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From the presentations of speakers and discussions
with your European pairs representing different industries you’ll
get insights on how purchasing is managing key suppliers and
what should be done differently!!!
Today, we don’t have companies competing to companies but supply chains to supply chains. No business has enough resources and means to manage that competition alone. Given the strong integration of the suppliers in that supply chain, and their contribution in the competitive advantage, their management becomes an imperative. The chain is as strong as it weakest link. Without the right suppliers integration and management – the rest of improvement efforts will bring no result.
Moreover, given the fact that the supply base is more and more consolidated and often the competitors are working with the same suppliers, the fight for being a preferred customer is an issue of survival. Why should the supplier bring the innovation to you and not to your competitors, why should they first respond to you and then to the others?
The suppliers are not the same and cannot be treated in the same way, depending on their value contribution. This would require a radical change, in supplier selection, integration, development and relationship management. So it will require changes in supply management organizations, expertise, role and responsibilities. And the emergence of the Supplier Relationship Management & Key Supplier Management role is a response to that. |
