How Solid is Your "Buying" Relationship?

Tompkins Associates Explores in Global Supply Chain Podcast

Raleigh, NC, December 8, 2008 -- Tompkins Associates' (Tompkins) new podcast, The "Buy" Component of the Global Supply Chain, suggests that a "buying" relationship built only on commercial terms is like a personal relationship based only on sexual attraction.

That is, there needs to be something more, such as commitment and communication, for both types of relationships to survive. Stresses, including the current economic downturn, tend to reveal the cracks between supply chain links.

"The market turbulence we are now experiencing is putting significant strain on buyer-supplier relationships," says Steve Ganster, podcast guest speaker and Managing Director of Technomic Asia. "Transparency, trust, and open communication provide the needed ingredients to work through these difficult times."

Along with ensuring that strong relationships remain intact, Ganster reminds listeners that their supply chains should be used as offensive weapons to differentiate themselves from the competition. He stresses the importance of strategic thinking when making the "buy" decision.

"As the first component in the supply chain, 'buying' is crucial to the other steps. If you get the 'buy' phase wrong in your supply chain strategy, then 'make, move, store, and sell' are going to be much tougher to execute well," he says.

"Carefully think through options, work with real-time market intelligence, and consider the longer term. Don't make decisions based on short-term spikes or overreact to changes," Ganster adds.

The recent podcast is the second in a series focusing on "BUY, MAKE, MOVE, STORE, SELL and RETURN." Supply Chains in the Global Economic Downturn, the first of the new series, explores the economic issues affecting businesses in every nation today. In this first episode, Gene Tyndall outlines what companies need to do to survive and prosper in a challenging climate.

Tompkins Associates features a new podcast on the first and third Tuesday of every month. Visit http://www.tompkinsinc.com/podcast to subscribe via iTunes or any podcast feed reader, or to sign up for email updates.

Media Contact
E-mail Myra Schwartz or call 919-855-5533.

About Tompkins Associates
Tompkins Associates designs and integrates global end-to-end solutions for companies that embrace supply chain excellence. For more than 30 years, Tompkins has evolved with the marketplace to become the leading provider of global supply chain services, distribution operations consulting, technology implementation, material handling integration, and benchmarking and best practices. The company is headquartered in Raleigh, NC. Subscribe to the site feed for instant updates