{"id":1170,"date":"2018-06-12T08:50:21","date_gmt":"2018-06-12T08:50:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/innovationlab.net\/?p=1170"},"modified":"2018-06-12T08:50:21","modified_gmt":"2018-06-12T08:50:21","slug":"the-perfect-supplier-3-simple-steps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/innovationlab.net\/blog\/the-perfect-supplier-3-simple-steps\/","title":{"rendered":"The perfect supplier: 3 simple steps"},"content":{"rendered":"

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B2B – business to business – covers trade between companies. Contrary to the trade between company and consumer (B2C), for most entering such a relationship, the goal is to deliver the most optimal solutions to the ones who, in the end, have to resell to a given end user. For example, if you are work at the dairy company Thiese, you will have to deliver your product to the supermarket chain Coop, where I – as the consumer – eventually will buy my milk. A seemingly simple relationship in a seemingly short value chain. However, the problem is that the chain for a B2B company is far from that short in reality – your sales effort will have to continue all the way up until the time the consumer drinks your milk and is happy about it. The code for success? Close collaboration with you B2B customer with the purpose of creating products and services with a customer-centric perspective.<\/p>\n

Most people already learn the value of collaboration as kids – in the home you have your chores contributing to the daily maintenance of the house, and when playing soccer, you will not win if you do not pass the ball. Likewise, most companies have learned the value of enhancing co-work within their organization. But when it comes to supplier collaboration, I experience a completely different story, resulting in customers not understanding why the milk all of a sudden taste different or – worst case scenario – them not buying your milk at all. And then, the customer is lost both for the supplier and the company selling their product.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>

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The gold lies at the end of the value chain<\/h3>\n

Several surveys tell me, that I am not alone in the perception that the gap between the expectations of the customer and the (lack of) collaboration between supplier and company is wide open. A recent study<\/a> about supplier collaboration even shows that although over a third of the respondents said they were collaborating with their suppliers, less than 10% could actually demonstrate this in reality – and that the ones who did collaborate with a shared focus on the end user experienced a growth twice as big as their competitors.<\/p>\n

It goes without saying that you – as a supplier – will experience the biggest success if you rethink the character of your strategic work with your supplier and in unity creates products, which people want to buy. Seeing the value chain as an organism working together towards a shared goal. And it is without a doubt what suppliers ultimately should strive for – but simpler towards the aim of being the perfect supplier can also do a lot. Here are 3 simple steps which I have learned works:<\/p>\n\n <\/div>

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