There’s a new buzz phrase in the air: Supplier Relationship Management (SRM). Corporate executives know it’s necessary, but there’s only one problem. Nobody yet knows how to do it. Or they think it’s all about bashing your vendors over the head until they reduce the price another 4%. Supplier Relationship Management: How to Maximize Vendor Value and Opportunity changes all that. Containing the best and most innovative advice from the operations and procurement experts at consultant AT Kearney, this book shows that SRM is at root a strategic discussion requiring cross-functional interaction and internal alignment at the highest levels. It requires an honest appraisal of the value that suppliers now bring to your firm, as well as their potential value. It then requires a frank and constructive business-to-business dialogue about how to improve the relationship. When this happens, a company reaps myriad benefits, ranging from new opportunity to added value to competitive advantage—and, quite likely, to overall (and sometimes substantial) cost reductions. This book shows the most concrete methods you can use today to: Identify value-adding opportunities in the supply chain Work closely with suppliers to maximize the benefits Work the "Critical Cluster" of suppliers, where the greatest opportunity for advantage lies Review suppliers to encourage constant gains in quality and cost Turn your SRM strategy into a major competitive advantage Supplier Relationship Management introduces and explains the Supplier Interaction Model, a key tool that will help you get the most from your supplier relationships. It segments the supplier universe into nine categories, from those you want to run away from fast to those so good and so useful to your organization that it can make sense to invest in them directly. Numerous case studies show how to apply the principles to your situation. Supplier Relationship Management burns off the fog that has surrounded the procurement process for far too long. It is the definitive guide for business executives who want to get the maximum benefits from suppliers and gain very real advantages over competitors.

The supply base represents a wealth of opportunities for any organisation, yet few organisations ever properly realise this. Supplier Relationship Management enables organisations to manage suppliers effectively and provides the means to secure real, tangible and dramatic benefits from the supply base that would not otherwise be realised. Written by Jonathan O'Brien, an award-winning author and leading practitioner with over 25 years' experience in the field, this book is the definitive guide to Supplier Relationship Management. This highly practical, 'how to' guide is a valuable tool for anyone that manages or interfaces with the supply base. The book provides a strategic and structured approach to maximising value from key and strategic suppliers, and gives focus to the direct resources at the suppliers that can make the biggest difference to the organization. It offers a complete, clear and highly operational framework for Supplier Relationship Management and seeks to provide answers to 20 key or 'pathway' questions.Supplier Relationship Management guides readers through the simultaneous orchestra of supply base segmentation, supplier relationship management, and performance management. Jonathan O'Brien offers practical advice on: managing a changing global supply base; managing internal clients in purchasing and processes; determining the right segmentation plan for the supply base; introducing performance management systems; driving supplier improvements; developing strategic collaborative relationships. Supplier Relationship Management is the ideal companion to Category Management in Purchasing and Negotiation for Purchasing Professionals. Used together, these books provide a complete and powerful strategic purchasing toolkit.

This completely updated and expanded new edition is a detailed and practical guide to the essentials of SAP SRM 5.0 and 7.0, including a functionality overview, new product enhancements, and best practices for optimizing your business processes. Throughout the book, you'll find tips and tricks, practical examples, expert analysis of the changes in SAP SRM 7.0, and information on how SRM integrates with core SAP ERP components. This is the one resource you need to get the most out of SAP SRM. Supplier Relationship Management Overview Discover how supplier relationship management can provide tangible benefits and enhanced visibility for your business. Implementation Strategies and Methodologies Learn about the capabilities in SAP SRM, and implementation strategies to enhance your existing supply chain. SAP SRM Integration Master the integration of SAP SRM with core SAP software, including Materials Management, SAP ERP Financials, and SAP ERP Human Capital Management. Real-World Examples Throughout Find expert advice and insight provided throughout to help you understand and use SAP SRM, and learn from successful customer case studies on implementing SAP SRM.

The authors explain how collaborative sourcing can create sustainable competitive advantages, and how world-class procurement teams are managing a portfolio of supplier relationships, from the traditional negotiation to full-fledged collaboration.

This book highlights the latest research on sub-supplier management while also discussing its current state and related managerial challenges. It provides a process framework for managing sub-suppliers and an overview of the various buyer / sub-supplier relationships and their key characteristics. Furthermore, the respective chapters address essential capabilities to successfully manage sub-suppliers and to discuss how to overcome barriers and challenges associated with sub-supplier management. Concrete examples and cases are also provided, and, in closing, potential research opportunities are outlined and demonstrated.

This title was first published in 2003. An exhaustive and synthetic framework for the use of Internet tools in customer-supplier relationships is one aspect of e-business that is still missing from existing literature. This book analyses the main management implications related to the adoption of the Internet in the supply chain and unifies different research studies and contributions in order to build such a framework. It is based on wide empirical evidence including four in-depth case studies in both Europe and the US, a cross-industry survey of more than 160 US companies and website research describing emerging Internet initiatives in B2B relationships. By creating a concrete link between theory and practice it should appeal to academics and practitioners alike.