Use supplier input

Contents

Supplier feedback plays a vital role in shaping responsible purchasing practices. The activities carried out under Principle 1: Integration  — especially risk assessment and improvement planning — should be informed by supplier insights. This is explored further in Principle 2: Equal Partnership. 

In this video: supply chain expert Vanessa Podmore

Vanessa shares how combining supplier feedback with cross-functional internal workshops can help businesses better understand challenges and engage leadership teams. Vanessa facilitated workshops for companies that had received supplier feedback through Better Buying surveys, in collaboration with ETI. She highlights:

  • Commercial teams added valuable context to supplier feedback, explaining the challenges faced across different product categories.
  • Supplier insights, paired with internal review, “lay things out in black and white,” giving the business a clear, strategic view of where change is needed.
  • Supplier feedback created an opportunity for all internal functions to see and understand how their actions impact the lives of people in the supply chain.

Vanessa encourages companies to use this feedback proactively to secure leadership engagement by clearly presenting:

  • Key findings from supplier feedback
  • Insights from the procurement cycle mapping exercise
  • Business risks and potential supply chain impacts
  • Actions being taken to improve