Syllabus: OCR - GCSE Business
Module: 4. Operations
Lesson: 4.6 Working with Suppliers
Jump to Section:
Introduction
“4.6 Working with Suppliers” sits within the OCR GCSE Business specification under Component 1: Business activity, marketing and people, particularly within the Operations strand. It equips students with an understanding of how supplier relationships affect cost, quality and operational efficiency—core knowledge for business literacy. For teachers, this topic offers a clear route to explore real-world business strategy while connecting operations to broader business success.
OCR specifies that learners must be able to understand the role of procurement and the factors a business considers when choosing suppliers, including quality, cost, reliability and delivery speed. It’s a compact but impactful topic—ideal for applying active learning approaches and relevant case examples.
Key Concepts
Students are expected to grasp the following syllabus-aligned ideas:
Procurement and logistics: Understanding the process of acquiring goods and services from suppliers and how logistics affects business operations.
Criteria for selecting suppliers: Cost, quality, reliability, flexibility, and delivery time.
Impacts of supplier relationships: How poor or strong supplier management influences inventory levels, customer satisfaction, and overall business efficiency.
Just in Time (JIT): A stock control system where materials arrive only as needed, reducing storage costs but increasing reliance on suppliers.
Stock control methods: Including buffer stock and lead times.
Real-World Relevance
The global supply chain disruptions caused by events like COVID-19 and Brexit have brought supplier management into sharp focus. For example:
Jaguar Land Rover had to suspend production in early 2021 due to semiconductor shortages—highlighting how vital reliable suppliers are.
BrewDog, a UK-based brewery, shifted from overseas to local suppliers to reduce delivery times and support sustainability claims.
These examples bring the theory alive and show students that procurement decisions are not just logistical—they can affect branding, costs, and resilience.
How It’s Assessed
According to OCR’s assessment structure, this content may appear in Section B of the exam, which includes case-study-style questions. Students might face:
1–2 mark questions: Define terms like “procurement” or “logistics”.
3–4 mark questions: Explain reasons for choosing a particular supplier.
6-mark ‘analyse’ questions: Present logical reasoning around the impact of a JIT approach.
9-mark ‘evaluate’ questions: Weigh up the benefits and drawbacks of relying on a single supplier, especially in context.
OCR command words to prep for:
Explain – define, expand, give examples.
Analyse – show a logical chain of cause and effect.
Evaluate – present both sides before reaching a judgement.
Enterprise Skills Integration
Working with suppliers is an excellent lens for building problem-solving and decision-making capabilities. Enterprise Skills’ Business Simulations, for example, allow students to:
Make procurement decisions under time and budget constraints.
Experience how choosing a cheaper supplier might lead to slower delivery, impacting customer satisfaction.
Weigh risk and reward when deciding between bulk-buying and JIT.
It’s a plug-and-play way to deepen understanding through doing, not just describing.
Careers Links
This topic connects well with Gatsby Benchmarks 4, 5, and 6:
Benchmark 4: Linking curriculum to careers – show how supplier decisions are made in logistics, retail, manufacturing.
Benchmark 5: Employer encounters – bring in guest speakers from procurement or supply chain roles.
Benchmark 6: Workplace experiences – simulations or projects that mimic real procurement tasks.
Relevant career pathways include:
Procurement officer
Supply chain analyst
Logistics coordinator
Inventory manager
These roles require attention to detail, negotiation skills and strategic thinking—skills students can start building now.
Teaching Notes
Common pitfalls: Students often underestimate the knock-on effects of supplier failures. Reinforce the idea of interdependence across a business.
Teaching tip: Use a role-play activity where students act as purchasing managers comparing supplier offers—let them feel the tension between cost and reliability.
Extension ideas:
Compare different stock control methods (JIT vs buffer stock) in pairs or small groups.
Use Enterprise Skills’ Business Simulations to model supplier decision-making in real time.
Differentiation: Use scaffolding questions for lower-attaining learners (e.g. match key terms to definitions), while pushing high attainers to justify strategic supplier decisions with business aims in mind.
