Supply network management in the Brazilian automotive industry

摘要

The paper presents some results and conclusions of a two-year research project encompassing ten interacting companies belonging to the Brazilian automotive supply network. The goal of the research is to explore current practices in terms of thecommercial relationship between them. Specifically theattention was focused on identifying whether there are relevant imbalances in terms of bargaining power so that the overall performance of the supply network as a whole is jeopardised. Some interesting conclusions could be drawn from this exploratorystudy Perhaps the most important is the clear indication that the issue of supply network management is neglected among the analysedcompanies. The emphasis has almost exclusively been placed on the relationship with immediate customers and suppliers. This can run important risks for the competitiveness of the Brazilian automotive industry Some causes of the negligence with the themeare discussed and some simple corrective measures are proposed, based on some more contemporary contributions found in the recent literature and in some practices identified in Brazil outside the automotive industry.