Businesses know pretty well about the importance of being customer-friendly. But being supplier-friendly? It may even be surprising to many whether such a concept is ever needed! You may think that as an organization buying goods and services, you are the customer to your suppliers and it should really be their worry to be friendly with you!
But it is far from true. Businesses are increasingly adapting to downsizing for improving efficiency and profitability. Sub-contracting and outsourcing are constantly on the increase. What you have been managing in the past with in-house facilities and manpower is increasingly being done using suppliers and sub-contractors. It is imperative that your care and concern for your staff and your relationships with them have to be extended to your suppliers. That’s where supplier-friendly measures are increasingly in need.
What are the essentials that you should know to develop good supplier-friendliness?
Treat Your Suppliers with Dignity
All your interactions with suppliers’ personnel should reflect decent interpersonal relationships. Never treat a supplier as though a slave, who has to serve you at your command. Meet visiting suppliers at appointed time, without intentionally making them wait just to show off how important you are. Price negotiations should take place in a cordial atmosphere, never with an air of superiority and a tone “agree to what we say or get lost”.
Give Appropriate Value to the Quality and Service of Your Suppliers
Many purchase managers take pride in squeezing the suppliers on price and have a tendency to jump to an alternative supplier if a better price is offered. While it should nevertheless be ensured that suppliers don’t take you for a ride, you should concentrate more on “whether you get it right” rather than “whether the supplier deserves so much”. In other words, every supplier’s quality, timeliness in delivery, commitment to after-sales service, etc., should have a value in addition to the price.
You may have several alternative suppliers for the same items of purchase; each one may have a unique advantage. Some may be good at meeting your emergency requirements faster; some may be above average in product quality; some may be able to develop and offer “specials” out of “ordinary” in times of such need. Each of these unique aspects should be factored into the price.
Look for Long-term Relationships with Your Suppliers
If you find a supplier who is perceived to be good in quality and service, always try to look for a long-term relationship. In business relationships, many times, known devils will prove to be better than unknown angels. There are several ways by which one can establish long-term supplier-friendly relationships. They include:
giving a price at which the supplier is comfortable and happy to serve you
ensuring cash flow by way of payment of advance
not squeezing too much in credit terms
ensuring prompt and timely payments without the need for personal follow-up
providing technical support/collaborative assistance in developing new products, enhancing quality or in solving problems. cek harga ekspedisi
offering flexibility in commercial terms and conditions in proportion to the trustworthiness of the supplier and so on.
Encourage Straightforwardness and Corruption-free Dealings with Your Suppliers
A smart and willing supplier who is adept in clinching deals by corrupting your purchase personnel has to be nipped in the bud. Likewise, any black sheep in your purchase department, who plays favoritism to any suppliers in return for money or perks, have to be identified and shunned.
When your organization grows, your suppliers too should grow. Good supplier-friendly measures should ensure it for the benefit of all stake holders.