M.Comm. / The primary objective of this dissertation is to perform an analysis of supplier relationship management practices in Eskom. Currently, Eskom is facing pertinent challenges such as a diminished reserve margin, increased unplanned generation plant outages as well as coal supply and quality constraints coupled with ever-rising primary energy costs. Since 1994, the demand for electricity has grown significantly on the back of robust economic growth. As a result, Eskom’s power system has an inadequate reserve margin which is at an all time low of around 8% and this does not compare well with the international standard of 15%. It is therefore evident that, as a national asset Eskom cannot overcome the current challenges successfully without strong partnerships with key suppliers. Impact of global expansion in the power sector has seen increased demand for utility specific commodities, and the resultant implication is the increased pressure on utilities to secure supply. Significant energy pressures are impacting on traditional procurement systems; as supply tightens it is vital for Eskom to intensify their efforts to build and sustain long-term collaborative relationships with key suppliers. With a more strategic view of procurement, companies are increasingly finding that different types of supplier relationships should be managed differently to achieve maximum value. Supplier relationship management has become increasingly sophisticated; buyer and supplier preferences are driven by circumstances in any relationship. The relationship portfolio analysis as explained by Cox, Sanderson and Watson (2000) demonstrates that buyer and supplier relationships centre on power, interdependence, and independence and they agree that relationships can be of an arms’ length, adversarial and collaborative nature depending on the power and style of management. Electricity is an important sector in the South African (SA) economy, despite its relatively small share of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Eskom has a capital expenditure budget of R800-billion for the next 20 years (Venter, 2007). An overview of the electricity industry in SA covering key highlights on the evolution of thinking on energy developments in the country and the resultant implication for supplier relationship management is discussed. Eskom supplies about 95 percent of South i Africa's electricity, and the recent power crisis had far-reaching implications for the economy. Some economists say that Eskom’s power crisis could slice two percentage points off SA’s growth rate, sending it below 3% for the first time in a decade.

Doctor of Philosophy / Buyer-supplier relationships have been increasingly considered a critical part of contemporary supply chain management. In response to dynamic and unpredictable market changes, buyers and suppliers enter into cooperative relationships to pursue individual goals and joint goals for better economic and non-economic performance of the supply chain. On the other hand, cooperation between channel members is surrounded by uncertainty, which can create a detrimental impact on the performance of a supply chain. Previous research has focused on various aspects of uncertainty that could affect supply chain member behaviour. The present research contends that relationship behavioural factors play an important role in increasing or mitigating channel members’ perceived uncertainty in their supply or purchase decision-making. Specifically, the purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of retailer-supplier cooperation and retailer/supplier’s decision-making uncertainty (DMU) on retail supply chain performance from the perspectives of both the retailer and the supplier. A holistic model was developed as the theoretical framework for this conceptualisation. A sample of 202 retailers and 64 suppliers in the sporting goods retail business in Taiwan was used to separately test a number of hypothesised relationships by using structural equation modelling (SEM). The findings indicate that both cooperation and DMU are the key determinants of retail supply chain performance, including financial performance and non-financial performance (i.e., supply flexibility and customer service). Financial performance is positively affected by retailer-supplier cooperation and negatively affected by DMU in both the retailer model and the supplier model. The five dimensions of retailer-supplier cooperation (i.e. trust, guanxi, dependence, coercive power and non-coercive power) have significant effects on cooperation. However, apart from guanxi with the retailer/supplier, neither other relationship dimensions nor retailer-supplier cooperation have any influence on retailer’s DMU or supplier’s DMU. The results also indicate that differences and similarities exist across retailers and suppliers with respect to the effects of several relationship dimensions on cooperation and uncertainty. 2 The holistic empirical model developed for this research contributes further to understanding the links, which have been lacking in the extant channel relationship literature and supply chain management literature, between buyer-supplier relationships, DMU, and supply chain performance. The findings that a retailer/supplier’s DMU can erode the performance of a supply chain in various aspects highlight the need for improvement in some areas of supply chain efficiency and effectiveness, through cooperation-enhancing actions between the retailer and the supplier. From a managerial perspective, the performance improvement in the supply chain, in turn, will motivate more reciprocal commitment and efforts from the retailer and the supplier to maintain their working relationship. As such, mutual trust and enriched guanxi, dependence and non-coercive power help both the retailer and the supplier to have less uncertainty in their purchase/supply decision-making process. It creates a win-win position for both parties in the supply chain.

Doctor of Philosophy / Buyer-supplier relationships have been increasingly considered a critical part of contemporary supply chain management. In response to dynamic and unpredictable market changes, buyers and suppliers enter into cooperative relationships to pursue individual goals and joint goals for better economic and non-economic performance of the supply chain. On the other hand, cooperation between channel members is surrounded by uncertainty, which can create a detrimental impact on the performance of a supply chain. Previous research has focused on various aspects of uncertainty that could affect supply chain member behaviour. The present research contends that relationship behavioural factors play an important role in increasing or mitigating channel members’ perceived uncertainty in their supply or purchase decision-making. Specifically, the purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of retailer-supplier cooperation and retailer/supplier’s decision-making uncertainty (DMU) on retail supply chain performance from the perspectives of both the retailer and the supplier. A holistic model was developed as the theoretical framework for this conceptualisation. A sample of 202 retailers and 64 suppliers in the sporting goods retail business in Taiwan was used to separately test a number of hypothesised relationships by using structural equation modelling (SEM). The findings indicate that both cooperation and DMU are the key determinants of retail supply chain performance, including financial performance and non-financial performance (i.e., supply flexibility and customer service). Financial performance is positively affected by retailer-supplier cooperation and negatively affected by DMU in both the retailer model and the supplier model. The five dimensions of retailer-supplier cooperation (i.e. trust, guanxi, dependence, coercive power and non-coercive power) have significant effects on cooperation. However, apart from guanxi with the retailer/supplier, neither other relationship dimensions nor retailer-supplier cooperation have any influence on retailer’s DMU or supplier’s DMU. The results also indicate that differences and similarities exist across retailers and suppliers with respect to the effects of several relationship dimensions on cooperation and uncertainty. 2 The holistic empirical model developed for this research contributes further to understanding the links, which have been lacking in the extant channel relationship literature and supply chain management literature, between buyer-supplier relationships, DMU, and supply chain performance. The findings that a retailer/supplier’s DMU can erode the performance of a supply chain in various aspects highlight the need for improvement in some areas of supply chain efficiency and effectiveness, through cooperation-enhancing actions between the retailer and the supplier. From a managerial perspective, the performance improvement in the supply chain, in turn, will motivate more reciprocal commitment and efforts from the retailer and the supplier to maintain their working relationship. As such, mutual trust and enriched guanxi, dependence and non-coercive power help both the retailer and the supplier to have less uncertainty in their purchase/supply decision-making process. It creates a win-win position for both parties in the supply chain.

This dissertation consists of two parts. The first part isabout“Managing buyer-supplier relationships in autoproduction chains ­ a case study of Volvo and its supplierrelationship management”. The second part is about“Managing buyer-supplier relationships in telecom supplychains ­ a case study of Ericsson and its supplierrelationship models in different business situations”. The scope of this study is restricted to supply chains inautomotive and telecommunication industries, where the successof supply processes is dependent on how well a company managesits supply chain with horizontal or vertical integration tofulfill customer demands. The research is carried out as a number of case studies ofbuyer-supplier relationship management in the auto and telecomsupply chains. The aim was to analyze how a company fulfillscustomer demand in the best way through different supplierrelationships, and how and why alternative relationship typesare used in reality. The study is based on the relationship between two focalcompanies and their suppliers. Case study methodology is used,and data is collected from selected cases through interviewsand observations. Analysis is carried out within and acrosscases. From the case interpretation and analysis, conclusionsare drawn as to which strategic level of buyer-supplierrelationship is appropriate for different situations. As a result and in conclusion, a static supplychain-reaction model is built at the end of the Part I. Thestatic model describes the importance of collaborativebuyer-supplier relationships in the product developmentprocess. Based on this model, it is concluded in Part II thatthe most suitable supplier relationship is different fordifferent products. For the same product, the most appropriatebuyer-supplier relationship varies with the product’s lifecycle timing. Therefore, two dynamic buyer-supplierrelationship models under different business conditions and indifferent product life-cycle periods are created in Part II.The models apply to dynamic processes, not to interactingcompany organizations in general. The study increases the knowledge regarding selection of themost appropriate supplier relationships in different businesssituations. Key words:buyer-supplier relationship, sourcingstrategy, supply chain management / <p>Qc 20130827</p>

Bakgrund: Efter en litteratursökning har vi uppmärksammat att forskning kring leverantörsrelationer existerar, men däremot är bristfällig när det kommer till kopplingen mellan incitament, interorganisatorisk styrning och osäkerheter. Att studera detta samband är därför av intresse för oss eftersom det bidrar till den akademiska forskningen inom interorganisatorisk styrning. Detta genom att införa en infallsvinkel på incitament, då vår teoretiska härledning menar att incitament hanterar osäkerheter i en leverantörsrelation. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att beskriva vilka interorganisatoriska osäkerheter som köparen upplever i en leverantörsrelation samt vilken effekt osäkerheterna har i leverantörsrelationen. Syftet är även att beskriva hur köparen med incitament hanterar interorganisatoriska osäkerheter i en leverantörsrelation. Genomförande: Genom att kombinera en teoretisk osäkerhetsmodell med kvalitativa intervjuer har en jämförande fallstudie av leverantörsrelationerna till Arcadia, Nexus och Valhalla genomförts för att besvara syftet. Slutsats: Uppsatsen bekräftar att det finns fyra olika typer av osäkerheter i en leverantörsrelation, vilka är uppgiftsosäkerhet, uppgiftsberoende, osäkerheter i omgivningen och relationell stabilitet. Effekten av dessa osäkerheter härleds i en teoretisk osäkerhetsmodell som även empiriskt bekräftas. I de studerade leverantörsrelationerna identifieras även olika incitament som hanterar osäkerheter som köparen upplever i en leverantörsrelation. / Background: After a literature review we discovered that research about supplierrelationships exists, but that the connection between incentives, interorganizational controlssystems and uncertainties is absent. To study this connection is therefore in our interestbecause it contributes to academic research in the field of interorganizational controlsystems. This is because incentives bring a new perspective to the connection betweeninterorganizational control systems and uncertainties. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to describe which interorganizational uncertaintiesa buyer experiences within a supplier relationship and how the uncertainties affect thesupplier relationship. The purpose of the study is also to describe how a buyer can handleinterorganizational uncertainties with incentives. Completion: A comparative analysis of the supplier relationships to Arcadia, Nexus andValhalla was achieved by combining a theoretical uncertainty model and qualitativeinterviews. Conclusions: The study confirms that there are four different types of uncertainties in asupplier relationship, which are task uncertainty, task interdependency, environmentaluncertainties and relational stability. The effect of the uncertainties in a relationship isderived in a theoretical uncertainty model and is also empirically confirmed. The studyfurthermore identifies incentives that handle uncertainties the buyer experiences in asupplier relationship.

La presente tesis abarca la propuesta de un modelo de gestión de abastecimiento utilizando Supplier Relationship management y PDCA, los mismos que son enfoques logísticos y de mejora continua respectivamente, cuyo objetivo principal es aumentar el nivel de servicio, reducir costos e integrar los procesos a la cadena de abastecimiento. Hoy en día las PYMES tienen que enfrentar numerosos retos, entre ellos, incrementar las ventas diarias, mantener satisfechos a los clientes y aumentar la capacidad de respuesta. En ese sentido, el modelo descrito sirve para administrar eficientemente la cadena de suministro de las PYMES del sector agroindustrial, donde se destaca la importancia de integrar y desarrollar al proveedor a la cadena de suministro del cliente. Asimismo, se presenta una propuesta de optimización de inventarios utilizando métodos de planificación y stock de seguridad. Las metodologías utilizadas fueron validadas en una PYME dedicadas al empaquetado de aceitunas, logrando aumentar el nivel de cumplimiento del proveedor en 25% y reducir los quiebres de stock en 30%. / This thesis contains the proposal of a supply management model using Supplier Relationship Management and PDCA, logistical and approaches are of continuous improvement respectively, the main objective is to increase the level of service reduce costs and integrate processes into the supply chain. Today, SMEs have to face many challenges, including daily, increase sales, maintain satisfied customers and increase the capacity of response. In that sense, the model described help to efficiently manage the supply chain of SMEs in the agro-industrial sector, which highlights the importance of integrating and developing the supplier to the customer's supply chain. It also, a proposal for inventory optimization is presented using planning methods and safety stock. The methodologies used were validated in a SMEs dedicated to the packaging of olives, getting to increase the supplier's compliance level by 25% and reduce stock breaks by 30%. / Tesis

Industrial online-reverse-auctions have become a common procurement strategy used by many firms to reduce the cost of purchased goods and services. The advantages of online-reverse-auctions include significant price reductions, increased purchasing and selling efficiencies, and access to new supply and purchasing markets. Despite these benefits, practitioners and academics alike have raised concerns with respect to the impact of online-reverse-auctions on the buyer-supplier relationship. Previous research suggests that the parameters and characteristics of an online-reverse-auction can influence the perceptions of online-reverse-auction participants. This dissertation investigates this phenomenon by examining how the design of an online-reverse-auction influences the supplier's perception of the buyer-supplier relationship. Specifically, this research considers the effects of online-reverse-auction design in terms of the independent variables of auction control, auction bid visibility, and auction award rules and the dependent variables of supplier commitment to the buyer and supplier trust in the buyer. Using a 2 x 2 x 2 quasi-experimental design and the statistical technique of MANCOVA, this study tests hypotheses related to how different online-reverse-auction design characteristics influence supplier commitment to the buyer and supplier trust in the buyer. The results of the study suggest that the type of online-reverse-auctions buyers utilize can have an impact on supplier perceptions of the buyer supplier relationship. Overall, the result suggest that supplier trust is influenced by the type of auction design buyers utilize, however, supplier commitment is not. Auctions utilizing third party auction providers, partial bid visibility, and post auction negotiations tended to result in higher levels of trust on the part of suppliers. This study makes a contribution to the literature in the following areas. First, this study is one of only a handful of empirical studies examining the effects of online-reverse-auction designs on the buyer-supplier relationship. While a considerable debate exists within the literature concerning the pros and cons of online-reverse-auctions, little empirical work exists. This study makes a contribution by providing insight with respect to how online-reverse-auction designs influence supplier perceptions of the buyer-supplier relationships. Secondly, this analysis considers the buyer-supplier relationship in terms of commitment and trust. Previous studies have largely neglected these constructs despite their prominence in the buyer-supplier relationship literature. Finally, given that the use of online-reverse-auctions seems well entrenched in the purchasing strategies of many buying organizations; this study provides guidance for the design of online-reverse-auctions such that buyers can potentially reduce the negative aspects of the process.

No / This paper provides a systems-based approach to the exploration of the relationship and integration between Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) factors as part of a Sustainable Operations Management (SOM) agenda. The authors have chosen electronic procurement (e-Procurement) as a suitable context in this light. Through a review of extant literature, a Systems Archetype (SA) model was developed (based on the ‘Accidental Adversaries’ archetype) and findings from a quantitative pilot study exploring key factors pertinent to e-Procurement SRM were gathered, and hence evaluated against SOM factors. The objective of this research was to describe and visualise the causal interrelationships involved in SRM-SOM through the application of a SA (as an Operations Research tool). The authors believe that this research also provides a unique approach to developing and harnessing the useful and unique properties of Systems Thinking (ST), by attempting to reduce and organise the (generally ad hoc and wide-ranging) sequence of subjective perspectives commonly experienced in causal mapping experiments. The paper builds upon the extant literature, and provides further basis for continuing research in the areas of ST, SAs and the application of operational research to plan sustainable operations.

Companies have limited human, financial and technical resources, which makes it crucial toallocate them in an efficient way in order to stay competitive in today's market. One way of doing this is to classify a company's suppliers into different categories, and differentiate the management of each supplier category. Previous studies within the field mostly focus on larger, manufacturing companies, and there is a lack of segmentation models suitable for retail firms. Further, existing literature on supplier relationship management fail on giving concrete actions on how to manage different types of suppliers. This study addresses this by extending the literature on supplier segmentation and supplier relationship management in the context of a medium sized retail company offering a diversified product portfolio. The study was performed as a case study on a Nordic retail company that produced both private label products and brand named products, where this study focused on its private label suppliers. The purpose of the study was to develop a supplier segmentation model for guidance in managing supplier relationships for retail companies with diversified product portfolios, and this was met by collecting both qualitative and quantitative data through interviews, workshops, structured questions and archival data. The main findings were a number of identified characteristics of the supplier base of the case company and the determination of different types of buyer-supplier relationships. This ultimately culminated into the empirical contributions of 1) a developed supplier segmentation model suitable for medium sized retail companies offering a diversified product portfolio, and 2) recommended actions on how to manage suppliers, corresponding to each segment in the model. / Företag har begränsade resurser vad gäller finansiellt, tekniskt och humant kapital, vilket gör det ytterst viktigt att fördela sina resurser på ett så effektivt sätt som möjligt för att hålla sig konkurrenskraftiga. Ett sätt att göra detta är att klassificera sina leverantörer i olika kategorier, samt differentiera hur varje kategori ska hanteras. Tidigare studier inom ämnet har mestadels fokuserat på större tillverkningsindustriföretag, och det saknas segmenteringsmodeller som är anpassade för retailföretag. Vidare är befintlig litteratur på supplier relationship management knapphändig i att ge konkreta rekommendationer för hur olika typer av leverantörer ska hanteras. Den här studien adresserar detta genom att utvidga litteraturen på supplier segmentation och supplier relationship management i kontexten av ett mellanstort retailföretag med en diversifierad produktportfölj. Studien genomfördes som en case-studie på ett nordiskt retailföretag som sålde både märkesprodukter och egna märkesvaror, där den här studien endast berörde leverantörer för egna märkesvaror. Syftet med studien var att utveckla ett övergripande ramverk för guidning av hur leverantörsrelationer i retailföretag med diversifierade produktportföljer ska hanteras, och detta uppfylldes genom att samla både kvalitativ och kvantitativ data genom intervjuer, strukturerade frågor, workshops samt arkivdata. De huvudsakliga resultaten var ett antal identifierade egenskaper hos leverantörsbasen av caseföretaget och en bestämd uppdelning av olika leverantörsrelationer. Detta mynnade tillslut ut i två empiriska bidrag i form av 1) en utvecklad leverantörssegmenteringsmodell för medelstora retailföretag som erbjuder en diversifierad produktportfölj, samt 2) rekommenderade handlingar för hur olika leverantörer ska hanteras, som svarar till varje segment i modellen.

Södra har i nuläget en modell för leverantörssegmentering med segmenten strategiska-, prioriterade- och avtalade leverantörer. Det finns emellertid förbättringsmöjligheter kring tillämpningen av modellen, såväl som den efterföljande hanteringen av segmenten. Syftet är att ge förslag på hur strategier för hantering av leverantörssegment kan differentieras för Södra. För att uppnå syftet tas avstamp i litteraturen kring Supplier Relationship Management (SRM). Därefter samlas empirisk data in utifrån en enkätundersökning och två semistrukturerade intervjuer. Uppsatsens första bidrag är ett förslag på hur strategier för hantering av Södras leverantörssegment kan differentieras utifrån litteraturen kring SRM. 14 element identifieras och förslag på hur dessa kan tillämpas för Södras leverantörssegment presenteras. Ett av dessa element är kommunikation, där strategiska leverantörsrelationer bör karaktäriseras av omfattande kommunikation, medan kommunikationsnivån successivt bör minska för prioriterade- och avtalade leverantörsrelationer. Ytterligare ett element är inköpspris, där fokus för avtalade leverantörer bör vara att erhålla ett fördelaktigt pris, medan fokus för strategiska leverantörer bör vara att säkerställa tillgången. För det andra bidrar uppsatsen med att identifiera förbättringsmöjligheter i tillämpningen av Södras segmenteringsmodell. Enkätundersökningen och intervjuerna visar att modellen upplevs som komplicerad och otydlig, samt att det finns ett behov av utbildningar och rutiner. Slutligen bidrar uppsatsen med att identifiera förbättringsmöjligheter i Södras hantering av olika leverantörssegment. Det framgår att ett flertal inköpare inte tar hänsyn till alla 14 element, vilket visar på förbättringsmöjligheter kring hur hänsyn kan tas till dessa element. / Södra currently has a model for supplier segmentation with the segments strategic-, prioritized-, and contracted suppliers. However, there are opportunities for improvement in the application of the model, as well as in the subsequent management of the segments. The purpose is to propose how strategies for managing supplier segments can be differentiated for Södra. To achieve this purpose, the literature on Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) is used as a starting point. Empirical data is then collected through a survey and two semi-structured interviews. The first contribution of the thesis is a proposal on how strategies for managing Södras supplier segments can be differentiated based on the SRM literature. 14 elements are identified, and suggestions on how these can be applied to Södras supplier segments are presented. One of these elements is communication, where strategic supplier relationships should be characterized by extensive communication, while the level of communication should gradually decrease for prioritized- and contracted supplier relationships. Another element is purchase price, where the focus regarding contracted suppliers should be to obtain a favorable price, while the focus regarding strategic suppliers should be to ensure availability. Secondly, the thesis contributes by identifying opportunities for improvement in the application of Södras segmentation model. The survey and interviews reveal that the model is perceived as complicated and unclear, and that there is a need for training and routines. Finally, the thesis identifies opportunities for improvement in Södras management of different supplier segments. It is evident that several buyers do not take all 14 elements into consideration, which indicates potential improvements in how these elements can be considered.