COPC Indirect Procurement Standard

The COPC Indirect Procurement Standard is a performance management system developed specifically for indirect procurement organizations.  It provides guidelines and outcome-based metrics for strategically managing indirect spend and covers five areas:  leadership and planning; business processes; support processes; people processes; and performance.

Please note:  The COPC Indirect Procurement Standard contains all the requirements for certification to either the full Standard or the Core Standard. All items (listed in either black or grey font) are applicable to organizations seeking full certification to the COPC Indirect Procurement Standard. For organizations seeking certification to the Core Standard, only those items in black font are applicable. All items or sub-items in grey font are excluded as requirements for certification to the Core Standard.

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By following the guidelines in the Standard, companies will create an efficient and high-performing procurement operation providing indirect goods and services at an optimal value–balancing cost, quality, and risk.

All IndirectPro certification, training and consulting services are based on the COPC Indirect Procurement Standard.

Benefits of Using the COPC Indirect Procurement Standard

  • Lower spending with better, more consistent supplier performance
  • Higher levels of satisfaction among both internal customers and suppliers
  • High-performing procurement operation with appropriate staffing levels and optimal organizational costs
  • Procurement organization becomes a trusted strategic advisor to its internal customers

Why the Standard was Created

Indirect procurement, the purchase of goods and services used internally at a company for effective operations, can be 50 to 100 percent of corporate spend.  However, there is little in the way of established guidelines or best practices specifically focused on indirect procurement. Recognizing this need, COPC Inc., academic leaders from the Center for Supply Chain Management at Western Michigan University, Microsoft Corporation, and executives responsible for other large indirect procurement organizations came together to develop the Standard.

The Indirect Procurement Standard Committee

The companies and organizations listed here all participate as members of the COPC Indirect Procurement Standard Committee. This organization is responsible for reviewing and updating the COPC Indirect Procurement Standard to continually meet industry requirements.

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TRAINING

We offer training designed specifically for the sourcing professional managing indirect spend. Our classes are based on the guidelines found in the COPC Indirect Procurement Standard. Learn more about how to apply best practices in your organization today.

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CERTIFICATION

Certification to the Standard is available to any sourcing organization and is recommended for all companies with a substantial amount of indirect spend. Certification by COPC Inc. verifies and validates that your organization is meeting or exceeding benchmark levels of performance for indirect procurement.

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