The Postal Service initiated the Supplier Performance Awards (SPAs) Program to annually recognize its most outstanding suppliers. These are suppliers who have clearly demonstrated their ability and commitment to consistently provide quality goods or services to the Postal Service. The awards are presented to 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 universal mail service to the American public.
As a benefit of the SPA, with contracting officer approval, winning suppliers are able to create a press release and use other means to communicate the award (e.g., supplier Web site). Also, within the communications, the supplier may be recognized as “strategic” or “key” to the Postal Service for their cost reduction achievements and best practices. Information on the SPA program is available at: https://about.usps.com/suppliers/performance-awards.htm.
Evaluating responses to a set of criteria is the Postal Service’s basis for awarding suppliers the Supplier Performance Award (SPA). The criteria conform to commercial best practices by:
The Postal Service can further align the SPA 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 work directly in the nomination packet submission process. The internal business partners provide information concerning the criteria, and all selections are vetted through several internal processes before a supplier award is publicized.
The SPA category is reserved for key suppliers, those companies evaluated annually who are deemed critical to the success of Postal Service operations or services in their respective commodity areas. These companies demonstrate collaborative performance objectives and developmental progress, and are exemplary performers assisting the Postal Service in achieving its business objectives.
A “Key Supplier” is defined as a supplier which has been designated by a Postal Service Supply Management Category Management Center (CMC) or team as a “Key Supplier” using best business judgment based on goods or service criticality to the Postal Service, market position, overall opportunity, and supplier segmentation assessment analysis. Key Supplier performance is typically tracked via a scorecard within SCRMS, and included in the responsible CMC’s Category Sourcing Strategy Plan (CSSP).
Supplier Excellence Awards (SEA) recognizes suppliers that have an extraordinary contract compliance with providing exceptional quality and on-time delivery performance. The supplier’s contribution to Postal Service supply chain management operational performance improvement effort success is evaluated. Finally, Supplier Excellence includes those suppliers who demonstrate extraordinary Postal Employee or Public Safety special achievement or awareness and who assists the Postal Service in achieving its business objectives.
The Supplier Innovation Awards (SIA) recognizes suppliers (key or non-key) for the implementation of a new idea that generates value for the Postal Service. The supplier serves as a role model for successful Postal Service-related innovation efforts beyond the contract requirements and that the innovation generates additional revenue or achieves performance breakthrough.
The Supplier Diversity Awards (SDA) recognizes outstanding Large or Small Business, Minority-Owned Business, or Women-Owned Business suppliers (key or non-key) for demonstrating agility, flexibility, innovation, balance and adaptability throughout the supply chain. The supplier details their process of overcoming obstacles, adversities, and what positive impact it has had on the Postal Service and on their business. The supplier must demonstrate how they serve as a role model or their best practices for promoting Postal Service supplier diversity efforts, their outreach efforts, mentor-protégé programs or similar efforts.
The Supplier Sustainability Excellence Award (SSEA) recognizes suppliers that demonstrate excellence to their environmental sustainability practices in the performance of their contract. The supplier’s development and implementation of innovative sustainability business practices and offer goods and services that assists the Postal Service to operate in a more environmentally-sustainable manner.
The Postal Supplier Council Excellence Awards (PSCEA) recognizes suppliers that have demonstrated overall extraordinary performance and are members in good standing demonstrating collaborative PSC performance.
