Strategic supplier management: from contractual models to engagement partnerships

Abstract

Nowadays, it is essential to establish a good relationship between a company and its suppliers because otherwise, this relationship cannot last long. In the understanding of recent literature and empirical studies, there is still a lack of collaboration among customers and suppliers. There is a vision for short-term profit in big companies and less attention to the quality of services provided to them. The main objective of this study is to find mechanisms that make companies in the same supply chain thrive together. To this end, 15 companies that provide services to big companies in Portugal were interviewed to assess the problems and needs that exist in relation to this type of customer. The interviewed companies provided valuable information for this study. This allowed the design of two models of good practice in order to support companies in their relations with business partners.