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02/05/2006: "customer-supplier partnership"

is one of the emerging trends .... Brokering the customer-supplier partnership in product design and realization over the World Wide Web. : An article from: IIE Transactions by G.Q. Huang, K.L. Mak discusses the possibilities [in the authors' words This research is concerned with the application of the World Wide Web (WWW or web) technology to facilitate the early supplier involvement in new product development. The paper focuses on two parts of the resulting web-based system. The first part is the Bid Explorer underpinned by a bid model which is based on design specification. The bid model consists of inquiries which in turn have values of different types. Inquiries are represented in a hierarchical tree. The bid model is collaboratively established by, and thereafter commonly shared between, the customer and all the interested suppliers. From the point of view of the customer, the inquiries are their requirements. In contrast, from the supplier's viewpoint the inquiries are their capabilities. The second part of the system is the Partnership Explorer which is underpinned by a partnership model. This partnership model uses four types of numeric partnership indices, namely satisfaction index (SI), flexibility index (FI) risk index (RI), and confidence index

(CI). The SI is based on the overlap between the customer requirements and supplier capabilities. The FI is based on the surplus of the supplier capabilities in relation to the customer requirements. The RI is evaluated through the shortage of the supplier capabilities with reference to the customer requirements. The CI is based on the past performance records of a supplier.]

The downloadable download article can be found here

KEY REFERENCES:
The 100 Best Trends, 2006: Emerging Developments You Can't Afford to Ignore (100 Best Trends) by George Ochoa, Melinda Corey

reference guide that keeps pace with these lightning-fast developments, summarizing the most important trends in every industry:

Arts and entertainment
+ Business and industry
+ Demographics
+ Halth and medicine
+ Politics
Whether you’re creating new products, expanding your portfolio, or simply trying to stay one step ahead of the competition, you’ll find the true scoop on what’s in, what’s out, and what’s on the horizon in this guide. The 100 Best Trends, 2006 is the perfect tool for marketing specialists, PR and advertising professionals, investors, entrepreneurs, and anyone with a vital stake in what’s ahead


Working in Partnership: Best Practice in Customer-Supplier Relations by Bernard Burnes and B. G. Dale