Background: Supply chain relations go far beyond simple transactions of money and goods. Today, with a low depth of added value in most companies, and low prices in China and Taiwan, sourcing in these countries is very common. Managing the relationship with these suppliers to increase the performance of the whole supply chain is crucial. We identified the cultural dimensions of trust, power, communication and time as most influential for the supplier buyer relationship and structure our paper accordingly. Purpose: Investigate the connection between supplier relationship management (SRM) and culture. We investigated which cultural factors in Taiwan and China may hinder a relationship with a foreign buyer and what factors are drivers for a healthy relationship. Method: We conducted a case study with the company Bufab and their suppliers in China and Taiwan. After a literature review, we interviewed nine representatives from Bufab, ten suppliers and one Taiwanese professor knowledgeable in the topic. Further, we did a survey with Taiwanese and Chinese suppliers and added a European reference group to distinguish particularities. We analyzed the findings using content analysis. Conclusion: We identified that the dimensions of trust, power, communication and time are most relevant for the supplier-buyer relationship. The results show that these dimensions have a significant impact on the business relationship between a local Chinese or Taiwanese company and a foreign buyer. Managing these differences can provide the buying company with a competitive advantage.

Supply chain management is a complex process requiring the coordination of numerous decisions in the attempt to balance often-conflicting objectives such as quality, cost, and on-time delivery. To meet these and other objectives, a focal company must develop organized systems for establishing and managing its supplier relationships. A reliable, decision-support tool is needed for selecting the best procurement strategy for each supplier, given knowledge of the existing sourcing environment. Supplier segmentation is a well-established and resource-efficient tool used to identify procurement strategies for groups of suppliers with similar characteristics. However, the existing methods of segmentation generally select strategies that optimize performance during normal operating conditions, and do not explicitly consider the effects of the chosen strategy on the supply chain’s ability to respond to disruption. As a supply chain expands in complexity and scale, its exposure to sources of major disruption like natural disasters, labor strikes, and changing government regulations also increases. With increased exposure to disruption, it becomes necessary for supply chains to build in resilience and robustness in the attempt to guard against these types of events. This work argues that the potential impacts of disruption should be considered during the establishment of day-to-day procurement strategy, and not solely in the development of posterior action plans. In this work, a case study of a laser printer supply chain is used as a context for studying the effects of different supplier segmentation methods. The system is examined using agent-based modeling and simulation with the objective of measuring disruption impact, given a set of initial conditions. Through insights gained in examination of the results, this work seeks to derive a set of improved rules for segmentation procedure whereby the best strategy for resilience and robustness for any supplier can be identified given a set of the observable supplier characteristics.

El texto completo de este trabajo no está disponible en el Repositorio Académico UPC por restricciones de la casa editorial. / This research analyzes the current studies of supplier relationship management (SRM), based on a literature review to contrast and compare the evolution of SRM in agribusiness-oriented supply chain management (SCM). The result obtained in this research shows the agribusiness and its relationship with its suppliers. It also strives to identify potential models for a strong SRM. An SRM model is proposed to visualize the components that make up the management of suppliers in the agribusiness supply chain (SC).

Syfte: Denna studie syftar till att beskriva den roll relationshantering spelar för att främja en mer hållbar leverantörskedja inom livsmedelsbranschen. Samhället står inför utmaningar gällande klimatförändringarna som sker i världen och studier visar att livsmedelsbranschen har en stor påverkan på dessa klimatförändringar. Branschen fokuserar mer på miljömässiga aspekter och socialt ansvarstagande, däremot är det en komplicerad fråga. Ett företags syn på lösning av dessa problem kan påverka ett annat företag negativt inom leverantörskedjan.  Metod: Studien har utgått från en kvalitativ metod med en abduktiv ansats. Vidare har semistrukturerade intervjuer utförts med sammanlagt sex respondenter inom fyra olika företag. Analys av empirin har utförts med en tematisk analysmetod. Resultat och slutsats: Studiens resultat visar att relationshantering är en avgörande faktor i att skapa långsiktiga relationer, men däremot främjar det inte en mer hållbar utveckling inom leverantörskedjan. Studien tyder på att aktörerna inom leverantörskedjan lutar sig mot de certifieringar som finns inom branschen som tar hänsyn till miljömässiga aspekter och socialt ansvarstagande. Aktörerna har ingen vidare dialog mellan varandra hur de ska arbeta mer hållbart. Slutsatsen är att ansvaret ligger hos certifieringsorganen för att främja en mer hållbar utveckling. Däremot bör aktörerna inom leverantörskedjan ta ett större ansvar. Examensarbetets bidrag: Studiens teoretiska bidrag visar att relationshantering inte används i någon vidare utsträckning inom leverantörskedjan för att främja hållbarhet, till skillnad från tidigare studier som har påvisat detta. Studien bidrar också med praktiska insikter om att certifieringar som innefattar miljömässiga aspekter och socialt ansvarstagande är goda tillvägagångssätt. Detta bidrar till en mer hållbar utveckling eftersom aktörer inom livsmedelsbranschen måste följa dessa certifieringar om de vill verka inom denna marknad. Förslag till fortsatt forskning: Vi anser att det hade varit intressant att vidare studera hur certifieringarna har utvecklats i takt med samhällsförändringar inom hållbar utveckling. Dessutom skulle det vara intressant att studera hur dessa kan och bör utvecklas i framtiden. Fortsatt forskning kan även göras inom andra branscher för att skapa en jämförelse kring hur de skiljer sig åt.

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Competitive forces in today‟s business world are putting firms under pressure to improve quality, delivery performance, and responsiveness while simultaneously reducing cost, which for many companies have resulted in increased outsourcing of activities. Consequently a greater dependency on suppliers‟ performance in terms of quality and delivery service has evolved.Companies are therefore exploring ways to leverage their supply chains, by developing their supply chain structure and continually evaluating the role of suppliers in their activities. As supply chains have evolved, a number of different supply chain structures have emerged, based upon the networks and the level of collaboration between the buyer and supplier. The optimization of a supply chain process has proven to lead inevitably to a growing interdependence among supply chain partners. Treating all suppliers the same is no longer feasible, and a failure to recognize that some suppliers have different needs than others.The research conducted in this thesis was aimed at finding strategies, and approaches of effectively working with supplier relationship management.The empirical study was conducted at Intelbras, a Brazilian electronics manufacturer, which has a large percent of its production outsourced. Intelbras has recently segmented their supply-base into two segments; suppliers of commodity type items and suppliers of critical items. For suppliers of critical items, quality agreements were developed to attend the special needs of selected items.The findings of the research was compared and analyzed with the empirical data, which resulted in a few suggestions of possible future developments for Intelbras.Keywords: Supplier Relationship Management, Strategic Segmentation, Total Cost of Ownership, Buyer-Supplier Cooperation, Quality Agreement / Program: Industriell ekonomi - affärsingenjör

In today global business market, concepts are moving towards inter-national and inter-firm in contrary to older days. This has made companies explore ways to leverage their supply chains, and to evaluate the role of suppliers in their activities. One result has been the increased outsourcing of activities and performance. This has heightened the role of suppliers ever more.Consequently, in order to maintain competitive in the market and to be able to satisfy the knowledgeable end customer, suppliers must be completely aligned with the core company and its objectives and performances. This goal is only gained through strategic benchmarking towards Supplier Development.With a large number of suppliers to deal with, it won’t be feasible to have partnership relationship with each. The strategic approach is to classify them in a manner suitable for the company and only then start from top of the list setting goals for the most prioritized.Before making any attempt in Supplier Relationship Development, the company must start from within setting the right mindset from top down, inside its own ground. Only then Supplier development will be aligned with the objectives of the company and the program will be integrated and successful.This research sought after ways to develop a strategic and systematic method of dealing with suppliers. This guideline was classified as a step by step map of a Supplier Development program. The study was conducted for Volvo Penta Vara Company, and as part of its Supply Chain Development Program. The findings from the company and literature were compared and analyzed and finally guidelines were developed.This report is the last part of the master’s studies in Industrial Engineering-Logistics at University of Borås. It gave us the opportunity to use what we had learnt during the programme. Considering the broadness of the subject we were after, this report meant a lot of work. However, this was the challenge we wanted and an intriguing journey where we learned a lot along the way.

Purpose; this thesis is purposed to investigate Strategic Management Accounting and Control process in supporting Sustainable Integration between Strategic Supplier Relationship Management processes and Strategic Customer Relationship Management processes. Methodology; based on the purpose, the study has conducted a literature review of presenting theories to define Sustainable Integration, Strategic Management Accounting and Control process, Strategic Supplier Relationship Management process, and Strategic Customer Relationship Management process. Furthermore, the study defined how Sustainable Integration can be accomplished, which tools, techniques, and procedures are suited for supporting Sustainable Integration, and how controlling process supports the Sustainable phenomenon between business processes. The reasonable methods of conducting qualitative and exploratory studies have been employed to handle empirical gathering data by interviews with strategic business process managers in industrial Swedish Manufacturing cases. Then the data has been analyzed in a Within-case analysis and Cross-case synthesis following by interpretation and implications. Using the regressive method and advanced method, the study sent the manuscript to interviewees and went back from results to theory to add observed and found out knowledge to the theory. Findings; the study found out that Sustainable Integration is accomplished by supporting and controlling processes of harmonized and continuous flows of information, product, technology, and financial resources through strategic close inter-organizational relationship which are conducted by Strategic Management Accounting and Control process. Sustainable and competitive tools, techniques and procedures are employed to support the Sustainable Integration phenomenon between strategic sub-business processes in case of SSRM and SCRM processes. Various levels of Sustainable Integration regards the extent of harmonization and close long-term relationship are occurred based on openness, innovativeness, trust, commitment and transparency between industrial manufacturing Swedish companies. Developed and reconfigured Strategic Management Accounting and Control process supports Sustainable Integration by the aim of achieving Sustainable Competitive Advantages and Sustainable Sourcing.

企業在全球化趨勢影響下面對日漸劇烈的競爭，對於顧客需求快速改變必頇及時因應。同時在產品生命週期越來越短的情況下，如何有效率的生產以提昇企業績效，將成為企業是否具競爭力的重要關鍵。 企業為了因應顧客需求快速改變，企業產品品質必頇不斷跟著調整改善，才能符合顧客期望。而若高階主管能夠重視品質管理與改善，並全方位分析研究以掌握顧客需求，配合全體員工共同為品質改善而努力則會更有效率。品質改善過程需要相關零組件供應商緊密地配合，如果能夠與供應商發展長期穩定夥伴關係，互助合作對供應商交期也能有效縮短而穩定地供貨供料，共創雙贏這也將有助於提昇企業績效。 回顧相關文獻發現與供應商維持長期穩定關係將有助於穩定供貨供料，與供應商的關係從早先的互相競爭觀點，近年來已轉而成互惠互利共創雙贏、資訊利潤分享的合作關係。此外供應商的品質若能符合顧客標準對其競爭者相對來說也是一種技術門檻，公司培養的供應商又能維持良好的夥伴關係，對穩定供應商供貨將有所助益。 本研究透過資料分析認為若高階主管重視支持品質管理與改善，將能激勵員工朝著企業目標與願景共同前進，配合研究分析顧客需求並快速反應解決顧客之問題，能提高顧客滿意度。又依顧客需求投入資源協助供應商作品質管理與改善以通過或符合顧客標準，對產品品質與發展穩定供應商關係都很有幫助。而若能有長期穩定的供應商關係，對供應商供貨的穩定性也會很有助益，有穩定的供貨供料來源公司才能有效率地生產減少存貨，進而提昇企業整體績效。 / The market is increasingly competitive by the impact of globalization, and companies must respond in a timely manner to meet rapidly changing customers’ needs. In addition, product life cycles are shortened, and an efficient production becomes a key factor enabling companies remain competitive. In order to respond to the rapidly changing customers’ demand,companies must continuously improve the product quality. If the top management can focus on quality improvement, and conduct a detailed study understanding the customers’ needs with a full cooperation of employees, the company will be more efficient. Quality improvement process should closely cooperate with suppliers. If companies can develop a long-term and stable relationship with suppliers, a win-win situation will develop to improve business performance. It is found, from the literature review, that maintaining a long-term relationship with suppliers will stabilize materials supply. The relationship between companies and their suppliers has involved from competitive to mutual beneficial in recent years. In addition, it becomes a technical entry criterion, if the suppliers’ product quality meets customers’ requirements. The results of this study show that the top management involvement on quality management will encourage employees work toward company’s vision and objectives. If the supplier improve their quality certification or compliance with customers standards, its also a technical threshold relative to the competitors. Companies own specific training providers while maintaining stable partnership with the suppliers. Undoubtedly,it will also help to promote their competition.

This diploma thesis is concerned with a problem of strategic supplier relationship management in the context of a correct understanding of the strategic procurement function. The main goal of the thesis is to analyze Strategic procurement department and all activities related do its function. Identify the main differences between strategic and operational function within the enterprise purchasing. Below this paper the purchasing strategy and strategic supllier relationship management of the corporate portfolio of suppliers are discussed in detail. To solve assigned topic Czech and foreign literature and internal materials of the analyzed company was used. To achieve the basic objective of the work I used descriptive, literature search, analysis and synthesis. In the application part there are three case studies that discuss specific issues. Based on the data, it is possible to confirm that strategic procurement and developed strategic supplier relationship management brings many advantages and it can be considered as a form of competitive advange.