Developing strong and positive supply chain relationships is a key element to the success of your business.
Six ingredients in your recipe for a successful supply chain relationship are:
Communication
Communication between suppliers and customers is crucial in a positive supply chain. Without a strong flow of communication, transferring information up and down the supply chain, there is potential for misinformation and negative effects on your supplier and customer relationships.
Customer Experience
Focusing on providing a positive customer experience is fundamental in not only retaining existing customers, but attracting new customers as well. This will also have a positive impact for your suppliers, because if your volume of business increases, theirs will too.
Organisation Structure
A robust organisational structure helps organise all internal and external elements in your business, ensuring smooth operations. Implementing a clear plan for the direction of your business, aligning internal and external processes has a positive effect on your supply chain relationships.
Good Culture
A solid culture within your team is also key to a positive supply chain relationship. How? If the culture of your business does not support the strategy of your supply chain, there will be resistance internally that could cause issues in your supplier/customer relationships. By ensuring your culture supports your business operations, this flows through to your external relationships.
Leadership
A supportive culture is developed through strong leadership. Just the same as a ship sailing with no rudder, a business cannot succeed in following its desired strategy path without an effective leader (rudder). As a leader, encouraging your team to work together for a common purpose, ensures the positive experience your customers receive. Selecting the right suppliers to partner with you who believe in the success of your business, is an important role of a strong leader.
Change Management
Change management is critical to longevity of your supply chain. Ensuring there is a positive attitude towards change management supports your ability to adapt and be flexible to changes within your supply chain. Your business’s ability to react to change, can have a positive or negative effect on your supply chain relationships, too slow and your business can fail as a consequence.
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