Not long ago, most North American and European companies believed that how they influenced and managed suppliers made little difference in their overall performance. This perception changed, however, when global competitors showed that working with suppliers could create competitive market advantages in cost and cycle time reduction, on-time delivery, and access to product and process technology. Nowhere has the benefit of progressive supply chain practices become more evident than in supporting product and service quality, which remains a core requirement for competing successfully on a global basis. This article addresses the increasing importance of suppliers, particularly in supporting product and service quality requirements, and presents a series of questions concerning how well purchasing and sourcing activities contribute to total quality It also provides a profile of organizations that are best positioned across four enabling areas to pursue advanced supplier quality related activities.
