Originally published on 6 April 2017 to celebrate the tenth anniversary of SR Supply Chain Consultants. A later update has been included at the end of the article.
Since founding SR Supply Chain Consultants in 2007, Susan Rashid had spent little time reflecting on the organisation’s success. However, reaching its tenth anniversary provided the perfect opportunity to look back on a decade of growth, achievement and positive impact.
What began as a vision to deliver high-quality procurement training had developed into an established training provider supporting learners and employers across the UK and internationally.
The milestone reflected not only Susan’s original vision, but also the dedication, expertise and commitment of the tutors and wider team who helped learners achieve their professional goals.
From an idea to an established training provider
Susan established SR Supply Chain Consultants in 2007 with a clear objective: to provide structured, supportive and professionally relevant routes through the CIPS qualification pathway.
The organisation’s first training centre opened in Preston in 2009. From there, SRSCC continued to develop its course provision, geographical reach and relationships with learners and employers.
By the time of its tenth anniversary, SRSCC was delivering professional qualifications and development programmes to people working across procurement, supply chain management and the wider commercial environment.
Its training provision had also expanded beyond full professional qualifications to include shorter programmes for organisations and individuals seeking to develop specific commercial skills.
Supporting individuals and organisations
A central part of SRSCC’s growth was its ability to understand the different requirements of individual learners and organisational clients.
Some learners joined at the beginning of their procurement careers, while others brought years of practical experience and wanted to formalise their knowledge through a recognised qualification.
Employers also required different approaches depending on the experience of their teams, operational challenges and long-term business objectives.
By adapting training to suit these requirements, SRSCC developed relationships with private businesses, public-sector organisations, NHS bodies and other employers seeking to strengthen their procurement capability.
Expanding access to procurement training
Although SRSCC was headquartered in Preston, the organisation steadily expanded its reach during its first decade.
At the time of this anniversary, learners were attending training at locations including Preston, Manchester and London. Distance learning also enabled people to study with SRSCC when attending regular classroom sessions was not practical.
This flexibility reflected the organisation’s determination to make professional procurement development accessible to learners in different locations and circumstances.
Susan Rashid explained:
“If students want to learn with us, we’ll do everything we can to reach them, wherever they are, using the most appropriate teaching methods and materials. Our tutors are first class — that’s reflected in our results — and we believe anyone working in business, commerce or the not-for-profit sector can benefit from our courses.”
A decade of quality and achievement
During its first ten years, SRSCC developed a strong reputation for combining procurement expertise with flexible and supportive course delivery.
The organisation achieved recognition as a CIPS Centre of Excellence and continued to invest in the systems, teaching materials and learner support required to maintain high standards.
Its commitment to quality was also demonstrated through the achievement of ISO 9001:2015 certification in 2017.
These achievements reflected the contribution of the entire SRSCC team, as well as the commitment of the learners and employers who had supported the organisation throughout its first decade.
Preparing for the next chapter
While the anniversary offered an opportunity to recognise what had already been achieved, SRSCC remained firmly focused on the future.
The organisation planned to continue investing in course development, teaching methods, employer partnerships and learner support while remaining responsive to changes across procurement and supply chain management.
Its guiding purpose remained the same: to help people develop professional knowledge, build confidence and apply their learning effectively within the workplace.
Update: continuing progress since 2017
Since this article was first published, SRSCC has continued to expand its training provision and achieve further recognition.
Later milestones have included:
- Celebrating 10 consecutive years of CIPS Centre of Excellence status in 2023.
- Being rated “Good” by Ofsted in 2024.
- Achieving the Matrix Standard for information, advice and guidance.
- Achieving ISO 27001 certification for information security management.
- Expanding the range of procurement and supply chain apprenticeships available to learners and employers.
SRSCC has also continued to develop flexible study methods. Current options include classroom-based learning in Preston, the Live Virtual Classroom and the Independent Learning Zone.
Discover SRSCC today
Explore the complete range of CIPS qualifications and procurement courses, or learn more about the organisation’s development on the SRSCC achievements page.
You can also read learner and employer testimonials to discover how SRSCC training has supported people and organisations across different sectors.
For help identifying the most appropriate training route for you or your organisation, please contact the SRSCC team.
