The Process Group

Your Success is Our Business

Supplier Management

Delivery: 1.5-day workshop, onsite coaching, or by remote meeting with phone/web

This workshop presents principles and practices for managing software and systems development projects that are outsourced to suppliers for implementation. The workshop is organized following a supplier management process. Each section of the process is described, along with tips about how to perform each step effectively and efficiently. Additional detail is provided on the key steps of developing product requirements, managing risks, and managing an outsourced project. Workshop participants will be able to apply the Supplier Management Process appropriately and effectively to enable their outsourced projects to succeed.

Audience

Project managers, supply managers, purchasing staff, product managers, requirements analysts, technical leads, quality assurance managers, and others who will be involved in specifying the requirements for outsourced projects, managing the project, or accepting outsourced work.

Learning objectives

At the conclusion of this workshop, participants will be able to:

  • summarize the Supplier Management Process
  • use the templates, checklists, and other work aids included in the process
  • apply several techniques for requirements development
  • identify and manage risks for an outsourced project
  • develop a Request for Proposal
  • select a qualified supplier
  • manage an outsourced project

Optional addition: This workshop can provide implementation details for the Supplier Agreement Management Process Area in CMMI.

Workshop Agenda

Agenda Details

1. Introduction

  • What is outsourcing?
  • Why outsource?
  • Definitions
  • Specific issues when dealing with suppliers

2. Exercise: Outsourcing-related problems, concerns, and questions

3. Selecting a project for outsourcing

  • Outsourcing analysis worksheet

4. The Supplier Management Process

  • Roles involved in the process
  • The RFP team
  • Process entry criteria
  • Supplier management process flow
  • Process exit criteria

5. Define Product Requirements

  • Requirements definitions
  • The vision and scope document
  • Use cases
  • Event tables
  • The software/system requirements specification
  • Practice session: quality attributes and constraints
  • Validating the requirements

6. Prepare a Statement of Work

  • Contents of the SOW
  • Risk analysis and risk management
  • Major risks to outsourced projects
  • Approach to risk management
  • Practice session: identifying risks
  • Documenting risks

7. Define Proposal Evaluation Criteria

  • Developing the proposal evaluation matrix
  • Practice session: defining evaluation criteria

8. Prepare Request for Proposal

  • Inputs to the RFP
  • The RFP template

9. Submit Request for Proposal to Suppliers

  • Finding candidate suppliers
  • Handling communications with suppliers

10. Select Supplier

  • Evaluating proposals
  • Using a proposal evaluation matrix
  • Guidance for Selecting Suppliers
  • Communicating with suppliers

11. Develop Supplier Management Plan

  • Contents of a supplier management plan
  • The supplier’s development plan

12. Execute Contract

  • Contents of a contract
  • Negotiating open issues
  • Contingency plans for a nonperforming supplier

13. Manage Outsourced Project

  • Tracking project status
  • Status report template
  • Project metrics
  • Monitoring risks
  • Technical peer reviews
  • Managing commitments, issues, and conflicts
  • Managing changes
  • Warning signs of trouble

14. Accept Product

  • Product acceptance criteria and acceptance procedures
  • Product acceptance report
  • Practice session: your acceptance criteria
  • Transitioning accepted products to support

15. Support and Maintain Product

  • Skills and knowledge transfer from supplier to acquirer
  • Maintenance and support services
  • Handling modifications

16. Close Out Project

  • Performing a project retrospective
  • The retrospective process
  • Retrospective deliverables
  • The process change cycle

17. Wrap-Up

  • Outsourcing traps to avoid