How an Embedded Expert Built a Dedicated Supplier Relationship Function
How an Embedded Expert Built a Dedicated Supplier Relationship Function
A large UK-based company in the regulated sector had an extensive supplier base yet struggled to keep up with the growing demands of its supplier relationships. Without a dedicated function to manage communications, coordinate reviews and oversee compliance, the burden had quietly fallen on internal teams who were already stretched thin. Through the Colleague-as-a-Service (CLaaS) model, Denova deployed an embedded Supplier Relationship Manager to step into the gap by bringing structure, process and a steady hand to an operation that needed all three.
What followed was a meaningful shift in how the organisation managed its supplier base.
What Was Missing
The absence of a dedicated SRM function had left several operational gaps that gradually became difficult to ignore.
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- Fragmented Communication: All supplier queries were routed directly to category leads, creating bottlenecks and pulling senior staff away from more strategic work.
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- Disconnected Systems: Key tools for contract management and supplier data sat in separate platforms with no integration, requiring manual data migration and duplication of effort.
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- Manual Tracking: Business reviews, tiering records and supplier performance data were maintained across multiple Excel files with no single source of truth.
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- Supplier Onboarding Gaps: With over 200 active suppliers and a new SPM system being introduced, there was no structured plan to bring suppliers up to speed on new tools and processes.
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- Change Resistance: A number of stakeholders were accustomed to existing ways of working and were cautious about the shift to a more formal supplier management model.
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Bringing Structure to the SRM Function
Rather than arriving with a fixed playbook, the embedded SRM took time to understand how the organisation actually worked before defining the path forward. The approach was built around five priorities.
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- Mapping Before Moving: Process flows and procedure documents were developed first, so that every subsequent change had a clear reference point and could be communicated consistently across teams.
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- Centralising Communication: A single point of contact was established for all supplier interactions, reducing noise for internal stakeholders and ensuring suppliers always knew where to direct their queries.
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- Structured Onboarding: A training program was designed and delivered for over 40 suppliers, covering the new SPM tools and expectations and turning what could have been a chaotic rollout into a managed transition.
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- Data Foundation: Supplier records and contract data were cleansed and consolidated into a reliable database, giving the team accurate information to work from for the first time.
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- Change Management: Resistant stakeholders were engaged directly, with the case for change framed around business risk rather than process preference. Where further escalation was needed, it was handled through the appropriate channels.
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About the Embedded Colleague
Our embedded supplier relationship manager Mariel Josh brought seven years of stakeholder management experience to a role that had never previously existed within the client organisation. As the first SRM on the account, she built the function from the ground up by establishing communication protocols, leading supplier training and creating the tracking infrastructure the team now relies on.
The client team’s confidence in the SRM function grew steadily throughout the engagement, to the point where the team was trusted to manage supplier correspondence independently.
“A solid understanding of the process, how the organisation works and how to manage multiple suppliers greatly helps in staying on top of tasks.“
— Mariel Josh, Supplier Relationship Manager, Denova
The Results
Centralised Communication & Stronger Trust
Supplier communications were centralised under one dedicated contact, relieving pressure on internal teams and earning the kind of trust that allowed the SRM function to grow into a more autonomous role.
42+ Suppliers Successfully Trained
A structured onboarding programme updated suppliers on new tools and processes, with 24 training and Ariba onboarding sessions conducted and 2 dedicated training packs developed.
Optimised SPM Reporting
40+ Q3 and Q4 Ariba SPM surveys were created to support the November and February roll-outs, replacing a month-long reporting cycle that previously relied on manual email and spreadsheet submissions.
Improved Risk Visibility
70+ supplier records were streamlined within the SRM Portal, giving the team cleaner, more reliable data to work from and making supplier risk tiering and performance tracking significantly easier to manage.
The client now has a dedicated function managing over 200 supplier relationships, with cleaner data, structured processes and a team trusted to operate independently.
Lessons We’ve Learned
Centralisation is a multiplier When supplier communications are scattered across teams, everyone absorbs the cost. A single point of accountability does not just improve response times; it changes how the whole organisation experiences its supplier relationships.
Process documentation is not admin, it is infrastructure Clear, updated process maps and procedure documents gave the team a shared language and reduced the risk of knowledge walking out the door.
Embedded expertise accelerates trust There is a difference between a consultant who advises and one who works alongside the team every day. The latter builds credibility through consistency, and that credibility is what makes change sustainable.
HOW WE CAN HELP
If your organisation is managing a growing supplier base without a dedicated function in place, embedded SRM expertise through Colleague-as-a-Service (CLaaS) may be your next step.
If that feels relevant,we are ready to have a conversation exploring what dedicated embedded support could look like for you.
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