The Level 4 Commercial Procurement and Supply Apprenticeship is designed to build confident, capable procurement professionals who make a real impact. Apprentices will gain a well-rounded understanding of procurement principles and how to apply them in real-world commercial environments.
Knowledge
Procurement life cycles and how they fit into the organisation’s structure and budgets
Relevant regulations and legislation such as procurement, data protection, environmental, social and governance, and how they impact on the procurement process
The principles and purpose of commercial contracting.
How to collect and utilise market, supplier, and product intelligence to inform business strategies and optimise the procurement process
Market and product intelligence and supplier innovation support the development of business cases
How commercial models are applied to generate the best value for the organisation, and how they influence customer and supplier behaviour
The principles of achieving efficiencies and continuous improvement
The importance of collaboration between the Procurement, Finance, and other business functions
Incorporate business objectives and needs into procurement specifications by utilising tools and techniques to create solution
The principles and purpose of commercial contracting
How contract terms, conditions and obligations affect delivery, supplier performance and outcomes for the organisation
Ethical and sustainability risks and opportunities related to sourcing decisions
The use of procurement to drive “social value” and sustainability, such as emissions reduction, use of diverse suppliers (SMEs, Ethnic Minority Business), addressing human rights in the supply chain, and combatting environmental harm
The documentation and terminology that form part of the commercial contract process such as the contract and its appendices
The procurement negotiation techniques required to reach a mutually beneficial agreement
The organisation’s commercial strategy and policies, procedures, and governance processes
Principles and purpose of the organisations contract governance, risk management, and internal controls
Supplier performance monitoring, management, and reporting techniques which impact on, service, quality, and sustainability objectives
Category specific knowledge of contracts, market, and legislative requirements to ensure goods or services are procured in a compliant and sustainable way
How to conduct planning and forecasting which support the business decisions and the delivery of procurement
Analyse spend data and generate recommendations to feed into business and commercial strategies
The components, benefits, and constraints of taking a category management approach throughout the procurement life cycle
The digital and software tools used in procurement and supply chain management, such as “source to contract” platforms, supply chain finance tools, complex sourcing, and auctions, spend analytics, AI, risk tools and guided buying
The organisation's contract award process
The principles of continuous improvement and how to identify and implement opportunities for improvement within the procurement and contract management process
The use of horizon scanning to identify the current and future needs of the sector and procurement landscape
Project management tools and techniques
Skills
Manage relationships with stakeholders
Interpret business requirements by assessing the demand for the product or service
Undertake market analysis to establish potential routes to market
Conduct benchmarking to evaluate costs against industry standards
Prepare or contribute to the drafting of a sourcing plan which meets business needs, including corporate social responsibility factors
Use the organisation's documentation designed for commercial procurement processes for the supply of goods and services
Notify potential suppliers of proposal requirements
Use selection and award criteria to source requirements from external suppliers evidencing how supplier bids are evaluated against them
Analyse the financial implications of decisions and identify cost-saving opportunities
Liaise and negotiate with suppliers and stakeholders to ensure the timely delivery of purchased goods and services
Support contract award and briefing of suppliers in line with the organisations processes and governance
Monitor and manage contract performance to meet time, costs, service, and quality objectives
Manage contract performance and advise suppliers on any areas for improvement
Maintain contract documentation such as change control, version control
Use IT and software to produce spreadsheets and presentation packages to communicate information
Identify, raise, and facilitate discussions with stakeholders to resolve any issues or risks
Analyses sustainability challenges and risks at each stage of the product or contract life cycle
Manage information in accordance with policy and processes
Continuously review work processes to identify and eliminate inefficiencies and simplify workflow
Use available systems and tools to identify relevant data
Interpret, analyse, and evaluate data through questioning to drive actionable intelligence and support decision making
Use horizon scanning to identify future changes in procurement and contracting
Behaviours
Role models ethical behaviour and practices
Seeks learning opportunities and continuous professional development
Takes responsibility, shows initiative, and is organised
Considers the “big” picture and the detail together
Works flexibly and adapts to circumstances
Works collaboratively with others across the organisation and external stakeholders
The above key Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours for Procurement and Supply Chain Practitioner (Level 4) Apprenticeship have been taken above have been taken from The Department for Education (DfE).
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