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The Supply-Based Advantage
Book

The Supply-Based Advantage

How to Link Suppliers to Your Organization's Corporate Strategy

Stephen C. Rogers
AMACOM, 2009
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Editorial Rating

8

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  • Applicable

Recommendation

Stephen C. Rogers enjoyed a 30-year career at Procter & Gamble, and he offers everything he learned about maximizing supplier relationships in this tome. His book is for dedicated supply chain management professionals. Rogers enlivens it with personal stories, industry case studies and fascinating research. Long descriptions of supply chain strategy, processes and contingencies slow the reading down for the half-interested. However, getAbstract regards Rogers’s efforts as a graduate school class for those fascinated with the topic and for professionals who want to sharpen their knowledge. So if you are importing coffee from Africa and you want to maximize your suppliers’ contributions, pour yourself a cup and get comfortable.

Summary

Becoming Supplier Focused

Though few senior executives appreciate the process, building an exceptional supply base and strengthening supplier relations is integral to business success. When you combine customer-facing corporate functions (marketing, product design, sales, or customer service) with supplier management skills, you can gain superior performance and delivery results. Give your suppliers a clear understanding of your needs. Suppliers provide benefits, but corporate managers might expect them only to deliver a product or service. This is a serious mistake. Suppliers also can participate in the company’s interaction with customers. Any firm can achieve a competitive advantage by efficiently managing its supply chain. Businesses accrue this advantage when they recognize the value of suppliers’ contributions and make use of them at opportune times.

Superior supply chain management sets out to deliver a “sustainable competitive advantage.” While some companies already possess this advantage from branding (Procter & Gamble), shopper experience (Target) or customer service (Nordstrom), supply chains offer unique ways to attain this edge. Viewing your suppliers...

About the Author

Stephen C. Rogers, an adjunct professor at Xavier University, spent 30 years at Procter & Gamble.

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