Best Practice 

The Global Strategic Sourcing Standard

At the GSA we believe that globalisation and advancements in technology mean the strategic sourcing industry can no longer continue to operate as a tapestry of national industries; co-existing but working in silos within the same ecosystem. As consumerism transcends pre-existing geographical borders, customers of sourcing, Shared Services and GBS are becoming increasingly confused, if not bemused, at the varying levels of practice across our industry.

The global strategic sourcing industry is positively thriving as organisations leverage innovation to become more customer-centric, more dynamic and easier to do business with. With so many operators in this globalised market, however, there has never been a greater need for a global Standard that both customers and providers can adopt in their approaches to strategic sourcing in order to unlock optimal value from their partnerships. Sadly, historical perceptions and mis-conceptions mean the strategic sourcing industry sometimes doesn’t have the best reputation. A single, global Standard and a supporting proficiency development programme to professionalise the industry will be a significant and positive stride towards addressing this issue - especially when underpinned by a unified understanding of a code of conduct, principles to drive transparency, a competencies and capabilities framework for the skills of tomorrow, and a globally supported aspiration for social inclusion.

It is for this reason that the Global Sourcing Association has been developing The Global Strategic Sourcing Standard and related accreditation programme, aimed at helping organisations on both the buy and supply side achieve the utmost success with their strategic sourcing. This is the cornerstone of the GSA’s ongoing campaign to make individuals and organisations more effective by providing practical guidance, content and qualifications from practitioner experience as well as toolkits, templates and techniques. In adopting a global standard for the industry, we will be making it easier for customers and suppliers worldwide to quickly recognise achievement and quality in an industry operating beyond borders. By working together on this common, coherent and strategic direction we can create a single view of the standard in excellence that, as an industry, we strive to achieve.

Participating organisations regard the standards accreditation process as a journey towards strategic sourcing excellence, confirming competency, addressing weaknesses, and assuring customers and stakeholders they’re in the safest hands. The Global Strategic Sourcing Standard can offer external expert analysis of process and procedures; help identify specific areas in need of attention and drive meaningful improvements.

New technology, such as cloud computing, automation and robotics, is bringing new opportunities for our industry, and will shape the way we work in future. Creative, innovative and dynamic organisations which embrace change and continually search for the next thing in strategic sourcing excellence – only these players will thrive in the new ecosystem and, in my honest opinion, only these players deserve to thrive.

View the e-book here.