Most organizations spend a lot of time and money on supplies, ranging from ordering goods, receiving them and making payments. However, to save on that, a company can choose to use supplier collaboration systems that make the process of ordering and payment of goods much easier. For the system to be efficient, the vendors need to be on board using the system.
A company needs to perform supplier onboarding to bring their vendors onboard. This means that the organization needs to assist its vendors to adopt the electronic data interchange or the e-invoicing system for smooth trading. This requires the suppliers to submit documents and certificates to the company. However, before doing that, there are some things or a checklist the company should consider to make the process a success.
A supplier onboarding checklist consists of questions an organization should answer before starting the process of onboarding suppliers.
What should be in a supplier onboarding checklist?
For the supplier onboarding to be a success, the company needs to have a checklist. Some of the included items are:
Know the supplier?s contact persons. When communicating about onboarding, contacting the right person can mean the difference between a successful onboarding and a failed one. Ensure that you are talking with the decision makers on the matter.
Clear communication. When onboarding suppliers, you need to give a clear message of why you need the providers on board and what is expected of them. Vendors will need to know what you expect them to do. Also, make sure they know the contact person for effective communication.
Convey the benefits to the suppliers of why they should come on board to your system. Although some of the suppliers may already be using e-invoicing and EDI, those not yet in may need to know the benefits on their side. At this point, the company should provide information about the system they are using, just in case the vendor is already using it.
Clear timeline. Vendors need to know by when they are required to be onboard. Communicating the schedule ensures that the set objectives are met, in submitting the necessary documents and in registering. To ensure compliance, consequences for vendors who do not comply can be stipulated, such as late payment of invoices. Simplify the registration process. To make the process easier to accomplish, easy to use methods can be applied. For instance, invitation links with login information can be sent to suppliers so that they can submit certificates and documents online for easy tracking. The suppliers can also manage the platform settings on their side such as including other users other than the admin and their permission.
Apply these supervisory skills so that you can become a great and effective supervisor.
Supervisors do interact directly with their subordinates. Hence, it is important for them to have particular skills to ensure that the interaction is productive. What are the crucial supervisory skills should any supervisor uphold? Here is a list of a few skills that are needed for effective supervision:
Planning
One of the roles that one must take when they are appointed as supervisors is planning. There are various aspects of planning. Therefore, a supervisor should have skills in the following areas to ensure effective planning. They include:
- Scheduling- Timekeeping is the mandate of any leader. A supervisor should be able to drive the subordinates to work within sustainable timelines
- Budgeting- Often, organizations work within fixed budgets. Hence, sound planning is needed to make sure finances are located appropriately
- Tasking- It is the duty of the supervisor to plan tasks and match them to appropriate individuals
- Creating goals and objectives
- Policymaking
- Predicting the future
Leading
The key role of a supervisor is to lead others but not without specific skills. Here are a few of the leading skills:
- Decision making- While it is important to consult others, the supervisor need to be the sole decision maker
- Communicating- They must be able to communicate well with their subordinates
- Motivating- Besides, the supervisor should be in a position to persuade the employees towards goal achievement
- Developing individuals- It is the duty of the supervisor to see to the growth of the subordinates
- Appointing people- Supervisors are also responsible for selecting people whom they think are suited for various tasks
- Conflict resolution- Leaders act as mediators in conflicts that arise among the employees
Organizing
Supervisors also need organization skills such as;
- Defining tasks- It is the responsibility of a supervisor to explain work to the employees
- Grouping assignments- Supervisors are also mandated to group related tasks for effective implementation
- Assigning tasks- They are also responsible for delegating duties to the subordinates based on the skill level of the individuals
- Integrating work
Controlling
Lastly, a supervisor needs to have control over his/her subjects. They require skills in:
- Creating standards- For effective evaluation, developing standards is inherent
- Assessing performance- Supervisors should measure the performance of their subordinates
- Evaluation of performance- The supervisors should evaluate the performance results critically to point out areas of improvement
- Correcting performance- Where an employee performs averagely or poorly in their tasks, the supervisor should encourage and support them to improve their performance.