We have brought together 28 articles published in CPO Agenda during the past four years. These are grouped under the following headings (click to jump down the page):
SRM / collaboration
SRM in the automotive sector
SRM in the public sector
Customer attractiveness
Performance measurement
Process improvement
Simply click on the headline to view the article or 'Read executive summary' for a 200-word precis. PLEASE NOTE that articles marked with an orange padlock symbol are only accessible to subscribers to the print edition of CPO Agenda. Subscribers get full online access to all back content.
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SUPPLIER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT / COLLABORATION.
SRM in turbulent times
by John Henke
Despite the heat, now is not the time to put supplier relationship management on the back burner
Spring 2009
Part of the fabric
by Geraint John
Global market dynamics have forced leading apparel maker VF Corporation to develop a new type of supplier relationship, explains its CPO, George Irion
Spring 2009
[READ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY]
10 guiding principles for the SRM journey
by Geraint John
Most organisations are only just starting down the road of strategic supplier relationship management, but the route map is increasingly rich in detail
20 October 2008
by John Henke
Can companies pressure suppliers for lower prices and still enjoy co-operative working relations? New research provides the answer
Autumn 2008
[READ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY]
by Nicolas Reinecke, Nicolas Constantinesco and Henrik Gunnerling
Low-cost country sourcing has been the method of choice to cut supply costs. But sometimes it makes more sense to develop local suppliers
Summer 2008
[READ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY]
by Marc Day, Mark Webb and Jon Hughes
New global research indicates that working closely with strategic suppliers can yield significant value. The key issue is how to harvest it in practice
Winter 2007-08
[READ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY]
by Lynette Ryals and Andrew Humphries
Reassessing the state of their long-term relationship enabled two British firms to improve the way they collaborate and unlock extra business value in the process
Winter 2007-08
[READ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY]
by Jon Hughes and Lars Mikkelsen
Getting optimum value from major suppliers requires a more sophisticated approach to negotiation skills and behaviour
Autumn 2007
[READ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY]
Stepping up on SRM
by Nick Ward, Rob Handfield and Paul Cousins
To make supplier relationship management truly effective, CPOs need to develop ‘softer’ competencies and follow five guiding principles
Summer 2007
[READ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY]
SRM tests our influencing skills
by Jon Hughes, Mark Webb and Marc Day
Every organisation has between five and 50 strategic suppliers. Unlocking the value in these relationships calls for sophisticated influencing strategies
Summer 2007
Getting closer to key suppliers
by Jonathan Hughes and Jeff Weiss
Global research reveals that a lack of alignment between customers and their most important suppliers is restricting long-term value creation
Spring 2007
[READ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY]
A winning position
by Alan Day
Supplier relationship management is becoming a strategic battleground within organisations. And procurement isn’t the only function jostling for supremacy
Spring 2007
[READ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY]
Winning together
by Carlos Cordon, Tom Vollmann and Henrik Eklund
Successful buyer-supplier partnerships require deep understanding and joint problem-solving. Here’s a practical approach to making it happen
Winter 2006-07
[READ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY]
Talk a common language
by Corey Billington, Joe Sandor and Tom Vollmann
If close relationships with strategically important suppliers are to flourish, then creating a shared and more inclusive vocabulary is essential
Summer 2006
[READ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY]
Developing the super supplier
by Corey Billington, Carlos Cordon and Tom Vollmann
Advanced collaborative relationships are still rare, but they offer real competitive advantage – and CPOs should be leading the search
Spring 2006
[READ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY]
The problem with win-win
by Andrew Cox
Why the notion of ‘win-win’ in collaborative long-term buyer-supplier relationships is as misguided as it is overused
Autumn 2005
[READ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY]
The road to collaboration
by Neil Deverill
A strategic approach to supplier relationships cannot be arrived at overnight – it’s a long journey you must take one stage at a time
Spring 2005
[READ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY]
SRM IN THE AUTOMOTIVE SECTOR.
Saving Chrysler (again)
Chrysler’s CPO, John Campi, believes that a decade of mismanagement has severely dented its supplier relations – and is seeking to repair the damage
Summer 2008
[READ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY]
Lessons from America
by John Henke
The latest annual survey of US automotive suppliers shows that Toyota remains in pole position for good working relations, but General Motors is no longer in last place
Autumn 2007
[READ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY]
GM’s long march
The CPO of General Motors, Bo Andersson, talks about the auto maker’s recent efforts to improve its relationships with suppliers
Autumn 2007
[READ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY]
The Toyota way
The car giant’s European purchasing boss, Mark Adams, talks about its ‘tough but fair’ approach to supplier relationships, and the challenges of applying this model outside Japan
Spring 2007
[READ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
SRM IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR.
Evaluating a potential partner’s ‘soft’ skills and cultural fit is notoriously difficult. So for the task of decommissioning the UK’s Sellafield nuclear plant, its owners took a novel approach
Spring 2009
[READ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY]
Contact triumphs over contract
by Andy Davies
Public-private partnerships founded on trust and strong working relationships are superior to those ruled by contract, research suggests
Autumn 2005
[READ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY]
CUSTOMER ATTRACTIVENESS.
by Rob Handfield and J. Lehr McKenzie
To position themselves as preferred customers for key suppliers, firms need to improve their operational performance in eight specific areas
Winter 2007-08
[READ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY]
Who’s the fairest of them all?
by Carlos Cordon and Tom Vollmann
Being seen as an attractive customer by suppliers can pay handsome dividends. But, as always, beauty is in the eye of the beholder
Autumn 2005
[READ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY]
PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT.
Are your supplier scorecards driving value?
by Mickey North Rizza
To create supply chains that respond quickly to changing demand, you need metrics that align supplier behaviour with customer needs
Autumn 2007
[READ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY]
Supplier metrics that matter
by Jonathan Hughes
To be serious about collaboration with strategic suppliers, you need performance measures that reflect the true value of the relationship
Autumn 2005
[READ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY]
PROCESS IMPROVEMENT.
Trading compatibility
by Chris Ellegaard
Attempts to make a company’s internal systems and procedures more effective are often undermined by a lack of understanding about how the changes will affect its suppliers
Winter 2007-08
[READ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY]
