DPSS - Events

DPSS Events

DPSS Consultants run and take part in a variety of events throughout the year from conferences and exhibitions to breakfast meetings. Our primary aim is to facilitate networking opportunities between organisations large and small and to create long-standing relations between supply chain and procurement professionals. As well as provide an environment where like-minded professionals can discuss hot button topics, which are prevalent within the current climate and arrive at consensual responsive resolutions.

DPSS Consultants have a well-established relationship with many venues around the UK including Hilton and Marriott Hotels. Each event is carefully planned to ensure maximum level of service in terms of the running of the event and the delivery team, which is full of notable professionals from around the World.

Best Practices in Supply Chain Management - London 4th and 5th Oct 2011

Venue - Central London

DPSS Consultants, in partnership with the Tanarabia training company from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, are planning to run a 2 day seminar aimed at supply chain professionals from both KSA and the UK - The need to keep abreast of the latest tools, techniques, concepts and trends has never been greater. This is opportunity to learn from some leading thinkers, an opportunity share best practices and to facilitate constructive networking opportunities.

DPSS has over 25 years experience in the relation to the design, and development of courses and seminars, focused on developing people serving the supply chain.

Tanarabia is a dynamic organization specializing in organizational and personal peak-performance development for organisations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. There high impact training, development programs and management consulting services are designed to fulfil the developmental needs of sophisticated learners and high performance organizations.

The seminar sessions will include:

Sustainable Cost Reduction - tools and techniques
Providing leadership to the supply chain - leading the way to success
Improving contracting and procurement governance and ethics - how to ensure compliance
Improving the acquisition of services- how to secure value for money
The sustainable business - the need to plan for tomorrow - today
Managing contractors - adding value

Guest Speakers include:

R J Carter MA FRSA MCIPS MCMI Cert Ed - Author of "Practical Procurement" and "Stores and Distribution Management" and creator of the 9 (c) model

Professor David Jessop BA FCIPS FILog - Author of Purchasing Principles and Management, A Dictionary of Purchasing and Supply, and Storage and Supply of Materials (Pitman)

Tim Cummins - CEO of the International Association of Contract and Commercial Management

Supporting Speakers include

Dr Peter Murray
Jeremy Johnson BSc, MSc, MBA, MCIPS
Paul Jackson Bsc, MICPS
Daryl Fullerton

Seminar Program

Day 1 - Oct 4th 2011

Session 1 - Sustainable Cost Reduction - Ray Carter

The current economic climate has made organisations of all types, public and private, large or small to focus on the issue of sustainable cost reduction. The traditional slash and burn approach has proven to be less than effective and often results in long term damage to supplier relationships, so critical for the future of any organisation. This session is designed to explore ways in which the supply chain community can co operate to deliver real and sustainable reductions in cost and yet still maintain and improve relationships across the supply chain.

Session 2 - Managing contractors to add value - Tim Cummings

Companies, governments and public agencies worldwide are recognising the key role of contract management in ensuring the successful oversight and delivery of programmes. Their interest goes far beyond cost saving and increasingly looks at value for money, performance management and innovation. Contracts are primarily economic instruments and must be aligned with budgeting, financial modelling and market shifts. We must also work out how to deal with market volatility and the needs and opportunities of innovation. Handling today's environment requires more diverse contract structures and terms and improved transparency and partnering. How to achieve the best forms of contract and relationship management to control costs and achieve increased value is key.

Session 3 - Improving the Acquisition of Services - Professor David Jessop

A majority of organisations report that an increasing proportion of their external expenditure is on intangible supplies, rather than goods. A majority of these intangible supplies are in the form of services, ranging from basic activities of the cleaning and maintenance class through to advanced scientific and technical work, involving such activities as high level research and associated issues such as intellectual property ad its ownership and transfer. This session will explore Identifying and dealing with the additional challenges associated with the acquisition of services rather than goods. How to improve the specification for services. Meeting the challenge of 'asymmetric information' in service provision and the key aspects of developing and managing contracts for services.

Day 2 – 5th Oct 2011

Session 4 - Improving contracting and procurement governance and ethics - Jeremy Johnston

This session will explore issues around procurement contracting and governance but will also consider aspects such as ethics and codes of conduct. The procurement governance arrangements in the organisation are of paramount importance and must therefore deal with issues such as the establishment and operation of best practice procurement so that the allocation and management of information and physical/human resources is maximised without compromising corporate and social responsibility issues . However it also relates to accountability in that when challenged managers must be able to justify and prove due diligence with regards to their procurement activities. It means that contracts with external organisations must be implemented in accordance with internal policies, rules and regulations whilst also ensuring compliance with codes of conduct and associated ethical behaviour. Embedding this behaviour and practice is an essential objective of all organisations and the ways and means of achieving success in this area will be shared and discussed.

Session 5 - Visibility of Performance is key to a Win Win Relationship - Daryl Fullerton

Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) while very effective in building solid relationships with Suppliers is only part of the equation. Incorporating visible performance metrics and agreed KPI targets into the contractual relationship can yield additional value add for both sides.

The visibility of Supplier Performance Metrics while key to both driving better performance of Strategic and Core Suppliers only produces results through a systematic Performance Review Process, whether quarterly or yearly, having an on-going real-time system allows both parties to review and keep the performance levels high between reviews. Would you expect a key supplier to be awarded future without knowing their past performance?

While most companies do this adhoc, the performance review meeting is often more about disagreements over the results. Why not give the Supplier the ongoing real-time visibility that will make your performance review meetings focus on jointly achieving better performance? Visibility means that the supplier will be attending the meeting with proactive initiatives for driving better performance rather than coming to argue over past data.

This session focuses the steps, best practices, and success factors for implementing and running a Supplier Performance Management (SPM) system as part of overall SRM Strategy.

Session 6 - Providing leadership to the supply chain - Dr Peter Murray

At a time when the world economy has never been so unpredictable, or so full of opportunities, Purchasing and Supply managers need to be able to lead change in their own organisation and in their supply chain. Whether the change involves embracing the benefits of new technology, exploring relations ships with existing and new suppliers, or altering the processes in their supply chain, delegates will benefit from understanding the latest thinking on change, and taking part in case study role plays to increase their awareness of their role in the process.