The relationship between supplier and customer is critical to both parties. But it most often falls on the customer to manage that relationship because while the supplier has plenty at stake, the customer has their own customers to consider. And if the product being delivered to the end customer falls short of expectation in any way, the customer will be the first to feel the impact. Supplier relationship management (SRM) is no longer just a ‘feel good’ part of the business. It’s critical and is being treated as such, and automated to a large extent. Having fast and accurate evaluation of supplier performance and acting in positive ways to either assure stability or taking quick action to avoid problems needs to be at the top of the list for companies that want to assure the best results for their own customers Here are four areas to pay attention to when managing the SRM.

Early results from 2017 holiday shopping show big increases in spending. As of this writing brick and mortar results are still preliminary with Cyber Monday and weekend online purchases still not tallied. But a survey conducted by Voxware indicates this year’s shoppers have higher expectations than in previous years. And they want flawless delivery in record times. Will the increased activity and inflated expectations dampen shoppers’ confidence in online ordering when they count on expeditious delivery the most?

It’s the 4th quarter of the year when retailers are finalizing their stock in anticipation of the holiday season. Historical trends set the stage for quantities, locations, and pricing but a major shift in how consumers consider their own purchase strategies will play havoc with retailers. The problem is with product returns and how consumers now consider their purchases to be temporary.