The relationship between buyers and suppliers is a point of attention for the B2B market and is increasingly important for business competitiveness. Proof of this is a survey by Fundação Getulio Vargas/celog, conducted in 2016, which indicates the relationship between buyers and suppliers as the second biggest risk factor for Brazilian managers.
What to consider when choosing a supplier?
As the purchasing market has evolved, some aspects have become essential for choosing the best supplier. These include issues such as compliance with product or service specifications, market value, reputation and, of course, regulatory compliance. These aspects can determine whether companies are able to do business in accordance with the standards of compliance.
Supplier performance should not be overlooked. A 2016 survey by Bain & Company shows that IT infrastructure customers, for example, are more likely to make more than one purchase from strong-performing companies – on average, 43% of respondents said they were highly likely to repurchase.
Currently, ethical standards have also impacted the relationship between contractor and supplier, as it is not enough to choose the best price, it is necessary to know whether the company follows all the ethical standards of the market, without losing the ability to deliver.
These standards go beyond legal regulations and must be aligned with the values of the purchasing company, since the performance of suppliers can directly impact the image of the purchasing company.
Another important point is to project the growth of purchases and assess the suppliers' capacity to increase production and maintain quality. It is important to think about partners that will help your company's business today and in the future.
Therefore, the ideal is to look for those that can contribute to increased productivity and operational performance over time.
The relationship with suppliers
B2B (acronym in English for BXNUMXB) business relationships business to business, or from business to business) do not necessarily need to be restricted to the buying and selling process. It is always interesting to look for partners who can collaborate, in a positive and proactive way, with the development of your business.
In this sense, information technology can be a great ally, not only in optimizing transactional processes and maintaining the compliance, but also as a communication channel to foster collaboration between business partners. For example, the tools can facilitate the presentation of suppliers to buyers, as well as enable the creation of action plans to improve performance and create a channel for suppliers to suggest innovations and gains in processes.
Managing relationships with suppliers must therefore go beyond negotiation, document control and compliance with obligations required of suppliers. A sustainable relationship must be based on collaboration to leverage results and minimize risks. This is the secret to a lasting and promising relationship that brings benefits to the entire chain.
And how is your relationship with your suppliers? Leave your comment!
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