By way of example , Hogg says businesses can ask suppliers to disclose to CDP , the not-for-profit body that runs the global disclosure system for investors , companies , cities , states and regions to manage their environmental performance .
But what if there is a mismatch between an organisation ’ s strategies and those of a supplier ?
“ It ’ s important to remember that some targets can undermine your relationship with suppliers if they do not yet have the capacity or knowledge within their business to understand or meet them ,” warns Hogg . “ Begin with manageable , leading indicator targets . Regardless of your use case , it ’ s important for suppliers to feel reassured they ’ ll receive support to achieve them .”
In short , Hogg says it ’ s best to “ aim high but start small ”, with a view to scaling successes .
Another expert in the field of supplier relationships is Andreas Baader , who is SVP Supply Chain Serviceline , Germany , with US professional services firm , Genpact .
Baader feels that some organisations can become too focused on supply chain performance levels , and that such a ‘ need for speed ’ approach can be to the detriment of supplier relations .
46 October 2023