Contact

Supplier Relationship Management CATS SRM Foundation

Would you like to gain greater control over potential and contracted suppliers and maximize their contribution to your organization’s objectives? In this three-day training course, you will learn how to use the CATS SRM supplier relationship management methodology to gain control over suppliers, classify them, and manage them effectively and efficiently. Using the CATS fourcing framework, you will discover how supplier relationship management relates to procurement, category management, and contract management, and you will leave with practical insights to further professionalize supplier relationship management within your organization. Upon completion of the training, participants will have the knowledge and confidence to take the optional CATS SRM Foundation exam.
Download brochure

Why this inspiration session?

  • Acquire valuable knowledge of the CATS SRM® supplier relationship management methodology.
  • Learn what successful supplier relationship management entails and how it relates to, among other disciplines, category management, supplier portfolio management, contract management, procurement, and business operations.
  • Create successful collaborations that make an optimal contribution to achieving organizational objectives.
  • Gain control over supplier relationship management through a structured approach to managing both potential and contracted suppliers.
  • Develop proficiency in the SRM Essentials, the areas of focus that every supplier relationship manager should have under control.
  • Leave with practical insights and concrete ideas for further professionalizing supplier relationship management within your own organization.

Discover the world of proactive and structured supplier relationship management in this comprehensive foundation training course! During this three-day course, participants not only learn the fundamentals of supplier relationship management, but also gain proficiency in the CATS SRM® methodology and acquire an overview of the entire sourcing landscape of procurement contracts and suppliers through the CATS sourcing framework. Participants learn how to gain control over both potential and contracted suppliers and how to manage them effectively to maximize their contribution to current and future organizational objectives. This training course provides a solid foundation for successful supplier relationship management. By the end of the course, each participant will leave with a clear vision of how supplier relationship management can be further improved at the individual, departmental, and organizational levels.

  • The theory of the CATS SRM® supplier relationship management methodology, including attention to:
    • the significance of the distinction between potential and contracted suppliers;
    • the allocation of responsibilities across the roles involved with a supplier;
    • the focus areas of supplier relationship management, the SRM Essentials;
    • the steps of the supplier relationship management process;
    • the operation of supplier classification and supplier relationship management scenarios;
    • the documentation of the supplier relationship management approach in a supplier relationship management plan;
  • The definitions of related disciplines, such as category management, contract management, and procurement, and their relationship with supplier relationship management using the CATS sourcing framework;
  • The success factors for supplier relationship management;
  • The tasks, responsibilities, and authorities of the supplier relationship manager;
  • How practical tools, such as the relationship risk profile, can help you make an immediate impact.

This training course is designed for professionals who are actively engaged in supplier relationship management, including supplier relationship managers and those ultimately responsible for supplier relationship management. It is also highly relevant for contract managers, category managers, and procurement professionals who want to expand their knowledge of supplier relationship management or who carry out supplier relationship management activities as part of their role.

Duration
The training course takes three days, from 9:30 to 17:00 CET with daylight saving time. These are usually with a week between the training days.

Materials
Each participant will receive a physical copy of the book Supplier Relationship Management with CATS SRM® – Structured Impact with Today’s and Tomorrow’s Suppliers, for the classroom training course and an e-book for the online training course. Each participant will have exclusive access to our participant portal, where PDFs of presented slides, assignments, and other digital courseware are included.

Exam
After studying the book Supplier Relationship Management with CATS SRM® – Structured Impact with Today’s and Tomorrow’s Suppliers and completing the training course, participants will be well prepared to take the online CATS SRM® Foundation exam with confidence. Successful completion of this optional exam leads to the prestigious CATS SRM® Foundation certificate. The exam is expected to be available from 1 October 2026. The exam can be taken at any time. It is not included in the training and must be booked separately.

Teaching Methods
This training course is designed to convey the theory behind the CATS SRM® methodology. Our experienced trainers enrich the theory with discussions of participants’ real-life situations and a variety of practical exercises. These exercises are carried out both individually and in groups, after which the trainer facilitates a plenary discussion of the outcomes. Between the days of the training course, participants complete homework assignments, with an estimated study effort of two to four hours per assignment.

Study Load
For this training course, the study load consists of the training days themselves and homework, typically taking approximately two to four hours between training days.

Prior Education
This training course does not require any specific prior education. Everyone is welcome to participate, regardless of background or experience.

Follow-up Training Courses
The succesful completion of this training course gives the participant access to a number of possible follow-up training courses:

  • CATS SRM® Practitioner
  • Growing importance of contracts and suppliers
  • Supplier relationship management and the CATS sourcing framework
  • Success factors for supplier relationship management
  • Supplier objectives
  • The CATS SRM® methodology:
    • Pillar 1: The distinction between a potential and a contracted supplier
    • Pillar 2: The SRM Essentials
    • Pillar 3: The roles
    • Pillar 4: The supplier relationship management process
    • Pillar 5: The supplier relationship management approach and supplier relationship management scenarios
    • The supplier relationship manager’s plans
  • Preparing and handing over in the Initiate phase
  • Phasing out and handing over in the Conclude phase
  • In-depth exploration of the core SRM Essentials:
    • Supplier objectives
    • Supplier file
    • Supplier governance
    • Risks
  • The relationship risk profile
  • In-depth exploration of the SRM Essentials for contracted suppliers:
    • Contract portfolio
    • Agreements
    • Performance
  • In-depth exploration of the SRM Essentials for suppliers with a long-term perspective:
    • Market dynamics
    • Stakeholders
    • Attractiveness
  • Special considerations in supplier relationship management
  • The interface between supplier relationship management and contract management
  • Implementation and execution

Start date: 08-01-2027 online via MS Teams

Course dates:

  • 08-01-2027 12:00 to 16:00 CET
  • 15-01-2027 12:00 to 16:00 CET
  • 22-01-2027 12:00 to 16:00 CET
  • 29-01-2027 12:00 to 16:00 CET
  • 05-02-2027 12:00 to 16:00 CET
  • 12-02-2027 12:00 to 16:00 CET
  • Date: 08-01-2027
  • Location: Microsoft Teams, Online
Enroll

The cost for an open enrollment training course is EUR 2,395, excluding VAT, per participant. This price is valid until 31 July 2027. For pricing inquiries regarding in-company training sessions, please contact secretariaat@cmpartners.nl. This amount includes the costs of training materials. Please note that the fee for the optional CATS SRM® Foundation exam is not included.

Want to know more?

Download brochure
Ask a question

Download brochure

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Receive your download*
We are curious what you think. To help you select the most suitable training, we will get in touch with you in the near future.