In these difficult times, it is more necessary than ever to maintain regular contact and create a good relationship with your supplier.
Although often put aside, a good supplier relationship is a major growth driver, essential for the growth and success of your business. In this article, we will give you the golden rules to follow in order to establish a healthy, lasting, reliable and high-quality supplier relationship.
Any type of business needs suppliers to ensure every step of production and the supply of articles, goods or services that are meant to be transformed or used. These suppliers play an important role: they serve as an essential intermediary.
The supplier relationship is defined by the relationships that a business has with each of its suppliers. It is based on:
Therefore, it is important to keep a healthy and cordial business-supplier relationship to ensure the smoothness of your business and logistic processes. The biggest reason for this is to achieve maximum customer satisfaction, a key factor for any business wishing to grow.
Before making a selection, supplier “sourcing” is essential to obtain information about future suppliers: are they reliable?
By contacting their clients or by browsing reviews online, you can get a first glimpse of their practices:
Having one single supplier for all of your supplies can be risky, especially if your supplier happens to run into inventory, delivery or production issues. Diversifying suppliers allows you to rely on another one if one of them is facing issues.
Then comes the negotiation part. Both parties must take advantage of it. Set your conditions: what are the criteria and demands that are not negotiable? To what extent are you willing to make concessions?
In addition to the contract, it is crucial to put in writing clauses that will safeguard your goals:
In the United Kingdom, the Home Office and HM Revenue & Customs published a Policy Paper known as the Supplier Charter, which refers to all Corporate Responsibility issues for wider environmental, social and economic policy objectives. It embeds responsible practices through the supply chain for businesses and serves as a template for any British company.
Any business is free to instate a supplier Code of Conduct or Code of Ethics, a widespread practice in the UK and in the US (for an example, click here). These codes will include the company's shared values, policies and practices with its suppliers, such as promoting corporate social and environmental responsibility. Codes will also include responsible sourcing, health and safety, and so on.
Signing a contract with specific clauses is essential but it's not always enough to prevent potential risks in production or delivery. As a buyer, you need to be attentive and willing to renegotiate your terms in order to adjust to a whole new situation.
What's more, recommending a trusted supplier to one of your clients or partners can greatly improve your supplier relationship. This creates a win-win situation for every party through the sharing of network, influence and reputation between one another. Later, you could even take advantage of this by asking to renegotiate your supplier contract to your benefit!
Have a discussion with your supplier on a regular basis to stay updated with their current situation, issues or failures they might be facing. This will allow you to anticipate the majority of problems and implement solutions and strategies in full collaboration. Cooperation and dialogue will be a major boost for mutual trust and the smooth operation of your business.
Always tailor your communications to suit your recipient (different business sizes will have different needs). Try to set up face-to-face meetings as often as possible for more pleasant and constructive discussions. And when you chase up your supplier, anticipate and get in touch with them in person (whether it is on the phone, video call or face-to-face). Finally, use tact and diplomacy, all the while standing firm.
Good inventory management (which goes hand in hand with good organization!) will allow you to reorder at the right time and avoid being overcome by panic which would be a nightmare for both you and your supplier. You can organize and manage your inventory thanks to:
A good inventory management software will help you automate these features. You will save time and protect your supplier relationship.
In conclusion, a healthy supplier relationship is based on transparency, lasting trust, regular contact and business cooperation that benefit both parties. This creates an essential partnership that rests on active communication.
Today, there are many solutions to facilitate discussions with your suppliers and save time, particularly using automated invoices and sales orders. With Erplain, in just one click, get orders, quotes and invoices. Manage your inventory in real time and anticipate supply reorders.
