An effective supplier selection method for constructing a competitive supply-relationship

We propose an effective supplier selection method to maintain a continuous supply-relationship with suppliers. Costs have been sharply increasing and profit decreasing as the global competition among companies has increased and customer demands have diversified in the current business environment. Many other functions are now outsourced globally to strengthen competition. As a result, one of the issues is how to select good suppliers which can maintain a continuous supply-relationship. We suggest a mathematical programming model that considers the change in suppliers' supply capabilities and customer needs over a period in time. We design a model which not only maximizes revenue but also satisfies customer needs. The suggested model is applied to supplier selection and management of the agriculture industry in Korea. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.