Getting started in a supplier improvement initiative

摘要

The term supplier partnership implies customer and supplier recognize joint interests and have agreed to work closely together for common benefits. Several approaches to customer-supplier partnerships have appeared in the literature on purchasing and quality, and include those driven by supplier suggestions, supplier ratings, supplier quality costs, and so-called Total Cost of Ownership models. These approaches are summarized here and references given. However the main purpose of this article is to describe an alternative approach based on joint customer-supplier improvement teams, implemented at an automotive OEM during 2000. A joint customer-supplier improvement team is made up of members from key departments of each company, who work together on an improvement project chartered by their respective managers. A unique aspect of the OEM case study reported here is that improved cost, although mentioned in the mission statement of the initiative, was not viewed as a driving force but rather as a result of improved quality. The six missions for these customer-supplier teams are identified. The organization, mode of operation, difficulties encountered, and solutions found during start-up of the initiative are provided. These solutions and "lessons learned" obtained directly from the team leaders will be of value to those who may want to pilot customer-supplier improvement teams in their company or agency. An assessment of first year benefits, both qualitative and quantitative, provide the reader with a sense of the range of benefits to supplier ratings, quality rates, warranty rates, and costs that are available. Besides improving quality and removing costs, other intangible benefits are identified.