Industry Leading Supplier Accreditation Programme In Running For Major Award

Online, October 2, 2011 (Newswire.com) - The innovation award, to be announced on 10 October 2011, recognises the use of technology in improving service delivery to the customer.

SGP Property and Facilities Management, which is responsible for 45,000 retail and commercial premises and £1 billion annual spend, partnered with Altius in 2007 to develop a robust supplier assessment and accreditation programme that would reduce risk and liability throughout the SGP supply chain while delivering commercial benefits to clients.

Gary Plant, Managing Director of Altius Vendor Assessement, said: "Our assessment programme is used by more than 95% of SGP client companies, including Burger King, Punch Taverns, Arcadia Group, B&Q and Superdrug, as well as other major businesses such as Airbus, Wolseley and Selfridges. The flexible and powerful IT system developed by our in-house systems developers places customer focus at its heart and the assessment process can be configured to each client's changing needs."

The service is free to client companies, with a small fee applied to contractors to cover the assessment process, and support in helping them gain compliance and to raise their performance. Membership offers suppliers access to new business opportunities through Altius' client company network and eases the burden of tendering as suppliers can share their online assessment with other potential clients.

Martyn Sherrington, Head of Strategic Procurement, SGP Property and Facilities Management, said: "The rapid organic growth of SGP demanded radical change in supply chain management, and we worked with Altius to shape a flexible online accreditation system around the complex needs of our various client businesses. It is a highly intuitive and flexible system - tailored to each client - that can be instantly updated to reflect changing requirements or new legislation, and is very easy to use. We are able to monitor supplier activity, as well as gaining a 'big picture' view of our supply chain to identify and fill potential capacity gaps.

"The Altius Vendor Assessment system has helped SGP achieve a step change in supply chain management that delivers significant competitive advantage to both our clients and suppliers. The proven technology used by Altius' expert team is world beating and helps reduce timescales for introduction of new suppliers into the supply chain from weeks and months to days."

Through its partnership with Altius SGP is saving at least £100,000 per year on direct employees. The high assessment standards have also contributed to a 12.5% annual reduction in SGP's bill for professional indemnity and Employers' liability cover.
"While cost and time savings are very welcome, the major benefit of using professional vendor assessment services is the peace of mind and protection it offers both us and our clients," said Peter Hall, Director of Risk Management for SGP and Deputy Chairman of the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management. "We are confident that every contractor we deal with has been through a transparent and robust assessment process, pertinent to the activities they may undertake, and that they are well equipped to provide the stringent, professional standards we require."

He continued: "Our accident rate has reduced since introducing the Altius accreditation system, but it's not all about health and safety. Contractors are also assessed on their financial health, adequacy of insurance cover, and other competences, as required by individual clients. They can also choose to achieve elite vendor status by demonstrating excellence in areas such as customer service, quality management, environmental performance and corporate social responsibility."

The Altius team have a proven track record in supplier management and assessment, with over 100 years combined experience in this field and a deep understanding of supplier accreditation, risk and financial management, and health and safety. The company is accredited by the HSE backed Safety Schemes in Procurement (SSIP) and provides consultancy and advice on supplier management to organisations such as the Railway Safety and Standards Board.

For further information contact Altius Vendor Assessment on 08445 616515, enquiries@altiusva.com, www.altiusva.com