Identify and develop potential partnerships for working in the food and drink supply chain
Overview
This standard is about the skills and knowledge needed for you to identify and develop potential working partnerships for working in the food and drink supply chain. A working partnership between businesses along the food and drink supply chain is more than a supplier, customer, stakeholder relationship. It is an assurance where the partners commit to a strategic and operational working partnership. Working partnerships, along the food and drink supply chain, are important to the building of new opportunities, reducing costs, improving quality and creating a greener more sustainable food and drink business. It is also a key component in the deployment of continuous improvement and excellence strategies. You will need the skills and knowledge to initiate a potential working partnership including identifying a partnership opportunity, ensuring it is aligned to the organisational strategy and building a business case. You will also need the skills and knowledge to negotiate terms and conditions of the partnership and drive the work in line with agreed plans, milestones and timelines. This standard is for you if you work in food and drink manufacture and/or supply operations and are involved in identifying and developing potential partnerships in the food and drink supply chain.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
Identify potential partnerships
determine the different activities carried out by the food and drink
business including those feeding into and out of the main function
liaise with colleagues to determine key activities or areas of the
food and drink business where a working partnership with an
external business may be of value
establish a business case, determining if and where the working
partnership could open up opportunities for the food and drink
business
confirm the potential partnership is aligned to the food and drink
business development plans and strategy for excellence
Develop working partnerships
initiate contact with a potential working partner using effective
communication methods
negotiate a partnership agreement including the objectives and
terms and conditions of the partnership
confirm the working partner's culture and values are shared and
known across each organisation
identify how information technology, systems and procedures
within each partnership organisation can be aligned to make
working more efficient and effective
agree on a development plan including timeline and milestones
communicate to all colleagues their role and contribution to the
working partnership
work with colleagues to maintain the outcomes of the project plan
make sure the work of the partnership is to the advantage of the
food and drink business
check colleagues are kept informed of changes brought about by
the working partnership
use the working partnership to identify additional opportunities for
your food and drink business
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
the methodologies for mapping the activities of a food and drink
business
- how to identify an improvement activity or opportunity where a
working partnership would be required to fulfil the activity or
opportunity
- why it is important to ensure that activity and projects carried out
between working partners is aligned to the food and drink
business development plans and strategy
- how working partnerships can contribute to a continuous
improvement excellence strategy
- the methods, systems and information technology available to
liaise with colleagues across yours and partner organisations and
how to use them
- the organisational requirements to be adhered to when dealing
with external organisations and why it is important to follow them
- how to negotiate to the best advantage of your food and drink
business
- why it is important to establish the objectives, terms and
conditions, timelines and milestones of the partnership and how to
do this
- why it is important to align the working partners shared culture
and values and how to do this
- what the benefits and challenges of aligning partners working
information technology, systems and procedures are
- how to address obstacles to change and why it is important to do
so
- how to adhere to organisational requirements for managing
change and why it is important to do so
- why it is important to conduct yourself in a way that promotes
trust, respect and a positive image for the food and drink business
- why it is important to ensure all colleagues understand their roles
and contribution to the working relationship and how to do this
- the importance of continuous improvement and the identification
of new opportunities and innovative activities when working with
partner organisations