Supplier relationship management, experiences and practises in global industries

Abstract

This research work describes supplier relationship management and practises and experiences in global industries. Implementation, practises and experiences are researched using a case study. In the current competitive and volatile markets the role of proper supply management is important. Changes in global economics foster the need to execute sourcing and related strategies effectively in order to gain competitive edge. Supply management coupled with supplier relationships is a key strategic issue. Supply management related literature is extensive. Supplier relationship management has become one focus area in supply management related research. Theoretical part in this research work comprises of evidence-based literature analysis, focusing, where appropriate, on recent research in respect to supplier relationship management. The case study comprises of questionnaire sent to five reasonably sized global companies with established sourcing and supplier relationship management practises. The underlying purpose was to understand if the supplier relationship management can be considered to be holistically dyadic. The research results that the implementation, practises and experiences in global companies are well matching the current theoretical framework in the research context. The companies have experienced and are addressing the importance of such supplier relationships that benefit both the parties and are not focusing only on maximising buyer’s benefits.