To understand key factors that drives relationship between subcontractor & contract provider

To study futuristic potential of supply chain process outsourcing industry.

Improving Supply chain efficiency by managing relationships internal to the organization
A Map to Stakeholder Buy-In
When your Procurement team attempts to influence business partners, whats the typical reaction? Do
the stakeholders quickly adopt the proposal or do you meet strong resistance and endure difficult
conversations? Rather than go into discussions blind, Procurement at one company prepares ahead of
time by mapping out business partners priorities and matching them with Procurements capabilities
to better engage stakeholders in innovative projects.
In Brief: A recent poll of finance directors in the UK and Ireland found that 58% of respondents said
internal business partners had resisted complying with procurement practices, believing it would harm
rather than help their department. Furthermore, 46% of respondents said their business discussed
procurement at board level either never or just once a year. The survey also found that just 21% of
respondents think of their suppliers as strategic partners.
Our View: You may be missing out on the full value of sourcing initiatives if business partners resist
participating. Improve relationships with internal stakeholders by showing them how Procurement
works in their best interest. Gain further trust by engaging them in strategy development: you'll not
only get to know what's most important to them, but also create a strategy they'll be eager to
participate in.

How We Can Help: Learn how Sun Chemical changed business partners into advocates by involving
them early in the project idea development process. Discover how Aviva's Procurement department
established a trust-based relationship with internal business partners. Attend one of our upcoming
Internal Relationship Management Bootcamps to learn how to build and maintain relationships with
internal stakeholders.
customer relationships and
cross-functional integration. Firms seem to be better focusing on their customers outside
the firm and shoring up the emphasis on cross-functional processes inside the firm. ENCOURAGING
EVIDENCE
OF COLLABORATION
Outstanding examples of collaboration have
finally begun to emerge. What will it take to
get to the next level in collaborating with
partners? Before answering that, lets reflect
for a moment on the progress made.
The 2000 study referenced above noted that
many firm-to-firm supply chain relationships
were problematic. The relationships were
characterized by an overall lack of trust
between the parties, limited or sporadic
information sharing across the organizational
interface, and the pursuit of short-term,
firm-specific benefits at the expense of
partners economic interests. To measure
the effectiveness of a firms collaboration,
the original study used a 10-point scale.
A score of 1 signified overt competition or
hostility with a lack of constructive relational
behavior between the collaborators; a
score of 10 indicated full-scale partnering
with focused activities and reciprocal
accountability for reaching collaboration
outcomes. At that time, overall supply chain
collaboration across industries averaged
between a 2 and 3. Prospects for successful
supply chain integration were bleak because
the average relationship was adversarial and
firms were more likely to offer lip service
rather than actually practice collaboration.
But the authors predicted that by 2010 a
typical collaboration across industries would
score much higher. The current (2012) data
collection confirms that prediction. Firms
across industries range between 5 and 9.3;
they average 7.1 on the same scale. This
increase offers encouraging evidence that
contemporary firms are using collaboration
to reduce work duplication and redundancy,
streamline work flows and processes, and
communicate better around shared objectives.
A THREE PART BEST PRACTICE MODEL
Still, progress toward strategic collaboration
within supply chain relationships has proven
difficult for many companies, particularly if it
requires changes to organizational culture and
structure. If firms can improve on a limited
set of identified behavioral drivers, collaborative
behavior could potentially be leveraged
further with significant impact.
Many of the issues that caused some CPFR
(collaborative, planning, forecasting, and
replenishment) implementations to fail are
still with us today. Future collaboration can
successfully avoid these traditional challenges
by using data analytics to improve service and
grow revenue, to cut joint stocks to reduce
capital investment and carrying costs, and to
improve overall margins.
Our best practice model indicates three initial
drivers to facilitate a move toward better
collaborative relationships. First, both parties
need to address collaborations potentially
negative aspects. Procedures should be
established early to resolve potential disputes,
unforeseen issues, and the potential dissolution
of a dysfunctional or no longer useful
relationship. Second, to share risks and
rewards, both parties must develop supporting
organizational and inter-organizational
structures. This includes work rules, leadership
roles, and guidelines that both parties
will follow about how responsibilities, risks,
and rewards will be shared. Third, mutual
trust must be encouraged for strategic and
operational integration. This includes
establishing shared values and vision. In that
shared vision, both must prioritize long-term
viability to serve the end customer even when
that requires a sacrifice of optimal short-term
results. Considered together, these three groupings
of relational aspects are critical to the
success of collaborative ventures across businesses.
Over the last decade they helped move
collaboration beyond that initial low score.
Integrated Information Sharing
Rather than simply create generally supportive
organizational and inter-organizational structures,
collaborating firms need to integrate
technology to share real-time information.
The value of firm-to-firm information sharing
in facilitating supply chain integration is
well established. As technology has become
easier to acquire and develop, it has become a
necessary but insufficient criterion for supply
chain success. Accessing technology does not
necessarily create value. Partners must
analyze the data for opportunities and threats
to shared goals; then they can pre-emptively
solve problems. An information sharing
culture must be developed to support the
technology. A venture is likely to underperform
if users on both (all) sides are unwilling
to enable openness and transparency via
the selected technological solution.
If an information sharing culture can be
developed, collaboration capabilities and
benefits are likely to increase. For example,
when a key supplier for road construction
firms recognized significantly greater demand
for its materials along with pressure to better
execute on-time, low-cost deliveries, it sought
a collaborative solution. The supplier
collaborated with a leading technology
provider and a long-haul carrier. Together
they customized a transportation management
system to minimize road miles (and
therefore fuel expenditures) while also
minimizing how many underpasses and
narrow-laned and/or urban roads would be
used. The solution worked because the
customer firms were willing to estimate job
times and locations well in advance. They
also shared their forecasts for material
requirements. Collectively they created a
mutually beneficial venture.
Procurement Aims for Improved Stakeholder Relations in 2013
(Supply Management, 8 January 2013)
In Brief: Aside from cost-cutting, Procurements top priority for 2013 is to develop positive
relationships with stakeholders, according to a new poll. The second-highest ranked topic was
managing supplier relationships; the issue with the least votes was risk management. Other concerns
identified included sustainability and having a say in new product development.
Our View: Respondents to a CEB poll of procurement executives' top priorities for 2013 felt similarly:
they told us the topic most important to them in 2013 was working with business partners to increase
Procurement's impact. Our research shows that companies relinquish approximately 8% of savings
expected from strategic sourcing plans due to a lack of participation from business partners. To
protect value, make stakeholders partners in procurement initiatives. First, speak to internal
stakeholders to determine their priorities. Then, develop a cost-saving sourcing plan based on their
feedback. Finally, explain your strategy to partners: if you can show them how your cost-reduction
techniques fit in with their priorities and help them achieve company objectives, they'll be more likely
to support the procurement function.

How We Can Help: Use our Business Alignment Tool to identify areas of disconnect between
Procurement and your business partners. Discover how British Airways developed a diagnostic to
manage stakeholder feedback. Or check out our guide to reframing problems based on the different
temperaments of your business partners.
Procurement as Internal Consultant
(Spend Matters, 17 April 2013)
In Brief: More than 35% of procurement executives see their role in the company as that of an
internal consultant, with the choices financial expert and relationship broker making up the top
three selections, according to a new survey. Procurement leaders should balance their own knowledge
and ideas with those of internal stakeholders and use a collaborative rather than heavy-handed
approach to determining solutions, this writer says.
Our View: To better collaborate with internal stakeholders, first identify the right people to approach.
Typically, Procurement approaches business leaders who have expertise in the subject area and the
authority to approve projects, but aren't inclined to work with Procurement to develop ideas. Instead,
Procurement should target high-potential managers who may not be able to approve projects on their
own but who are knowledgeable in their area and are excited about developing transformative ideas.
Once you have these managers on board, host joint idea-building workshops. Then, participants can
return to their functions and advocate for the proposals they took part in creating.

How We Can Help: Learn how Procurement at one company targets high-potential managers to get
buy-in for the development of transformative new projects. Visit our topic center on improving internal
relationships for more ideas.
Involve Stakeholders in Category Strategies
(Supply Management, 12 March 2013)
In Brief: Procurement often divides its staff by category, which can be difficult for internal
stakeholders who manage processes that fall within multiple categories, according to this article by an
executive who collaborates with Procurement in his company. Procurement should view stakeholders
as partners to better engage with them, he says.
Our View: "It's not that I can't see the benefit of the savings projects that Procurement suggests. I
just don't see a link to my business's top five strategic objectives." If this quote from a business
leader from one of our member companies sounds familiar, equip your category managers with the
tools they need to manage competing priorities. Develop worksheets to evaluate how well proposed
projects fit business objectives, and include factors such as strategic alignment, complexity of
relationships, and long-term value potential. Consider the scores of projects together and then
prioritize those that best match business needs.

How We Can Help: Learn how this insurance company ranks business needs and identifies the trade-
offs required to implement projects. Discover how one company matches sourcing projects with
business priorities. Take a look at this company's method for prioritizing projects, which includes
offering stakeholders tips on how to move their plans to the top of the queue.
Innovative Security System Prevents Wine Theft
(The Grocer, 13 April 2013)
In Brief: London wine store Hedonism Wines has worked with American retail security company
Checkpoint Systems to create a special security tag, which allows the shop to display expensive types
of wine while preventing damage to the bottle.
Our View: Suppliers can be a great source of innovation, but how do you know which suppliers to
work with on new ideas? It's not necessarily your strategic suppliers you should be turning to.
Instead, choose suppliers who have a passion for innovation. One member company hosts innovation
training sessions for suppliers interested in developing new projects. At the end of the session,
suppliers receive an optional "homework" assignment, which asks suppliers to come up with possible
solutions to one of the company's needs discussed in training. The company then looks at which
suppliers completed the assignment as well as the quality of the solutions proposed to determine
which suppliers to work with.

How We Can Help: Discover how one company identifies the suppliers most likely to produce high-
quality innovation ideas. Use this "back of the envelope" assessment to estimate the potential costs
and benefits of working with a supplier. Take a look at our topic center on collaborating with selected
suppliers for more resources.
To study supplier collaboration tactics

Boost Your Supply Chains Effectiveness Through Segmentation
(EBN, 2 January 2013)
In Brief: More and more companies are adopting supply chain segmentation strategies, according to
this writer. First-tier suppliers can sometimes require specific strategies aimed at evolving the
relationship, she says. Although some procurement professionals may believe they dont have time to
create customized approaches for each supplier, specialized strategies can actually be more effective
than one overarching plan.
Our View: Although most procurement organizations have segmentation models, only a few use them
to full potential, CEB research has found. To effectively segment your supply base, first determine
your company's most critical suppliers. Then, modify your strategy to focus the majority of your time
on these suppliers. If resources are scarce, make sure you're not spending too much time on low-
value suppliers.

How We Can Help: Review our supplier segmentation toolkit to determine which model is best for
your company. Use our supplier segmentation tool to identify your most critical suppliers. Or for more
on allocating resources and creating strategies, check out the replay of our supplier segmentation
webinar.
The best companies have a standard set of criteria and a definitive process for segmenting their
suppliers. This allows Procurement and others across the business to spend more time on the
suppliers that matter most. Set up clearly defined roles for your function, your suppliers, and your
business partners in your segmentation model. Although most companies segment suppliers by spend,
criticality, or risk, consider adding other criteria if they fit your business objectives: other choices our
members use include value potential, capacity, and innovation.

(CEB, 30 May 2013)
The purchasing arm of the UKs National Health Service has helped one of its suppliers to cut
transportation and packaging costs by 63% as part of a new pilot program which will help NHS
purchasers reduce their own costs, too - a good example of how leading Procurement organizations
can turn to collaboration with suppliers, rather than just hard-line negotiations, to add value to the
business.


Rewarding Suppliers for Going Above and Beyond
Supplier summits and supplier awards can be a great way to recognize suppliers for providing
value beyond just whats dictated in a contract. Aprils Spot Benchmarking Survey explores how
common these events are and what types of awards we give. Participants will receive results in a
few weeks but everyone else will have to wait until the Summer to see the data.

Reduce Risk Through Supplier Improvement
(Business2Community, 18 March 2013)
In Brief: To better prepare for supply chain risk, Procurement should collaborate with suppliers,
develop resilient supply chains, and be able to quickly identify and deal with risks as they appear, this
writer says.
Our View: Another way to reduce risk is by tracking and measuring your suppliers' performance to
help them improve. Select a broad array of metrics for a complete picture of your suppliers' overall
performance across categories such as cost, cultural fit, delivery, quality, service, and innovation.
Consider using a total cost analysis for key suppliers to help you and your business partners gain
insight into the costs and benefits of working with suppliers. One member, whose company used a
total cost impact scorecard, said suppliers reacted positively to the scorecard: "They look at me and
say, 'You're putting a value on my performance in total rather than just my invoice price,'" the
member said.

How We Can Help: Learn how one company develops customer-focused metrics. Take a look at our
compendium of supplier performance metrics for inspiration. Visit our topic center on improving
supplier performance for more resources.
Segmenting Suppliers by Risk
(Outsourcing-Pharma, 3 April 2013)
In Brief: British pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline plans to map risks associated with key
suppliers, conducting audits to collect information.
Our View: To segment suppliers by risk, consider two factors: how important the supplier or its
product is to your business and the amount of money you spend on that supplier. Rank suppliers by
how highly they register on either one of these factors - not necessarily both. Better define a
supplier's business impact by thinking about aspects such as the uniqueness of a material or service
supplied, willingness to collaborate on cost efficiencies, and potential innovation opportunities. Your
last tier should include suppliers who are easily replaceable. When the potential risks outweigh the
benefits your company receives from the relationship, it's time to think about working with a different
supplier.

How We Can Help: Take a look at our Supplier Segmentation Toolkit for different approaches to
segmentation. Review our research on your peers' supplier segmentation practices. Replay our
webinar and read our work on using segmentation results to develop supplier strategies.
Setting Clear Expectations in Supplier Relationships
(Industry Week, 28 March 2013)
In Brief: Clarity is key when working with suppliers to prevent risks that could damage your
companys reputation, this writer says. Companies should first determine exactly what they want in a
supply relationship, from costs to logistics concerns. They should then incorporate these needs into a
document that clearly sets out expectations for suppliers, he says.
Our View: Start developing a plan for supplier partnerships by identifying expectations from both
your company and your suppliers. Encourage business partners and suppliers to share their concerns,
reassuring them that you will use this information only to improve the partnership. You could consider
factors such as the metrics your company will use to measure supplier performance. Then use this list
to measure current behaviors against ideal behaviors; boil your list down to a set of realistic activities
that will positively affect the partnership. Monitor satisfaction with the plan during times when your
company and your suppliers are likely to be highly focused on the relationship, such as at the start of
a new project, for more meaningful insight.

How We Can Help: Learn how one company created a model outlining expectations on both sides for
its relationships with suppliers. Take our Voice of Supplier survey to benchmark your supplier
relationships and discover how key suppliers view your company.
Sourcing Cost-Cutting Ideas from Suppliers
(The Telegraph, 23 March 2013)
In Brief: British textile design company Laura Ashley has asked its suppliers to reduce their prices by
10% on future orders, as well as orders already placed but not yet fulfilled. It means we end up
losing money on work wed already negotiated prices for and agreed with our own suppliers, one
supplier to the company said about the request. The company said it had long-term relationships with
its suppliers and holds ongoing positive conversations with them.
Our View: By helping suppliers reduce costs in their own supply chain, Procurement can trigger a
price reduction that will benefit your company, too. One member company creates "should-cost"
models to gain insight into the costs of each step of the supply chain. It then uses this model as a
base to launch a conversation with its suppliers: they can provide details of their own costs and can
help you evaluate potential alternative solutions.

How We Can Help: Discover how one company uses a should-cost model to identify opportunities for
savings. Learn how Kodak deepens its relationships with suppliers by tracking and evaluating their
ideas. Take a look at our topic center on procurement-driven cost savings for more cost-cutting ideas.
Working with Suppliers to Minimize Sub-Tier Supplier Risks
(CEB, 10 June 2014)
A number of US companies revealed their products may contain North Korean gold, potentially
violating US sanctions against the country, according to an article in the Wall Street Journal. The
discovery was prompted by regulations requiring businesses to investigate their supply chains for the
potential use of conflict minerals, according to the article. To reduce risks in the lower levels of their
supply chains, Procurement executives should keep an eye out for red flags that signal problems, but
also consider what unintentional effects Procurements actions can have throughout the supply chain
such as an unexpected change in order leading a supplier to cut corners with its own suppliers. This
post offers advice on tracking and minimizing your exposure to these risks.
Thought Leaders

Collaboration Preferred for Procurement
(Supply Management, 2 January 2013)
In Brief: Four in five procurement executives reported problems stemming from suppliers failing to
deliver on promises, according to a recent report. But just over 30% of buyers preferred to work with
suppliers to deal with the shortage, compared to 25% who would rather go to a competitor.
Participants also revealed mixed feelings about their suppliers prices, with 67% satisfied with the
cost.
Our View: How do your suppliers see you? By becoming a customer of choice, your company can
earn itself a place at the top of the list in times of shortage. Consider the priorities of both your
company and your suppliers. Then, clearly define expectations and behaviors from each side. By
understanding how Procurement's demands affect suppliers, you can work to decrease your cost-to-
serve and become a customer of choice.

How We Can Help: Take our Voice of Supplier survey to see your company from your suppliers'
perspectives. Review our webinar to learn how to become a customer of choice. Discover how Micron
set behaviors and expectations for itself and its suppliers by developing an ideal partnership model.

Procurement staff should make the most of the limited opportunities they have to connect with
stakeholders as many are already disinclined to work with Procurementespecially on projects outside
the functions traditional purview. This blog post describes two Procurement organizations techniques
for effectively communicating with stakeholders when delivering presentations and interpreting
informal feedback.
Encouraging Information Sharing
(Industry Week, 5 April 2013)
In Brief: Companies should work closely with suppliers to make their supply chains more flexible,
these writers say. Encourage suppliers to give you access to company information so you can better
evaluate the reliability of your supply chain, they say.
Our View: Suppliers may be wary of handing over their data and concerned about how you'll use it.
Build or rebuild - trust by explaining to suppliers how you'll use their information. You could develop
a "Supplier Bill of Rights," setting out what your company will do (use the information to assess
stability, share any conclusions drawn, protect data securely) and what you won't do (drive down
prices, suddenly switch suppliers). Then, when you make a request for information, reference this
document. Suppliers will be prepared and theyll be more likely to find your statements credible.

How We Can Help: Use this sample introductory letter and "Supplier Bill of Rights" to build credibility
with your suppliers. Learn how this chemical company increases supplier trust by demonstrating how
its internal incentives promote data security. Discover how this other company encourages information
sharing by providing detailed financial feedback to suppliers.
Encouraging Positive Partnerships
(Spend Matters, 18 March 2013)
In Brief: Procurement executives should seek to foster positive, collaborative relationships with
suppliers, this writer says. Companies that favor a little understanding over hard-line negotiations can
become customers of choice, which is a better long-term strategy, he says.
Our View: Look to your company's relationships with suppliers to target areas of improvement to
become a customer of choice. Are there any actions you - or your business partners - may be taking
that negatively influence your suppliers? Think about issues such as fines charged to suppliers, last-
minute changes to orders, and forecast accuracy. Identify these factors to reduce your cost-to-serve
and improve your standing with suppliers. By doing so, you'll receive standout innovation
opportunities, top performance, and access to scarce resources.

How We Can Help: Review our research on becoming a customer of choice, and take a look at our
work on partnering with suppliers. Use this diagnostic to identify potential drivers of high cost-to-serve
with key suppliers.
Encouraging Supplier and Stakeholder Collaboration
(Supply Management, 10 April 2013)
In Brief: Procurement executives are increasingly relying on supplier knowledge and innovation in
their roles, according to a new survey. Also, 67% of buyers reported internal customer satisfaction as
the primary measure of their performance, the survey said.
Our View: To develop innovative projects with your supply base, guide suppliers and internal
business partners through the collaboration process. First, develop a database to track new projects
so you can easily compare the performance of specific suppliers or business units. This will help you
identify those that need extra guidance - for example, perhaps a certain project is taking a long time,
or a certain supplier is producing only a small amount of ideas. Procurement can then step in for
targeted coaching, using information from the database to demonstrate how peers complete projects.
One member company that developed such a program implemented 71% more innovation and
collaboration initiatives per year since the first full year of tracking.

How We Can Help: Learn how one company tracks and analyzes collaborations between suppliers
and business units, providing advice when necessary. Discover how Tetra Pak facilitates supplier
partnerships by producing a simple document that captures the relationship's priorities, aimed at both
stakeholders and suppliers.
Measuring Supplier Partnership Value
(CEB, 6 March 2014)
Suppliers are a natural source of innovation for Procurement functions seeking to add value to the
business. One American automaker, for example, is currently attempting to build better supplier
relationships with a program that evaluates the performance of suppliers and offers new opportunities
to those that rate highly, according to Automotive News. Many Procurement functions miss out on
chances to add value because they assess suppliers based only on what theyve asked of them in the
past. One company developed a metric to evaluate vendors ability to add value, which helped
Procurementand business partnersdetermine which suppliers are the best candidates for future
partnership opportunities.
Measuring the Value of Supplier Innovation
(CEB, 20 February 2014)
Many Procurement executives dont invest in supplier innovation because they cant credibly
demonstrate to stakeholders the value these projects add to the business. Procurement at one
company developed a supplier contribution metric to assess the value of these projects, building trust
with business partners by asking them to confirm the suppliers contribution.

Partner With Suppliers for Cost-Saving Collaborations
(Sourcing Innovation, 3 February 2013)
In Brief: This tongue-in-cheek article presents nine rules for stifling supplier innovation: items such
as Be suspicious of ideas that come from your suppliers, If a new idea comes in from a supplier,
immediately put it out to the rest of your suppliers to see if they can provide it cheaper, and Sit on
ideas for as long as possible. Instead, to encourage innovation and become a customer of choice, the
author recommends following these nine counterpoints to the rules. Companies interested in supplier
innovation should embrace behaviors like sharing information with suppliers so they can come up with
better ideas and encourage business partners to work with suppliers on new ideas.
Our View: Telling suppliers no doesnt necessarily curb innovation; rather, its clarity that suppliers
are looking for: "Suppliers prefer 'yes,' but would rather have a hard 'no' than an indefinite 'maybe,'"
a member told us. Encourage your suppliers to participate by setting up a user-friendly system to
capture their innovations. Once suppliers have submitted their ideas, provide them with clear and
timely feedback around your decision. Savings through supplier innovations can be substantial: our
research shows companies can save an average of $100 million-200 million through collaboration with
suppliers.

How We Can Help: Discover how Kraft works with business partners and suppliers to manage
innovation opportunities. Use Whirlpool's template to help suppliers communicate their innovations
and the potential benefits - to your company. Learn how HP created a strategic supplier development
team to encourage better collaboration initiatives.
Partnering with Stakeholders: The IT Point of View
(Supply Management, 11 December 2012)
In Brief: IT should partner with Procurement to cut costs, glean innovative ideas from suppliers, and
achieve business objectives, says this CIO. IT needs collaborators, rather than just suppliers, and
Procurement can use its expertise to communicate with vendors, he says. The writer adds that these
improved supplier relationships have changed his perceptions of Procurement, saying that
Procurements cost-saving techniques combined with ITs practice knowledge have led to a more
focused and cost-effective supply chain.
Our View: Do you face resistance from business partners in executing category strategies? If so,
reexamine these strategies with an eye towards uncovering the needs of your partners. Empower your
category managers to discover your business units' top priorities; then, use these objectives to
develop comprehensive category management strategies whose value stakeholders will understand. A
lack of strong relationships can cost you: poor alignment with business partners can result in a loss of
nearly 8% of projected procurement savings. "This process has given us an avenue to support other
business areas. We are starting to see benefits beyond what we expected. We're no longer seen as
'order processors,' but as consultative and analytical partners, said a member whose company
implemented a priority assessment system.

How We Can Help: Learn how Hartford assessed business stakeholders' priorities to create robust
category strategies. Learn how Nike reframed business partners' problems to change perspectives and
encourage collaboration. Check out our internal relationship management topic center or register for
one of our 2013 internal relationship management bootcamps for more on working with your business
partners.



Capturing Suppliers Process Improvement Ideas
(Supply Management, 28 March 2013)
In Brief: Fifty-two percent of procurement executives said they get more cost-saving ideas from their
suppliers than they did two years ago, according to a recent poll.
Our View: Suppliers can be a great source of new ideas - even in areas you may not have previously
considered. Consider involving suppliers in your cost-cutting efforts by focusing on process
improvements. One member company invites selected suppliers to walk through a product's life cycle
from the time the company receives goods from a supplier to the time the finished product leaves the
facility. Suppliers take notes as they go, noting inefficiencies that can be easily eliminated for minimal
cost: "This isn't a big formal process, and you don't need to be a lean manufacturing company to
implement the methodology," a member from the company said.

How We Can Help: Learn how one company asks its suppliers to help identify potential cost-saving
process improvements. Review our resources on collaborating with suppliers on innovations and cost-
reduction ideas.





Improving supply chain performance through collaborative & relation building approach