One of the key responsibilities of a Vendor Manager is to manage their database. The database is composed of thousands of profiles, one for each supplier. Each profile will contain information such as the supplier’s contact details, services, rates, competencies, performance, tasks performed and all the paperwork required.  Being the main point of reference for project managers when assigning work, the information within the database must be as up to date and accurate as possible. This way, projects can be assigned to suitable suppliers, and Vendor Managers can easily spot any supplier gaps.  The database is constantly changing, not only as suppliers evolve, but also as client’s requirements change. From my experience, the database must be flexible in order to suit any unexpected projects and new clients. This is where you can test whether your database, and by extension, your Vendor Management team, is “proactive” or “reactive”.  A reactive database can be defined as a d...

The first six months of this pandemic have been a time of discovery and change for me in all aspects of my life. I have learned that the mind is the strongest asset we have, and being able to control it can change your life. However, the pandemic is still here, and we are still suffering its consequences, such as working from home, self-isolation, lack of personal contact etc.  While self-isolating at my friend’s house for two weeks, I overheard a training session she was attending about tips on how to cope with uncertainty, and how to support your teammates through the pandemic. It was very interesting, so I took some notes to share with all of you here. There are three powerful strategies for coping with uncertainty that we can all apply in our daily lives: reframing your thoughts, taking control of your situation and taking care of yourself. By Colton Sturgeon. Let’s start with reframing your thoughts. This refers to the different ways in which you can order your thoughts, welco...