Supplier Risk Assessment and Management Training

About This Course

In today's interconnected global economy, organisations are increasingly exposed to risks that originate far beyond their own operations. Supplier failures, geopolitical disruptions, compliance breaches, financial instability, and environmental incidents can cascade through supply chains with devastating speed — threatening production, revenue, reputation, and regulatory standing. Yet many organisations still manage supplier relationships reactively, without systematic processes for identifying vulnerabilities before they become crises.

The Supplier Risk Assessment and Management Training programme at TrainingComplex is designed to close that gap. Over five intensive days, participants will develop a comprehensive understanding of the supplier risk landscape and acquire the practical tools needed to assess, monitor, and mitigate those risks proactively. From initial supplier qualification and financial health screening to geopolitical risk mapping and business continuity planning, every module is grounded in real-world procurement challenges drawn from across industries and regions.

Participants will work through structured risk frameworks including risk registers, heat maps, supplier scorecards, and contingency planning templates — gaining hands-on experience they can apply immediately on return to their organisations. The programme also addresses the growing importance of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) compliance in the supply chain, equipping participants to evaluate suppliers against evolving regulatory and stakeholder expectations.

Whether you are building a supplier risk function from the ground up or strengthening an existing programme, this course provides the strategic perspective and operational rigour required to safeguard your supply chain and maintain competitive advantage in an unpredictable world.

Who Should Attend

• Procurement and purchasing managers responsible for supplier selection and relationship management
• Supply chain managers and analysts seeking to embed risk management into operational processes
• Risk and compliance officers with oversight of third-party and vendor risk
• Contracts and category managers managing strategic or high-spend supplier portfolios
• Operations and logistics managers dependent on reliable supplier performance
• Finance professionals involved in vendor assessments, spend analysis, or business continuity planning
• Senior executives seeking strategic oversight of supply chain vulnerability and resilience

Learning Objectives

• Explain the key categories of supplier risk — financial, operational, reputational, geopolitical, compliance, and ESG — and their potential impact on organisational performance
• Apply a structured risk identification and assessment methodology to map and prioritise supplier risks across a supply base
• Conduct supplier due diligence and financial health analysis to evaluate the stability and reliability of existing and prospective suppliers
• Develop and maintain a supplier risk register aligned to organisational risk appetite and procurement strategy
• Design and implement supplier performance monitoring systems including KPIs, scorecards, and early-warning indicators
• Assess geopolitical, regulatory, and ESG risks in the supply chain and integrate these into supplier evaluation criteria
• Build supplier segmentation models to allocate risk management resources proportionate to criticality and exposure
• Formulate supplier business continuity and contingency plans to ensure supply resilience in the event of disruption
• Negotiate risk-mitigating contractual provisions including service-level agreements, audit rights, and termination clauses
• Communicate supplier risk findings effectively to senior stakeholders and embed risk awareness across cross-functional teams

Course Modules

Requirements & Prerequisites

Participants should have at least two years of experience in procurement, supply chain, contracts management, or a related business function. A basic understanding of procurement processes — such as supplier selection, tendering, and contract management — is assumed throughout the programme. No advanced qualifications are required, and prior formal training in risk management is helpful but not necessary.

Training Methodology

• Supplier risk case studies drawn from documented supply chain failures in manufacturing, FMCG, healthcare, and public-sector procurement contexts
• Hands-on risk register workshops where participants build and populate a live supplier risk register using their own organisational data or provided scenarios
• Financial health analysis exercises using simulated supplier financial statements to practise creditworthiness and viability assessment
• Supplier heat-mapping and segmentation exercises to practise prioritising risk management effort across a diverse supply base
• Role-play negotiations in which participants practise introducing risk-mitigating clauses and audit provisions into supplier contract discussions
• Group scenario simulations modelling supply disruption events — such as a key supplier insolvency or a regulatory breach — and testing contingency response plans
• ESG due-diligence checklists and structured evaluation frameworks applied to realistic supplier profiles
• Peer review and facilitated debriefs after each major exercise to consolidate learning and surface best practices from participants' own organisational contexts

Organisational Benefits

• Reduced supply chain disruptions through proactive identification and mitigation of supplier vulnerabilities before they escalate
• Improved supplier selection decisions based on rigorous financial, operational, and compliance due diligence
• Stronger contractual protections and more effective supplier performance management frameworks
• Greater organisational resilience through documented business continuity and supplier contingency plans
• Enhanced ESG and regulatory compliance across the supply base, reducing legal and reputational exposure
• More strategic allocation of procurement resources through supplier segmentation and risk-tiering
• A culture of risk awareness within procurement and supply chain teams, reducing costly reactive responses
• Confidence among senior leadership and board stakeholders in the organisation's third-party risk governance

Where Is Supplier Risk Assessment and Management Training Offered?

This course runs in-person across: Nairobi, Johannesburg, Addis Ababa, Kigali, Naivasha, Arusha, Abuja, Kisumu, Dar es Salaam, Pretoria, Accra, Nakuru, Kampala, Dubai, Zanzibar, Mombasa, Riyadh, Lagos, Cape Town, plus Live Virtual (online) cohorts. Browse live dates for your city below.

Upcoming Schedules

+233 more dates — view live schedule →

Frequently Asked Questions