic situation Policy on long-term relationships Pricing policy, etc.
The supplier has a quality management system (QMS)	QMS Compliance: Customer's production type Domestic / international standards, etc.
Manufacturing/Technological Quality Assurance Capabilities	Technical equipment Efficiency of technical and preventive product control Efficiency of control of parameters of technological processes, etc.
Delivery conditions	Possible volumes of deliveries on time Type and rate of shipment Type of transport, transportation distance, transportation costs, etc.
After-sales interaction / service	Intercompany communication Requests, consultations Willingness to cooperate Willingness to meet the necessary wishes, etc.

After that, the obtained rating results are summarized by all criteria and the final rating for a particular supplier is obtained. Next, the obtained rating results for different suppliers are compared and the most profitable partner is determined. If, after the rating evaluation, equal results are obtained for two or more suppliers, then the procedure is repeated, but using additional criteria. It should also be taken into account that it is difficult to obtain objective data when contacting potential suppliers

In practice, the use of another method is also reflected: the method of estimating costs. It is also called the "mission method" or the cost-ratio method. Its essence lies in the fact that the supply process, which is being studied, is divided into a possible number of options (missions), after which for each of the options, all costs and incomes are carefully calculated. The result is the receipt of data for comparison and selection of a solution. Costs, income, logistical risks are calculated for each supplier, and then the most profitable one is selected from a set of options (missions) (according to the criterion of total profit). The following logistics costs associated with the purchase of a particular product are distinguished:

a) marketing costs (studying the price and market conditions);

b) costs generated in the process of searching for potential suppliers, obtaining information on the cost of goods from similar suppliers, as well as establishing business contacts with them;

c) the costs associated with the analysis of the quality indicators of goods from different suppliers;

d) transportation costs, costs of cargo processing, payment of customs, forwarding, insurance services, warehousing and storage of goods.

In fact, this method is a variation of the method of cost ranking criteria. It allows you to determine the "cost" of choosing a supplier. The disadvantage of the method is that its implementation requires the analysis of a large amount of information for each supplier.

Particular attention is paid by Michael R. Linders and Harold E. Fearon to the informal assessment of suppliers by company employees. Evaluation consists in evaluating personal contacts between employees of the company and the supplier. Information is formed from conversations at conferences, professional meetings and in the media. The main typical question asked by representatives of one company to representatives of another: “How are things going with a particular supplier?” Knowledgeable employees have this information about suppliers and notice how new information affects the supplier's overall rating.

At present, in small companies, almost all assessment of available sources of supply is carried out informally. In this case, this "informal" method is quite appropriate and justified.

Based on the results of the analysis of potential suppliers, a list of specific suppliers is formed, with which further work is carried out to establish contractual relations. Each type of product has its own list of suppliers. The results of work on already concluded contracts also influence the choice of suppliers in a special way. Suppliers should be evaluated not only at the search stage, but also in the process of work. Some businesses review the performance of their suppliers to ensure they continue to provide quality and satisfactory services. As a rule, such an assessment is carried out informally, but the enterprise can also measure an aspect of the performance of its suppliers.

Let's consider the organization of procurement activities on the example of a trading organization LLC Trade House "Krasnogorsky".

The commercial activity of this organization for the purchase of goods includes the following stages:

a) study and forecasting of demand;

b) market research of suppliers;

c) selection of the optimal supplier;

d) establishing economic relations with him.

The first stage of conducting commercial activities is carried out by the deputy director of the store LLC Trade House "Krasnogorsky". The study and forecasting of demand for food and non-food products is carried out in accordance with the established assortment list. The main sources of information about the demand of buyers in OOO Trade House "Krasnogorsky" include:

a) statistical data on the structure of trade in different periods of time for certain types of goods and the structure inventory;

b) accounting data: inventory records, accounting of stocks of goods;

c) the study of demand by sellers of stores that come into direct contact with buyers.

Based on the information received, the deputy director forms a list of goods that need to be purchased. However, the procurement activity at this stage in the analyzed enterprise has a number of shortcomings. First of all, it is not systematic. Data for analysis is examined, from time to time, not regularly, so an objective picture of demand from the deputy director involved in the purchase of goods cannot be formed. Secondly, no mathematical models are used to predict demand in the store, it happens rather intuitively.

At the next stage, a study of suppliers of food and non-food products, as well as their proposals, is carried out. To obtain information about suppliers, advertising is used in the media and the Internet, contacts with representatives of manufacturers and intermediaries, proposals sent to Krasnogorsky Trading House LLC by fax and e-mail. The main criteria that are used in the selection of suppliers by the company:

Reliability of delivery (delivery of goods just in time according to the agreed schedule);

Possibility of unscheduled delivery;

Image and business reputation of the supplier;

Compliance with the agreed prices by the supplier;

Compliance of products with quality standards;

Compliance with the required delivery volumes;

Providing the necessary supporting documentation;

The location of the supplier organization.

Purchasing work in stores is carried out by a merchandiser. He uses the data from the "Inventory" report before ordering the goods from the supplier. This report provides information about the balance of goods at the end of the selected day. The data on sales of goods for the last week is also taken into account. After that, the values of balances and sales are compared and the volume of the order is determined, then the merchandiser draws up applications for the necessary goods. The transport conditions of the supply contract stipulate the procedure for shipment of goods, the mode of transport, the place and procedure for the delivery of goods by the seller to the buyer. Delivery of goods on the supplier's transport allows you to save on transportation costs for the transportation of goods. At the warehouse, the goods are unloaded and checked for compliance with quantity and quality. In case of discrepancy, an act of acceptance of the goods is drawn up, where all claims are indicated. In this case, the goods may be returned, the supplier may replace or supply the goods.

In order to study suppliers, as well as their commercial offers, the deputy director of Trade House Krasnogorsky LLC compiles its own database of potential suppliers. It contains information about all suppliers:

a) the name of the organization;

b) legal and actual address;

c) form of ownership;

d) the proposed assortment and terms of cooperation.

These data are important in order to develop further partnerships based on trust and mutually beneficial cooperation. The deputy director also studies the range of suppliers, terms of delivery, payment, and negotiations are underway. An important factor when choosing a supplier is the condition of delivery of goods to the store.

Let's consider the structure of supply contracts for OOO Trade House Krasnogorsky in 2012-2013. depending on whether the supplier provides the service of delivering goods to the store or not. The number of contracts that include delivery prevails both in 2012 and 2013. In 2013, the share of such contracts increases by 14% and is already 79%. The structure of supply contracts for LLC Trade House "Krasnogorsky" in 2012 - 2013, depending on the availability of a condition for the delivery of goods, is presented in table 2.

Table 2 - The structure of supply contracts for OOO Trade House "Krasnogorsky", depending on the availability of a condition for the delivery of goods

An important factor in choosing a supplier is the terms of payment. When working with suppliers, the company is interested in getting discounts, as well as in the possibility of deferred payment for purchased goods. Let's consider the structure of suppliers of LLC Trade House "Krasnogorsky" depending on the terms of payment stipulated in the supply contract (Table 3).

Thus, in 2013, the structure of supply contracts, depending on the terms of payment, did not change significantly compared to 2012. The share of contracts with the payment term “deferred payment of 14 days” decreased by 3% compared to 2012. The share of contracts with a deferred payment of 1 month increased to 33.8% (an increase of 4.2%). In general, we can conclude that the terms of payment under supply contracts in 2013 became more favorable.

Table 3 - The structure of contracts of OOO TD "Krasnogorsky" depending on the terms of payment

Let's consider what share is occupied by suppliers located in the city of Kirov in the total volume of deliveries of the LLC TD Krasnogorsky store (Table 4).

Table 4 - The structure of suppliers of OOO TD "Krasnogorsky" depending on their location

Thus, from the data in Table 4, we can conclude that the largest share in the structure of suppliers of LLC Trade House Krasnogorsky belongs to suppliers located in the city of Kirov. Their share in 2012 was 60%, and in 2013 it decreased by 3% to 57%. Suppliers located in the Leninsky district of Kirov are in second place, their share in 2012 accounted for 31%, in 2013 the share increased by 5% and amounted to 36%. The smallest share in the structure of suppliers, depending on their location, belongs to suppliers located outside the city, in the region. In 2012, their share was equal to 9% of the total supply, and in 2013, 7%. Today the company does not cooperate with suppliers located outside the region.

Table 5 - The structure of suppliers of LLC Trade House "Krasnogorsky" depending on the position in the distribution chain

The largest share in the structure of suppliers in 2012 and 2013 is occupied by suppliers - manufacturers. In 2013, there is an increase of 8% compared to 2012. The smallest share in the structure of suppliers is occupied by small wholesale firms - intermediaries - 23% of the total supply in 2012 and 19% in 2013 - a decrease of 4%. The share of large wholesale supplying firms also decreases by 4%. The increase in the share of manufacturers in the total supply of OOO TD Krasnogorsky is a positive trend, since it is most profitable to work with suppliers-manufacturers, since the use of intermediaries leads to an increase in costs and a decrease in income, and, therefore, the procurement department is faced with the task of reducing the number of intermediaries. When concluding long-term contracts with large wholesale intermediary firms and manufacturers, as a rule, centralized delivery of goods to the warehouse is carried out.

During its operation on the market, the company has established relationships with a large number of suppliers. One of the measures to improve procurement activities is the correct and timely preparation of orders to suppliers of goods. Choosing a supplier is a difficult and responsible task, since the well-being of the enterprise largely depends on them. Trade House "Krasnogorsky" works with a large number of suppliers, most of which are manufacturers and large wholesalers. Separately, it should be noted that these suppliers have a wide specialized range. Further, to assess the effectiveness of the procurement activities of the Krasnogorsky store, we will analyze the suppliers of goods and determine the optimal partner. The activity of a trading enterprise largely depends on economic relations with suppliers. In case of insolvency or dishonesty of the supplier, the consumer may experience disruptions in the implementation of production programs or direct financial losses. And vice versa: a reliable supplier is a guarantee of success. For evaluation, we will use a point scale: 0-3 unsatisfactory work in the direction, 4-7 relatively satisfactory work, 8-10 fully or partially satisfactory work. Let's consider the wholesale enterprises LLC "Mercury", LLC "Kirovsnabservis" and LLC "Regional Food Company", offering the following range of goods: sausages, meat, semi-finished products, fat, oil products, flour, cereals, confectionery, smoking products, snack products (Table 6).

The data in the table show that the supplier LLC "Regional Food Company" is the leader among the analyzed suppliers, its rating was 8.4. LLC "Kirovsnabservis" is in second place, it is also a profitable supplier. Thus, it is most profitable for the enterprise to conclude contracts for the supply of products in large volumes and receive discounts from these suppliers, and refuse the services of Mercury LLC, which lags behind in terms of reliability, price, discount system, its rating is minimal.

Criteria for evaluation	Specific weight of the criterion	LLC "Regional Food Company"	LLC "Kirovsnabservis"	OOO "Mercury"
Criteria for evaluation	Specific weight of the criterion
Reliability supplies

Quality
Terms of payment
Possibility unscheduled supplies
Providing

Thus, in the course of researching suppliers and compiling their rating, it was revealed that some suppliers are significantly inferior in a number of indicators to their competitors: low reliability of supply, inflated prices, unscheduled deliveries are not provided, poor quality of goods, unfavorable payment terms.

In order to increase the efficiency of procurement work, it is necessary to abandon those suppliers who cannot fully and qualitatively meet the needs of the enterprise, and renegotiate supply contracts with other suppliers who have proven themselves from the best side. As a result, the amount of the contract of each of the suppliers will increase, thereby making it possible to receive discounts on the total order.

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