So just what is the point of a PSL?

The Preferred Supplier List (PSL) has been around in one form or another for as long as anyone in this office can recall - and that’s actually quite a long time!

Over the years InterSearch in the UK has been on a few and come off a few, both through clients and our own choice. Interestingly there is a vast difference between those sectors where all the companies seem to have them and others where they are few and far between. The pharmaceutical sector falls very firmly in the former camp and making in-roads into these companies appears on the surface nigh on impossible,

My colleague who works in the sector has found that once you delve a little deeper invariably there is a difference of opinion between the line managers who are becoming increasingly frustrated by their roles being unfilled, whilst those charged with recruitment refuse to go outside of the PSL, which patently isn’t delivering the expected results. The subsequent request to us to “just send us some CV’s” is met with a polite decline.

So, back to the original question; What is the point of the PSL?

The simple answer in most cases seems to be cost. We were recently asked to complete a long PSL application by one of Europe’s largest distribution/logistics firms that focused solely on lowest cost without a single reference to delivery methods, quality standards or relationships between our two firms.

For many companies they are a great idea and if created and managed properly they can work to the benefit of both parties, but equally many companies have scrapped them and decided to focus on closer less formal and more successful relationships with their search firms.

If you are interested in talking with any of the heads of our practice groups then please contact us at www.intersearchuk.com