Conclusions
The results of this study provide evidence of the linkage between attempts to manage suppliers and the supply chain and broad measures of business success. Selecting the right suppliers and developing the infrastructure for successful SBSR forms an important basis of this linkage. Given competitive pressures for improved responsiveness yet reduced cost, alignment of buyer needs with supplier capabilities becomes increasingly important. It behooves buyers to carefully articulate their needs and to be discriminating in identifying suppliers. However, equally important is the need to create an environment in which the relationship with a supplier can be a source of value added.While traditional SS criteria such as price and delivery performance are important, buyers must go beyond operational selection criteria, explicitly considering a potential supplier’s strategic orientation and commitment to meeting shared goals and objectives. One result of a competitive marketplace is that there are limits to what one โรงงาน alone can do to influence its performance. Working with partners, however, increases the ability and opportunity of a โรงงาน to achieve a competitive edge. Not only do the results show that managing relationships with suppliers rather than merely purchasing from them can positively impact the buying โงงาน’s performance, they demonstrate that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.