What experience can you share regarding supplier management
Sigiloso
Firstly, let's clarify what supplier management is and what its purpose is. Supplier management refers to a series of management activities conducted by enterprises in selecting, evaluating, developing, and maintaining suppliers. Its purpose is to establish and maintain long-term, stable, and mutually beneficial relationships with suppliers, ensuring supply chain stability, reducing procurement costs, improving product quality, and enhancing innovation capabilities. Many companies only start supplier management after selecting a supplier, without involving various departments in the evaluation and sampling process. This is actually a manifestation of inadequate supplier management. Therefore, I would carry out supplier management based on these definitions and purposes, making the direction clearer. To ensure long-term cooperation and supply chain stability, I have a few simple experiences. Firstly, maintain frequent communication and visits with suppliers to understand their situation and the industry. Secondly, classify suppliers into strategic, key, and general categories, and provide assistance and maintain relationships with suppliers of different levels. It is also important to have multiple suppliers, as having many fish in the pond allows for immediate procurement of raw materials in case of stockouts or risks, ensuring supply. To reduce costs, after stabilizing the supply, I would ask suppliers for suggestions on how to reduce costs for our products. Since suppliers are more familiar with the industry and raw material technology, in my previous company, I utilized this method to have suppliers point out that our structural components did not require excessive polishing, reducing 5% of the processing costs. Some suppliers even suggested alternative products on the market that could better replace our raw materials. I have briefly shared these points, and there is limited time, so I will not elaborate further.