The Postal Service initiated the Quality Supplier Awards (QSAs) Program to annually recognize its most outstanding suppliers (i.e., suppliers who have clearly demonstrated their ability and commitment to consistently provide quality products or services to the Postal Service). The awards are presented by the PMG to publicly and formally recognize suppliers who have truly made significant contributions toward helping the Postal Service benefit from SCM best practices. These efforts have been successful in providing positive bottom-line and performance results that ultimately help the Postal Service more effectively achieve its mission of providing mail service to the American public.
This program has recognized SMWOBs for outstanding performance since 1989. In the past, winners have been segregated by small and large company categories. From 1997 to 2002, winners were segregated further by three other categories:
Evaluating responses to a set of criteria is the Postal Service’s basis for awarding suppliers the QSA. The criteria conform to commercial best practices by:
However, the Postal Service can further align the QSA Program with commercial best practices by developing the criteria (standards) that suppliers are evaluated against into metrics.
The Postal Service follows other best practices by having its employees or teams who work closely with the suppliers participate in the evaluation. The “internal customers” provide information concerning the criteria. Unlike the QSA Program, where evaluation is based on qualitative evidence, most reward and recognition programs evaluate information that is in the form of quantitative data.
The Postal Service publicly recognizes the suppliers who attain a QSA that follows commercial best practices. The winners receive a QSA plaque and a letter of commendation signed and presented by the PMG at the QSA ceremony, which is hosted by the VP, SM. Postal Service Officers and VPs are also invited to the ceremony. A celebratory reception is held after the QSA ceremony, which includes supplier attendees and members of the purchase/SCM teams responsible for the successful effort. A videotape, photographs, posters, and mementos such as “USPS Quality Supplier” lapel pins are provided to the winning suppliers to share with their employees and to aid their publicity efforts.
A press release is prepared by the Postal Service Corporate Communications for appropriate distribution and publicity. Winning suppliers are able to create a press release themselves and use any other means to communicate the award (e.g., supplier Web site).
After the Postal Service establishes criteria and performs the evaluation, the suppliers’ information can not only be used for the QSA Program but can also be leveraged to designate suppliers a certain status, such as “strategic” or “key.” Currently, the Postal Service uses the information gained from the criteria as examples of cost reduction achievements and best practices implemented by various Postal Service purchase/SCM teams.
Rewards can serve to strengthen Postal Service and supplier relationships and motivate not only the winners but also the losing nominees to improve and win the award the following year (if suppliers are not motivated, this can be a telling sign of the award program or the supply base). Providing feedback to suppliers, especially those that were not selected for the award, is essential to generating supplier understanding of necessary improvements and how to align with Postal Service objectives. The nominator, a Postal Service employee, receives feedback relating to how the supplier can improve as a Postal Service supplier and QSA nominee.
