How do you identify and nurture innovative and high-potential suppliers?

由人工智能和领英社区提供技术支持

In today's competitive and dynamic market, supplier quality is not only about meeting specifications and standards, but also about delivering value, innovation, and differentiation. How do you identify and nurture innovative and high-potential suppliers who can help you achieve your strategic goals and create a competitive edge? Here are some tips and best practices to guide you.

本文章的要点总结

Strategic relationship management:

To pinpoint innovative suppliers, dive into market research and industry events. Forge strong bonds by understanding their goals and collaborating on a shared vision for the future.
Tech-powered evaluations:

Use supplier-facing IT systems to streamline first article inspections and quicken response times. Clear online workflows help iron out confusions, ensuring quality control is a breeze.

本摘要由 AI 和以下专家提供支持

1 Define your innovation needs

Before you start looking for innovative suppliers, you need to have a clear idea of what kind of innovation you are looking for, and how it aligns with your business objectives, customer expectations, and industry trends. You can use tools such as SWOT analysis, gap analysis, benchmarking, and customer feedback to identify your innovation needs and priorities. You can also involve your internal stakeholders, such as R&D, engineering, marketing, and sales, to get their input and buy-in.

添加您的观点

2 Assess your current suppliers

Once you have defined your innovation needs, you can evaluate your current suppliers and see how they fit into your innovation strategy. You can use criteria such as technical capabilities, quality performance, collaboration potential, innovation culture, and willingness to invest in R&D to rank your suppliers and identify the ones who have the most potential to deliver innovation. You can also use tools such as supplier scorecards, audits, surveys, and interviews to gather data and feedback from your suppliers.

添加您的观点

Sara Hanks

Making things easier with process improvements and data analytics | My views are my own.
举报内容
Another area to consider is the in-house expertise of the supplier, especially when it comes to special process manufacturing. Innovation can be unlocked from the supplier by simply inviting them to participate in the design process. They may offer solutions that improve the design, and potentially at a lower cost. I have seen multiple examples throughout my career and heard many stories from within my network.

已翻译

赞

3 Develop a supplier innovation program

To nurture your innovative and high-potential suppliers, you need to establish a formal and structured supplier innovation program that defines the objectives, processes, roles, responsibilities, incentives, and metrics of your collaboration. You can use frameworks such as the Supplier Development and Innovation (SDI) model, which consists of four phases: identification, qualification, development, and integration. You can also use tools such as supplier development plans, innovation roadmaps, joint projects, and innovation platforms to facilitate communication, coordination, and co-creation with your suppliers.

添加您的观点

Sara Hanks

Making things easier with process improvements and data analytics | My views are my own.
举报内容
Supplier-facing IT systems can facilitate supplier development and improve the cycle time of the activities. First article inspections, for example, can be done through an online workflow, such as the one offered by Virtual Leverage. The manufacturer can define clear requirements and request the supplier to complete the first article inspection and submit the data. Corrective actions can be issued for nonconformances. Confusion can be clarified through the commenting and action item features.

已翻译

赞

4 Recognize and reward your suppliers

One of the key factors for successful supplier innovation is to recognize and reward your suppliers for their efforts and achievements. You can use methods such as feedback, recognition, awards, incentives, contracts, and referrals to acknowledge and appreciate your suppliers' contributions and motivate them to continue innovating. You can also use platforms such as supplier portals, newsletters, events, and social media to showcase your suppliers' innovations and share best practices and success stories.

添加您的观点

5 Monitor and measure your results

Finally, you need to monitor and measure the results of your supplier innovation program and see how it impacts your business performance and competitive advantage. You can use indicators such as cost savings, quality improvement, customer satisfaction, market share, revenue growth, and new product development to evaluate the outcomes and benefits of your supplier innovation. You can also use tools such as dashboards, reports, and reviews to track and analyze your progress and identify areas for improvement and optimization.

添加您的观点

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

添加您的观点

Akshay Ramanath Hegde

Lead auditor |New Product Development & Quality Assurance | Supplier Development Expert |IRCA Approved Lead Auditor | ISO 9001 | 14001 | 45001 | IATF 16949 | VDA6.3 | LSSGB Certified
举报内容
Identifying and nurturing innovative and high-potential suppliers involves a strategic approach to supplier relationship management. To identify such suppliers, organizations can conduct thorough market research, attend industry events, and engage in collaborative forums where emerging suppliers showcase their capabilities. Monitoring industry awards and recognizing suppliers with a track record of innovation can also be indicative of high potential. Once identified, nurturing these suppliers involves establishing transparent communication channels, understanding their strategic goals, and collaboratively developing long-term relationships.

已翻译

赞

Supplier Quality

+ 关注

给文章评分

我们借助人工智能创建了此文章。您认为这篇文章怎么样？

很棒不太好

举报此文章

查看全部

How do you identify and nurture innovative and high-potential suppliers?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Define your innovation needs

2 Assess your current suppliers

3 Develop a supplier innovation program

4 Recognize and reward your suppliers

5 Monitor and measure your results

6 Here’s what else to consider

Supplier Quality

给文章评分

感谢您的反馈

更多Supplier Quality相关文章

更多相关阅读内容