Supplier Relationship Management

Aug 3, 2017

Real-time Data will Impact How Quality is Managed in Supply Chains

At a recent meeting I attended, several members of a quality team noted that suppliers sharing process capability data from their line would provide enormous benefit. Emerging real-time quality data… 

Jun 2, 2017

Managing Supply Chain Relationships with German Managers

Germany companies are becoming more commonplace in not just automotive supply chains (BMW, Bosch, Daimler), but in chemicals (BASF), pharmaceuticals (Bayer), industrial manufacturing (Siemens), and software (SAP).  There are a… 

May 23, 2017

The Strength of the Pack is the Wolf… The Strength of the Wolf is the Pack!

In a recent article in Supply Chain Navigator, I spend some time discussing the interesting relationship between the introduction of wolves in Yellowstone Park, and the evolution of digital supply… 

Apr 29, 2017

Hilarious Sourcing Videos

I had an opportunity to watch some hilarious sourcing videos recently that I discovered on a sourcing blog by Citro Strategy. The three scenarios depict the actions of “hardball negotiating” procurement… 

Feb 23, 2017

How does procurement evaluate outsource providers?

In the RFQ process, procurement should ideally be transparent about answering this question.  Too often, however, the sales team at suppliers providing the bid have to “guess” at what they… 

Feb 6, 2017

Red Flags that Every Supplier Business Development Team Knows to Look For

One of the most important elements suppliers seek to avoid involves participation in an RFP when there is a low probability of success.  Procurement people think that every supplier will… 

Jan 29, 2017

Why do high quality suppliers pass over big RFQ/RFPs?

In a recent discussion, a large supplier of services shred that they fail to respond to almost 50% of every RFP that comes their way!  This insight was very surprising to… 

Jan 24, 2017

Getting Sales and Procurement onto the Same Team

The relationship between sales and procurement has always been a contentious one. The issue at the core of this tension is the concept of value recognition. Sales account managers accuse… 

Jan 8, 2017

NC State ranked as a top 25 global supply chain programs at SCM World… and here's why!

Great news this week for NC State as SCM World announced its top 25 supply chain management programs globally.  The NC State Supply Chain program was listed as one of the top 25… 

Oct 12, 2016

A "Swiss Army Knife" of Supply Chain Talent Requirements: Views from a Former Wolfpack Student

Stuart William was in one of my former MBA classes at NC State in 2008, and graduated into one of the worst economies ever in May of 2009. Upon graduation, there…