Purpose:
Understand basics of working effectively with global and local vendors and suppliers, including managing processes such as contract negotiation, onboarding and performance management to minimize costs, delays and misunderstandings, and increase quality and compliance.
Improve global vendor/supplier teamwork
Fix communication, quality, budget issues
Negotiate win-win for flexible service/project
Webinar 1: Understand common issues between Japanese clients and global vendors/partners and how to fix them.
Understand cultural differences between Japanese ‘high-context’, team-based, long-term relationship-oriented” style versus global ‘low context,’ individual responsibility, strategic, target-oriented style.
Understand each other’s business models, goals and mutual benefits
Clarify challenges and best practices in different industries, such as manufacturing, service, IT and other business areas, working with global vendors and supply chain.
Use frameworks, case studies and best practice ideas to find own highest priority issues with vendors, causes, solutions and ideal future workflow.
Webinar ２: Learn how to use vendor management tools, processes and skills
Understand Global Vendor Management “win-win” philosophy: vendor selection, sharing goals, business model information across cultures, roles, benefits, scoping project needs
Analyze types of agreement, best practices, case studies and peer-to-peer (P2P) learning-sharing: which are best for our situation. Understand VM workflow: systems, processes, how to share information, track progress, monitor risk, negotiate issues
Create Vendor Management (“hybrid”) tools that mix the best of Japanese and global working style in your company’s situation.
Webinar 3: Manage the complete vendor negotiation process
Analize and roleplay an IT global vendor agreement negotiation case, including to prevent and fix cultural gaps such as different expectations about service levels, deadlines or project flexibility. For example, Japanese customers may expect their global vendors and suppliers to try hard to understand and meet their needs to make long term mutually supporting relationships. But if these global counterparts may prefer to prioritize short term profit, then the Japanese client needs to investigate other ways to offer them strategic value in collaboration.
Perform own roles within processes such as selection, service choices, pricing, agreements, risk and quality measurement and quality resolution to effectively support operations.
Benefits
Agree and maintain service at the level you need it
Negotiate affordable costs, and win-win roles
Create flexible agreements that allow scope changes
Enjoy an interactive peer to peer learning style, including breakout groups focusing on topics of interest. (This allows sharing of current expert information and best practices whilst keeping learning relevant and engaging.)
Dates (all times JST):
Group 12 (Tuesday Evenings / Instructor: Jon Lynch & Colleagues)
Webinar 1: Jan 30 Tue 19:00 - 20:00
Webinar 2: Feb 27 Tue 19:00 - 20:00
Webinar 3: Mar 26 Tue 19:00 - 20:00
Group 13 (Thursday Afternoons / Instructor: Jon Lynch & Colleagues)
Webinar 1: Mar 7 Thu 14:00 - 15:00
Webinar 2: Apr 4 Thu 14:00 - 15:00
Webinar 3: May 1 Wed 16:00 - 17:00
Group 14 (Tuesday Evenings / Instructor: Jon Lynch & Colleagues)
Webinar 1: Apr 30 Tue 19:00 - 20:00
Webinar 2: May 28 Tue 19:00 - 20:00
Webinar 3: Jun 25 Tue 19:00 - 20:00
Participants' comments:
This seminar was fun and interactive. It was helpful talking about our typical problems with Indian and Chinese vendors, and hearing solution ideas from each other. I could get good communication tips. - IT Project Manager, Insurance company
Our US parts suppliers never seem to try to understand our needs or match our timeline. They don’t treat us like valued customers. Now I understand we should treat them as partners, and share our business opportunities and goals, and their benefits more clearly. -Procurement Staff, Railway Manufacturer
I could find how to make stronger, win-win agreements and tools to manage performance with our suppliers. Often in Europe or Asia they push back on our requests, don’t share information, or keep their promises about quality or delivery. We need to agree and stay on track. - Purchasing Manager, Technology Company