Additionally, respondents were asked about the most important criteria for the
contractor to live up to. Concerning the relations with the material suppliers, they
identified the contractor’s primary criteria as development together with the supplier.
A respondent stated that: “We (the contractor) need to try to understand the situation
of the supplier, how we can help the supplier to develop”. Other issues raised by
respondents were measurement of the supplier performance and recurrent
development meetings with the supplier. Respondents stressed the importance of
sharing knowledge with the supplier and not being afraid to disclose processes and
information in order to facilitate reciprocal development, which was articulated by one
of them as: “We need to find the way of working together with the supplier. Then we
can get really successful”. Second, the contractor needs to set clear specifications of
what the organisation wants when discussing with material suppliers. “Most of the
quality issues of today are grounded in that we do not actually know what we are
buying”, a respondent stated and continued, “If we only buy according to the supplier’s
technical specifications, instead of developing our own, it is more difficult to measure
quality”. Included in this criterion is also the part where the contractor needs to stand
for what they have said and promised. Third, it was agreed by all respondents that
long-term orientation of the contractor is essential because the effect of development
work takes a while to see. It was stated by one of the respondents that: “It is really
difficult to work together with a supplier if you do not think that you have a common
future”.