Contract Management: Building Relationships in Business

Learn to build relationships and manage contracts successfully with this free online course backed by UK government and IACCM.

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Contracts are fundamental to all business activities and relationships are fundamental to all contracts.

This free online course will help you understand contract management processes; give you the confidence to develop new contracts; and help you build successful relationships to implement contracts effectively.

Manage contracts and relationships successfully

The course has been developed by the University of Southampton, in association with the Crown Commercial Service, UK Cabinet Office, Civil Service Learning and the International Association of Contract & Commercial Management (IACCM).

Over three weeks, you will realise the importance, complexity and challenges of designing and delivering good contracts. You will learn how your objectives and those of your customer/client can be achieved in an effective way, to minimise possible threats or failures.

The course covers three key themes

Relationship fundamentals: we will explore what can go right or wrong in relationships; examine the rules that govern public and private sector procurement; and ask how you can make sure what you buy (or sell) is what you and your customer/client really needs.

Relationship complexities: we will look at the complex supply chains and networks that are a feature of many contracts, learning how to manage interdependencies and the needs of multiple stakeholders.

What does this mean to you? The final part of the course will bring the above ideas together, using an example scenario (the challenge of building your own house) to put theory into practice.

Learn with expert academics and experienced practitioners

Your guides for the course are Douglas Macbeth, Professor of Purchasing and Supply Chain Management at the University of Southampton; and Tim Cummins, CEO of IACCM who has wide and senior management experience in the field.

Each week, you’ll get the chance to hear guest lectures from, and discuss your own ideas with, practitioners from public and private sector organisations around the world.

You can find out how this course helped the career of Laylo, a Contracts Manager at ZTE Investment Foreigner Enterprise, in her learner story.

(Course image: derivative work based on silhouettes © Nevena Radonja/Shutterstock.)

What will you achieve?

Explore what can go right or wrong in relationships

Debate how the rules and regulations that govern public and private sector procurement can affect behaviour

Identify ways you can ensure that what you buy (or sell) is what you and your customer / client really needs

Engage in a stakeholder analysis activity by sharing your own ideas and providing feedback on others

Explore your supplier relationships and compare what your fellow learners are doing more or less of than in your own organisation

Reflect on what actions you will now take to learn more about the course topics and take the lessons forward into your workplace

This free online course is designed for anyone who wants to better understand what is involved in commercial business relationships, and the process of managing contractual agreements.

It is suitable for those working in the public, private and third sectors.

Relationships and contracts are core to all commercial as well as not for profit activities. Managing them well is a core skill for everyone in all aspects of life.

Certificate of completion

Digital certificate - Included