Best Practices Prove Beneficial For Supply-Chain Management

ByDeborah Austin Companies thriving in today's economy use deep supplier relationships and pooled buying power to generate huge savings and grasp competitive advantage, says a new report "Best Practices in Supply Chain Management and Partnerships" by benchmarking firm Best Practices LLC, Chapel Hill, N.C. Through best supply-chain practices, firms reported cutting lead time and inventory by 50%-plus, and eliminating processing errors. Key effective practices identified:

Align supply-chain-management systems with strategic initiatives and goals.

Forge partnerships with suppliers, pooling talents and resources.

Certify supplier partners, establishing a common language.

Use technology -- such as extranets and common CAD/CAM platforms -- to improve supplier relationships.

Refine/enhance manufacturing processes, identifying which organizations can provide highest quality/lowest cost.

Foster communication between partner organizations.

Emphasize mutual benefits of partnership.