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      Pre-engagement with your suppliers

      Overview 

      The pre-engagement phase refers to the period of time which precedes the distribution of invitations for completing the Supply Chain Builder and the official start of the campaign. This phase allows to:

      • raise awareness about the mapping initiative,
      • explain the importance of engaging suppliers in mapping the supply chain,
      • confirm the correct point of contact within supplier organisations,
      • offer guidance on accessing the SUPPLIERASSURANCE platform. 

      Successful pre-engagement can contribute to the overall success of the supply chain mapping initiative by enhancing response rates and offering greater visibility into your supply chain beyond tier 1 suppliers.

       

      Before getting started 

      To start the pre-engagement phase you will need:

      1. A SUPPLIERASSURANCE account.

       

      If you want to map your whole supply chain without an invitation from a Customer, you will also need a SUPPLIERASSURANCE Supply Chain Risk Mapping (SCRiM) licence. 


      If you wish to become a SUPPLIERASSURANCE Customer and obtain the SCRiM licence, please book a call with our team (sales link) 

       

      How to 

      There are two ways you can approach starting the pre-engagement phase of a supply chain mapping initiative.

      1a.  Create your own pre-engagement email

      You can draft your own pre-engagement email to inform your suppliers of your initiative. It is important that the pre-engagement email includes an outline of your initiative plan, your expectations, sustainability objectives and how your suppliers can support you in achieving them. It is also important to confirm that you have the right point of contact to address the invitation within your suppliers’ organisation.

       

      1b. Use an existing pre-engagement template 

      You can use the pre-engagement email template available to download on SUPPLIERASSURANCE. If you have received an invitation to complete the Suppy Chain Builder from a buyer, you can also use the pre-engagement template they used to communicate their initiative to you. 

       

      2. Once you establish a way to engage with your suppliers, send the pre-engagement email to all your tier 1 suppliers that you are requesting data from to map your supply chain. To maximise supplier response rates and increase the overall transparency through the supply chain, we advise that you attach a blank copy of the pre-engagement template to your email so that your suppliers can use it to engage with their suppliers and continue this process upstream.

       

      3. Allow 1 to 2 weeks to capture all feedback following the pre-engagement email and update your contact list.

       

      Following the pre-engagement phase, you will be ready to complete the Supply Chain Builder and invite your supplier to do the same. To learn more, read the ‘Completing the Supply Chain Builder’ help article.

       

      Troubleshooting/Additional resources 

      For more help on X, X or X, please see our knowledge base here.