[Deutsche Fassung]

Using the term “supply chain management” in a discussion will initially earn you some confused looks. Some of your discussion partners will think of the complete supply chain – from procurement to processing and ultimately distribution –, others only of sub-suppliers. And quickly, the discussion will move on to commodity prices and other issues.

However, supply-chain management is quite an important issue. Just try to combine this term with the words “partnership” and “key account management”, ideally in the same sentence. Distributors will at once begin to fear that their flexibility is to be restricted or that they may have to accept unacceptable “Terms and Conditions” in their distribution agreements. Weiterlesen →