Strategy

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To develop and maintain collaborative relationships with far-flung suppliers, companies should first segment them, and then implement interaction models that set the rules of engagement. Here's how to apply this approach in your own operation.

Standard enterprise software packages provide a consistent structure for basic supply chain processes. But these generic applications may not accommodate the processes and policies that set your company apart from its competitors.

When IBM switched from a focus on regional business units to operating as a global organization, it had to create a single, integrated supply chain aligned with the new business model.

At most companies, customers' needs are not high on the list of factors driving supply chain strategy. In this excerpt from his new book, Dr. J. Paul Dittmann of the University of Tennessee explains the potentially costly consequences of that policy.

Most companies treat all suppliers the same, and they respond too late to supplier-related risk. By segmenting their supply base and basing governance agreements on a supplier's role and importance in the supply chain, they could better anticipate and prevent disruption.

Offering bundled packages of products and services—a strategy known as "servitization"—provides greater value to the customer and can lead to more profitable relationships between manufacturer and customer. Here's how to develop a "servitized" supply chain that supports customer-segmented service.

By adopting proven practices from the supply chain literature, a Mercedes-Benz bus factory in Turkey avoided "reinventing the supply chain wheel" while making big gains in production and efficiency.

Although collaboration offers many benefits for consumer goods manufacturers and retailers, too often their joint initiatives don't work out. To ensure success, partner companies should take these six actions together.