"Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high goals, sincere effort, intelligent approach and skillful execution"

Will A. Foster

Supplier management

The management of relationships with suppliers continues to gain in importance. More and more companies are focusing their enterprises on  core competencies, delegating supplementary processes to sub-suppliers. Shifting value chains to suppliers is often only possible if they are also supported and monitored with regard to achieving contractual obligations. Assessing suppliers' reliability and their ability to fulfill contractual obligations using existing certificates often does not lead to the desired results and, from my experience, can only be recommended for secondary components.

A detailed on-site analysis as well as the development and classification of suppliers for the existing product portfolio are essential prerequisites for a long-term business relationship. Evaluation criteria are defined depending on the products and can be summarized in higher-level groups as follows:

• Personnel, operational and process-related requirements
• Quality
• Reliability
• Communication
• Price-performance ratio
• Ability to innovate

An evaluation forms the basis for the award of initial samples or prototypes. Additional costs that arise as a result of poor quality, delay in delivery dates, communication or possible claims for damages are effectively reduced or avoided entirely.

Let me assist you in evaluating your suppliers' performance with transparency and comparability, thereby minimizing risks, increasing product quality and lowering procurement costs in the long term.