Assuring supplier competence in your supply chain is a key responsibility of any organisation. SSIP assists you in meeting this challenge head-on by pre-vetting suppliers to ensure they meet rigorous health and safety standards.
With over 84,000 suppliers registered with an SSIP Member Scheme it has never been easier to assure yourself or your clients, that the suppliers you appoint have met the Stage 1 threshold of competence.
Laing O’Rourke manages a supply chain of more than 3000 partners across public and private sectors, focussing on areas such as healthcare, rail, energy and defence. Kevin Horner, Procurement Operations Leader Laing O’Rourke, and his team have made compliance and risk management a priority for their operations, and he proudly sits as a board member with Safety Schemes in Procurement (SSIP).
At a recent online event hosted by SSIP, Kevin explained,
“SSIP, in my opinion, plays a pivotal role in enabling Laing O’Rourke to understand the suitability of supply chain partners during engagement stages and management of projects. Having the SSIP threshold standards direction and core criteria ensures a consistent approach across the supply chain.”
Flexibility within supply chain assessments is a key component to Laing O’Rourke as they work within such varied sectors of industry. Kevin stated that “SIP provides Laing O’Rourke with informative, competent verification directives and options via third-party accreditation bodies, which then allows us to manage the supply chain effectively across the sectors and environments that we work in….in my opinion (SSIP) plays a pivotal role in enabling Laing O’Rourke to understand the suitability of supply chain partners during engagement stages and management of projects. Having the SSIP threshold standards direction and core criteria ensures a consistent approach across the supply chain.”
Stipulating SSIP approval across the supply chain allows companies like Laing O’Rourke to mitigate the risk of working with organisations that fall below health and safety competency. The SSIP core criteria that all member schemes adhere to provide a regulatory baseline that complies with industry expectations. When a supplier enters the tendering process, organisations can be confident that they’re aligned with the SSIP core criteria and, therefore, company standards. This process fosters greater confidence among supply chain partners and empowers them to have their own efficient health and safety assessment procedures.
Changing legislation, with the introduction of the Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA 2022) in April 2023 and the Procurement Act (2023), will continue to ensure that organisations embed core criteria into their due diligence and procurement processes, with a clearer understanding of standards and guidance and a reduction in red tape benefitting both suppliers and buyers. Kevin concludes by saying, “SSIP will play a central role in shaping the future among supply chain partners, addressing key priorities such as risk management, compliance, supply performance, brand protection, innovation, and sustainability. As companies navigate the increasingly complex and interconnected marketplace, safety will remain a fundamental consideration in ensuring the resilience, integrity, and sustainability of our supply chains.”
If you use SSIP within your supply chain, have you considered being a Supporter Member? Supporter Membership is open to all organisations that support the aims, objectives and ethos of SSIP.
To learn more about becoming an SSIP Support Member contact enquiries@ssip.org.uk
