FirstGroup Awarded Prestigious Accreditation for its Supplier Relationship Management Programme

2012-11-06 — /travelprnews.com/ — The UK’s largest transport operator, FirstGroup, has become just the 25th company and the first public transport operator to be awarded the prestigious British standard, BS11000.

BS11000 is the world’s first national standard for ‘collaborative business relationships’.  In achieving BS110000 status, FirstGroup, through its internal Supplier Relationship Management Programme, has formalised and enhanced its relationship with a number of key strategic suppliers.  The aim for First and its suppliers is to work more closely, align business objectives and values to improve innovation and improve efficiency.

“Trust and openness are at the heart of our Programme,” said Paul Keen, FirstGroup’s Head of Supplier Relationship Management.  “Improving our long term supplier relationships and ensuring greater collaboration will result in better value for money and ultimately will benefit our bus and rail customers.”

Mr Keen steered FirstGroup’s Supplier Relationship Programme through the rigorous BS11000 assessment programme.  He added: “Achieving the BS11000 standard reflects FirstGroup’s commitment to best practice supplier management.   We are the first public transport operator and only the 25th organisation to have received such accreditation since the standard was launched in December 2010.  I’m delighted that we are setting new standards for the industry.”

He continued: “Achieving this award also supports the Government’s focus on delivering greater value for money from the transportation sector.”

BS11000 is a strategic framework to help companies develop and manage their interactions with other organisations for maximum benefit to both parties.  BS11000 highlights the key elements for success, provides a common life-cycle based route map which allows ease of integration and a measurable platform to monitor and measure progress.

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