Buyer companies who express interest and provide their supplier contact lists by September 14 get the full benefits of the Cascale Better Buying Snapshot Survey.
A Cascale webinar recently explored the benefits of the Cascale Better Buying Snapshot Survey (formerly known as the BBPI).
Though the Snapshot opens to suppliers beginning October 1, interested buying companies must confirm their participation and provide supplier contacts by September 14.
Katie Hess, head of product at Better Buying, began by telling attendees the differences between Cascale Better Buying offerings and why Cascale Corporate members have an advantage this year.
Key Takeaways
- Buyer companies who are interested in being part of this year’s Cascale Better Buying Snapshot Survey must simply: Contact Katie Hess, receive the on-boarding packet, and provide supplier contacts by Sept. 14.
- Nominated Suppliers invited to participate receive access to the Snapshot Survey on Oct. 1 – and it’s all fully confidential.
- In late November, buying companies get custom reports highlighting strengths, potential areas of risk, and opportunities to improve purchasing practices and supplier relationships.
- For the first time, Cascale Corporate Membership now includes both Cascale Better Buying e-learning and the Snapshot Survey, plus an additional discount on the Cascale Better Buying Purchasing Practices Index (BBPPI).
Why Participate in Cascale Better Buying?
Purchasing practices are deeply connected to decent work outcomes. “There are three main ways that companies can engage in Cascale Better Buying, and I like to think of them as different ways to support the work,” said Hess.
Cascale Better Buying’s e-learning program offers a common language around responsible purchasing. Meanwhile, the upcoming Snapshot Survey offers a quick, confidential pulse from suppliers to help companies understand the health of their purchasing relationships and identify priority areas for improvement. The more extensive Cascale Better Buying Purchasing Practices Index (BBPPI) survey provides a deeper assessment of purchasing practices and will next run from April to May 2027.
And for the first time, Cascale Corporate Membership now includes both Cascale Better Buying e-learning and the Snapshot Survey. The Cascale Better Buying Purchasing Practices Index, on the other hand, is offered at a discount for Corporate members. Hess said the Snapshot is “designed to establish a baseline, check health, and identify priorities,” adding the two surveys are “complementary, not duplicative.”
Based on Cascale Better Buying’s “Five Principles of Responsible Purchasing” – which are detailed in the e-learning course – buying companies who participate every year see the greatest return on their investment (and impact).
How to Get Started Now
Leah Marsh, Cascale’s Better Buying research associate, reiterated the Snapshot is a “direct, confidential pulse from your suppliers on the health of your relationships.”
Buyers need to prepare their supplier lists now according to Marsh, who recommends they share a list of all current and active suppliers. At least five eligible supplier responses are required to generate results, so companies are encouraged to invite a broad group of suppliers to participate. She added that companies must take the first step now – so suppliers can be on-boarded and prepped accordingly for the October survey cycle.
Supplier feedback is confidential, helping protect the integrity of the survey and enabling suppliers to provide candid feedback. Companies should do their part and not ask whether or or how suppliers responded.
She encouraged teams to have the conversations now by looping in cross-functional teammates, informing suppliers, and scheduling time on the calendar for internal report review meetings. For suppliers they would like to be invited to participate, companies should include typical supplier information, including supplier company name, contact name, email address, and HQ country. There is no limit to supplier contacts for the Snapshot Survey.
What To Expect Later
Cascale’s Better Buying team delivers trusted support, insights, and custom reporting into the health of the overall partnership. By the end of November, participating companies will receive their custom reports including their overall results, one pre-selected breakout dimension, and results for each eligible supplier group with at least five supplier responses. Types of breakout dimensions include supplier type, product category, region, and brand or channel.
At depth, Cascale’s team offers insights on benchmarking, priority areas, as well as company-specific guidance to help teams translate supplier feedback into action.
Of course, Cascale offers many opportunities for deeper engagement on decent work. The Responsible Purchasing Practices Learning Series will run on Oct. 21, Oct. 28, and Nov. 3. It unpacks how commercial decisions may either enable or undermine better purchasing practices and decent work outcomes. As well, Cascale also offers a Decent Work Community of Practice – led by Member Activation – for deeper engagement. The next session takes place on Nov. 3, with more information offered on Cascale Connect, a members-only platform.
For questions on getting started and additional resources, contact Katie Hess.
For questions about Cascale Corporate membership and its benefits, contact the Membership Team.
