Edwin Blay

Five measures that will sustain buyer -supplier relationship Maintain regular communication this will create transparency on both sides of the channel and prevent hiccups or missteps, like incorrect inventory count or missing purchase orders. Keep in touch with your suppliers and try and schedule a time to get together over a coffee or a beer. Reflect on what’s working well and talk through areas for improvement. Having the opportunity for both parties to provide feedback on what’s been helpful or difficult can be the spark to develop innovative ways to strengthen the relationship even further Be honest and transparent Trust is hard to gain and easy to lose. Gaining a reputation for behaving ethically and honestly will go a long way to developing trust and trust will go a long way to developing relationships. Making things clear and not hiding anything from your suppliers or vice versa may boost the relationship or prolong it. Ensuing confidence in the buyer because their requirements are clearly stated from the beginning and clear communication lines. Pay on time Cash flow remains a huge worry for all businesses, including your suppliers but you have the power to help your suppliers reduce their cash flow headaches. How? Being the client that always pays. Not missing an invoice shows you value them and understand their needs. Over time, you may build up enough “relationship currency” to get special discounts for paying in advance which in the long term builds confidence in the relationship.

• Be Fair. Building trust through respect and openness reaps benefits. However, this can be countermanded where one or both parties are not satisfied with the relationship. If the supplier feels that they are not being treated fairly they may be unhappy with the relationship and not perform to the requirements of the agreement. If the buyer feels that they are being treated unfairly they may resent having the agreement with the supplier and look to source elsewhere. This is not to say that either party should roll over for every requirement of the other. Fair means being treated reasonably based on the requirements of the contract Be reasonable nobody responds to a buyer who is heavy handed, unreasonable or unfair. Be consistent in how you manage your supplier. Take a balanced approach and be mindful of extenuating circumstances that may be impacting upon a situation. Be reasonable here also means, being considerate towards one another in order to enhance or sustain relationships between buyer and supplier . And in some situations, comprises and consensus being made in order to sustain and prolong buyer supplier relationships.