Perception Of Supply Research Articles

OEM New Product Development Practices: The Case of the Automotive Industry

SUMMARYIn industries where value added by suppliers contributes significantly to the final product, the competitiveness of the value chain depends upon supplier performance (cost, quality and on‐time delivery). Despite the importance of supplier performance in new product development (NPD), most research has focused on supplier performance in operations. Few studies have focused on how product development practices of an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) influence OEM evaluations of supplier performance. This paper posits a model of the relationships among three factions: OEM practices that involve suppliers in design, concurrent engineering practices of the OEM and OEM assessments of supplier performance. This model is tested and cross‐validated using a sample of 406 NPD projects in Germany and the United States. The findings suggest that NPD practices of OEMs influence their perceptions of suppliers' performance.

Supplier perceptions of quick response systems

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to explore supply chain management issues in the Scottish textile and clothing industry, such as company awareness of automatic replenishment (AR) systems, quick response implementation (QRI), and relationships within the supply chain.Design/methodology/approachFace‐to‐face interviews were undertaken with 33 Scottish suppliers.FindingsResults indicate that less than a third of the companies surveyed in Scotland had implemented AR/QRI systems and that many supply chain members had not fully understood the benefits of implementing information technology (IT) to support an AR/QRI strategy. They perceive it more as a strategy for retailers than as a virtual supply chain strategy.Research limitations/implicationsSince this study was limited to 33 Scottish suppliers, findings can only be used as a guide for further research into the area. The next stage of this research will be to gather more responses from UK and US suppliers of fashion garments, as well as to undertake in‐depth interviews with retail buyers in order to explore the criteria they now use for establishing supplier relationships.Practical implicationsThe paper identifies advantages which manufacturing management could achieve: namely to improve planning, reduce stockholdings, increase production and by improved communication become a preferred supplier.Originality/valueIn order to survive, Scottish suppliers have to sustain competitive advantage by ensuring that they have an efficient stock management system. For manufacturers of fashion goods, speed is a priority that incurs higher production and transportation costs that can be offset against fewer mark‐downs and higher gross margins. Thus, QRI is a must for multiple fashion retailers selling “own brand” merchandise, to provide them with competitive differentiation in the high fashion end of the market. This means that suppliers need to build relationships with these retailers and implement QR systems to stay in business.

Customer–supplier partnerships: Perceptions of a successful key account management program

Key account management (KAM) is regarded as one of the significant marketing trends over the last few years. This study investigated the perceptions of suppliers and key account customers regarding the success factors of customer–supplier partnerships. The results are reported from a survey of 92 suppliers and 98 key account customers. Analysis of the results indicates that suppliers and their key account customers have similar perceptions of the key success factors in the customer–supplier partnership. Finally, recommendations for the development or improvement of a KAM program are presented.

The Relationship between Customer and Supplier Perceptions of the Manufacturer's Market Orientation and It's Business Performance

This study is designed to test the relationship between the manufacturer's downstream (upstream) market orientation and the manufacturer's business performance, using self-reports and customer (supplier) reports of the manufacturer's downstream (upstream) market-oriented behaviours. The findings from a sample of 72 matched sets of suppliers, manufacturers and customers in the Netherlands reveal that the manufacturer's downstream (upstream) market orientation has a positive effect on its business performance, regardless of whether self-reports or customer (supplier) reports are used. The results also reveal that customer reports and self-reports of the manufacturer's downstream market-oriented behaviours are consistent. However, the results show a discrepancy between supplier reports and self-reports of the manufacturer's upstream market-oriented efforts. Of interest to marketers is to what extent this discrepancy affects the manufacturer's long-term business performance.

Cooperation versus competition: do buyers and suppliers really see eye-to-eye?

Purchasers have used a variety of tools to help improve the performance of their suppliers’ processes and products. Results of two large-scale surveys that compare buyer and supplier perceptions of a common customer firm's supplier development and its supply base's adoption of total quality management are reported here. One customer, known for its cooperative (partnership-like) approach to supplier relations, is contrasted with another firm that uses supplier switching to meet its procurement needs. Analysis of the survey data indicates that buyers and suppliers have a better “shared understanding” (smaller satisfaction gap) within the “competitive” relationship than within the “cooperative” relationship.

The Impact of Suppliers' Perceptions of Reseller Market Orientation on Key Relationship Constructs

A number of researchers have reported the positive benefits of creating and maintaining a market orientation. This study is one of the first to explicitly investigate the effects of market orientation within a channel context. It is proposed that a supplier's perceptions of a reseller's market orientation will positively affect the supplier's perceptions of certain key relationship marketing constructs. Data collected from 380 suppliers were used to test the hypotheses. All hypotheses were supported.

Transferring manufacturing technology to China: supplier perceptions and acquirer expectations

Results of complementary surveys of foreign and Chinese manufacturing enterprises with respect to their objectives and expectations regarding technology transfer into China show that the major strategic objective of foreign enterprises, to gain access to the Chinese market, fits well with Chinese enterprises’ main objective of improving domestic competitiveness but less well with that of accessing world markets through technology transfer. Foreign firms rate highly the capability of Chinese enterprises to learn new technologies and also find the Chinese macro environment for business favourable. The survey results provide information that will help managers with their negotiations on co‐operating with prospective partners for the transfer of technology as well as assisting policy makers who wish to facilitate more effective transfer arrangements.

Interactive perceptions of suppliers and corporate clients in the marketing of professional services: A comparison of accounting and legal services in the UK, Canada and Sweden

Any service offering depends, for its long‐term success, on the dyadic relationship which exists between a supplier and a client. For corporate clients, a positive and proactive approach by a supplier can enhance a relationship both in the initial stages and later, as the relationship develops. Professional services are no exception, perhaps because, in the longer term, both parties can contribute to a situation where “peace of mind” is the dominant emotion. However, such a generalisation may not be true for all professional services nor over a range of countries where currently, many changing environmental factors such as regulations, image and technology, are creating a climate which may result in different perceptions within a relationship. This article attempts to measure and compare these differences using suppliers and corporate clients of two specific categories of professional services, namely, legal and accounting services, in each of three countries, Canada, Sweden and the United Kingdom. It att...