As organizations strive to focus on essential competencies and become more flexible, they reduce their proprietorship of raw material sources and distribution channels. Ultimately, the objective is to increase the number of organizations involved in satisfying customer demand while in the long-term, reduce managerial control of daily logistics operations and increase efficiency in operations. With less control and more supply chain partners, public demand has led to the creation of a much-needed practical course - Supply Chain Management. For these reasons, British Council will host acclaimed Supply Chain Master Class expert, Dr Douglas Boateng, in a rewarding two-day session for executives and professionals in Purchasing and Supply. Dr. Douglas Boateng is the distinguished extraordinary Chair in Operations and Supply Chain Management Professional Development of the Institute of Operations Management (IOM) Africa, and Chairman of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply’s (CIPS) Africa Strategic Advisory Board. He is also Founder, President and CEO of PanAvest International- a business advisory, education, training, coaching and mentoring company. In a captured statement, he remarked: “Supplier relationship development and management is not just about organisations significantly improving bottom-line results. It is also about, innovatively working with public and private sector channel partners to further develop local content, real jobs, foster enterprise growth etc.; thus sustainably increasing shareholder value and creating a win-win socio-economic environment for all’’. As the purpose of supply chain management is to improve trust and collaboration among supply chain partners, this month’s topic focuses on ‘Strategies in Managing Supplier Relationship in the procurement process.’ This topic intends to help improve inventory visibility, while exploring practical insights into achieving long-term business objectives and operational goals in the supply chain process. The first session kicks-off from June 25 – 26, 2013; and the second class is scheduled to begin from June 27 – 28, 2013 at the British Council premises. It will be an intensive and comprehensive two-day participatory program designed to provide participants with practical insights into how to strategically guide the supplier relationship development and management process within their respective organizations. Participants at the end of the training are expected to receive a joint certificate of attendance issued by IOM, CIPS and British Council. Additionally, participants will earn continuous professional development credit for practitioners. Highlights of the course include; “The need for companies to strategically develop and manage supplier relationships, impact of supplier relationship management on bottom-line performance, long term profitability and shareholder value creation and the difference between supply chain management, and supplier relationship development and management. Other areas to be covered are the strategic link between supplier relationship development and management, product innovation, long term enterprise growth and local economic development and some thought leading steps to follow when initiating supplier relationship development and management.