Partnerships can be expected to play a major role in purchasing arrangements this year and into the future, say respondents to an exclusive Packaging World reader survey on vendor consolidation. Many of these participants offered sophisticated answers when they were asked about advantages they expected to receive from a partnership arrangement with materials, machinery or service suppliers.
This report covers the responses to about 10 questions posed on the questionnaire. The first half of the survey focuses on the goals of manufacturers in dealing with the number of suppliers they buy from (see PW, Sept., ’00 p. 40).
信息来自一个详细的调查微笑d to more than 1ꯠ selected PW readers and tabulated earlier this year. The questionnaire and the results from 111 responses were analyzed with the assistance of Market Research Support Services (Roselle, IL). All surveys were mailed to individuals at medium- to large-size companies (companies with more than 250 employees). However, the responses used in this analysis closely match the geographical breakdown of all PW readers.
所有参与者都被问到他们的公司是否鼓励使用供应合作伙伴关系。回应是戏剧性的，有91.7％的人回应他们的公司确实鼓励建立供应合作伙伴（图1）。
On a regional basis, companies in the East (96%) and the West (93.8%) were somewhat more likely to seek supply partnerships than those in the Midwest or South. There was little variance when participants were asked about partnerships for materials, machinery or services.
福利打包者期望
For the companies that encourage partnerships, readers were asked a qualifying question, “Does your company expect better service and/or price from a partner?” Every respondent answered affirmatively.
接下来，调查提供了预期的其他好处（图2）的几种选择，以提示响应，然后有机会在列表中不包括的其他因素中写作。
With price and service already covered, survey respondents were somewhat more discriminating. Nearly all respondents (96%) said their companies expected reduced order lead times from supplier partners. Fewer than two-thirds thought partners would provide shorter production runs (63%). Slightly more than half of respondents from the Midwest and West anticipated short runs, while respondents from the South (68.4%) and the East (79.2%) were far more likely to expect shorter runs from packaging partners.
The remainder of benefits from partnerships showed fairly even response levels from each section of the country. However, only half the participants in the South expected customized deliveries, while Midwest respondents most often expected its partners to inventory materials or parts for them (88.1%).
关于自定义交付的问题，只有一半的公司与机器建造者建立了合作伙伴关系。
Other benefits named
Survey participants were not shy about specifying other benefits their companies expected from a partnership with a packaging supplier. Price concessions, rebates or a similar term was most often mentioned. Other expectations were also included.
Of participants from the South, 44.4% of those answering this question sought “technical design assistance,” “engineering support” or “product development assistance.” Only 12.5% of respondents from the East wrote in one of those answers. Instead, they were far more likely to name “vendor-owned or vendor-managed inventory” or “preferential treatment during shortages.”
It’s obvious that companies in the West are somewhat concerned about being isolated from some vendors. Nearly a third of Western respondents cited “parts availability,” “West coast warehouse” or “eliminating back orders.” And participants in the West also most frequently wanted “more consistent quality” or “fewer rejects” as goals from their partnerships with suppliers.
Some of these written responses were more specific. A buyer with a major snack food company said his company “expected schedule changes to accommodate emergency situations” and “a continuous supply of materials in times of materials shortages.”
对冲价格
一个资深买家国家花园产品r was very supply-chain focused. He said his company wanted “assistance in advancing [materials supply] from international sources,” and even more, “the ability to leverage buying with its partners’ suppliers.” If this suggests the ability to hedge material prices, the business development manager at a chemical company hinted at the same when he responded that his company sought to “decrease [price] cyclability” and a buyer with a poultry processor expected prices “based on certain published figures.”
The vice president for purchasing at a national frozen foods manufacturer indicated his company wanted its packaging partners to have “direct involvement in design and development of packaging.” And although price has already been mentioned, the director of procurement for a fast-food chain says it a little differently. His company wants its partners to “provide cost-saving options in materials and services.”
水果处理器的采购经理必须刚刚在该公司留下了信息技术会议。他说，他的公司希望其合作供应商参与“电子数据互换，MRP II系统和信息共享”。
更多个人服务
一家主要家庭产品制造商的合同包装的采购经理希望“基于合作伙伴关系获得更多个性化的服务，因为供应商将为我们为我们生产的不同的“品牌”获得更高的量。”
Other answers in line with more personalized service included “more operator training,” from the senior buyer at a national bakery. A purchasing agent with a national pharmaceutical manufacturer said his company expected partners to provide “on-site technical specialists.” This was also mentioned by the director of purchasing at a medical device maker who said his firm expected a “resident engineer.”
This answer also came from other levels of the supply chain. “On-site support” was also the goal of the director of standards at a major food retailer, and the buyer for an equipment manufacturer sought “engineering support to improve components.” Many respondents mentioned variations on the quality theme, some asking for partners with Total Quality Management programs or ISO quality certification.
Others were more specific. The purchasing manager for an instrument manufacturer said his company expects “research and development for new products and products that exhibit better efficiencies.” That is similar to the purchasing manager at a national dairy. She reported her company wanted its partners “to be on the leading edge of technology and share advances.”
See sidebar to this article: What do supplier partners gain?
请参阅本文的侧边栏：只有名字的合作伙伴？
