The supply chain landscape has changed in recent years with a huge emphasis being placed on transformation, making it possible for small businesses to gain access to big markets. However, it is still sometimes challenging for individuals to make transformation happen because in many spaces business has remained the same.

Smart Procurement, organisers of the annual regional Smart Procurement World series of conferences and Enterprise & Supplier Development (ESD) Expos, believes that these remarkable individuals should be encouraged and given the recognition they deserve.

“Last year we launched the 1st annual ESD Practitioner Achievement Awards to applaud the efforts of individuals and share their success stories. We will be announcing the 2020 Awards winners at the 14th Annual Smart Procurement World Indaba at Gallagher Convention Centre on 24 November 2020,” said Jodi-Lee Rood, Project Director for Smart Procurement.

Enterprise and supplier development practitioners/managers and supplier relationship practitioners are encouraged to enter the awards, which are divided into five categories:

• Red tape Warrior

• Small Business Champion

• Network Ninja

• Guiding Guru

• The Hero

The Red Tape Warrior is a person who has shown how they were able to adapt processes or procedures in the organisation in order to make it easier for a new supplier to deliver and compete in the supply chain.

The Small Business Champion finds ways to introduce new suppliers to more buyers by actively championing them through performance reports, introductions, and recommendations. The Network Ninja explores ways to open markets to the supplier by looking for networking opportunities within their supplier and customer base that will help the small supplier to gain sales opportunities through recommendations and introductions.

The Guiding Guru uses or implements support structures and processes to help new suppliers with onboarding and settling into new contracts. This person would have had to proactively identify performance challenges and the support needed to address any compliance risks early on in the supplier relationship.

The Hero award is the nomination from a supplier to acknowledge the supply chain practitioner that made them feel supported when things became challenging.

The TrailBlazer displays all the requirements of the multiple categories. This person is one who went all out, disregarding convention and objections.

“Last year’s Network Ninja award winner – Jenine Zachar, Head of Enterprise Development at Standard Bank – is a shining example of a person who has used her extensive network, at the risk of her own personal reputation, to open doors for the SMMEs she mentors. She is a role model to other companies looking to extend their ESD efforts in a meaningful way,” said Rood.

Fridinia Afrika, the Supply Chain Logistics Clerk at Oudtshoorn Municipality, won the Small Business Champion award at the inaugural awards last year. “Amongst other important factors, Fridinia showed suppliers the ropes when dealing with the government, advised on how to manage their existing capacity to deliver on big orders, ensured they met negotiated deadlines and very importantly, made sure that the supplier was paid on time,” said Rood.

Individuals can submit their entries or nominations online, together with supporting stories and information.