Long-term relationships

摘要

To keep products moving out to customers, one must keep parts for those products coming in from suppliers In fluid market conditions, a business must take the long view and develop long-term, stable relationships wit its suppliers soft can be a stable supplier to its customers. This requires a solid, intelligent, well-planned purchasing strategy. Alfons Lesch, purchase director, and Udo Breitwieser, section manager of purchasing at Bosch Body Electronics Division, have been down this road before. At the company's main production plant in Buhl, Germany, their buying decisions help keep the factory's 3,700 workers busily producing small electric motors for automakers around the world. These motors then turn up in everything from cooling system motors to electric windows, rearview mirrors, sunroofs, windshield wipers, heating and air conditioning and power seats.