Government Fleet, Jan/Feb 2021

a list of key topics and or metrics that need to be covered Using the three p format purpose process payoff will ensure meetings are productive This includes the purpose of the meeting and what it aims to do the process of what specific things have to happen to achieve the purpose and the payoff in the benefits both parties secure if the meeting fulfills the purpose and how it helps each organization move forward This is all about building strategic partnerships Trust is the foundation If you lose trust you lose everything Neve said Define your strategy determine the spend and research the supplier market Be clear on the scope of services that must be covered know your contacts with your suppliers and develop a defined escalation procedure for issues Points to Look Out For Make sure youre looking at actual data not marketing data The supplier shouldnt be the only source of info There should be third party validation If your supplier insists its the only one that can provide you with that info question it If your data sources are vague or undefined thats an issue Make sure you have a distinct definition of the data and source If the review from the supplier doesnt contain any proof of compliance with your SLAs thats a problem Your SLA should govern interactions and decision making between you and the supplier If your supplier does not come back with action items that say what areas can be improved on then thats not relevant for you The process should project forward not react to past problems Make sure youre looking to the future and not spending too much time rehashing old issues They should be saving you time money personnel overhead or etc What are the Outcomes Make sure you and your supplier agree on performance levels and needed improvements so you can modify your processes as necessary Review and update your priorities regularly While you might have had issues with item A six months ago now item B is a big priority moving forward Be sure youre able to pivot to focus on what needs to be solved immediately Always have an agreed upon list of action items at the end of your business review meeting In simplest terms are your suppliers doing what they said they would do at the outset invoices is requesting they are provided within a certain time period You cant measure what you dont know Not just fleet managers but also those in your procurement purchasing and accounts payable departments must know Obtaining an updated fee schedule will be necessary to make sure youre not being overcharged One of the problem areas we most often find is theres no fee schedule Its really important for contract maintenance This is whats going to be used to check and validate against the invoice she said Are periodic increases permitted What happens when fees that are not in the fee schedule arise Will you require a change in your contract What discounts or rebates are due and when For a few examples of taking control of invoices be sure to watch the on demand presentation at government fleet com elearning starting at the 19 53 mark The Right to Audit Make sure you have a right to audit clause in your contract particularly for outsourced services or functions Trust but verify when necessary Really what youre trying to do is ensure the supplier and maybe the third party who is working for the supplier are acting properly in terms of ethics business standards and their contractual relationship Christensen said There are four different types of audits Financial transactions Compliance with contract terms and conditions laws regulations policies and procedures Operational performance or management Information technology controls backup recovery physical security and compliance with standard electronic data processing practices The Three Ps Establish a regular schedule whether annual semiannual or quarterly and stick to it You should provide your supplier PHOTO UNSPLASH MARI HELIN WEBINARS ON DEMAND For more detailed information be sure to check out the full presentation on demand at government fleet com elearning Fleet managers may also benefit from sharing this presentation with budget and finance staff of their agencies who may not be aware of these strategies and opportunities Dont go in blind be sure you know what you are agreeing to VALUE 26 GOVERNMENT FLEET COM JANUARY FEBRUARY 2021