Close relationships with selected suppliers can enable manufacturers to reduce costs, improve quality and enhance new product development. Although the advantages of close co-operation are widely acknowledged in the literature, the specific attributes of such relationships are not well understood. To address this gap, 39 managers responsible for purchasing were interviewed using a technique from psychology, which is particularly effective at uncovering the characteristics of relationships. This approach is innovative in the context of supplier management research and gave insights into how manufacturers expect more from their suppliers than just reliable deliveries of high-quality, well-priced parts and components. The results of the empirical research enhance our knowledge of the attributes of manufacturer-supplier relationships and also indicate how manufacturers can establish close relationships with selected suppliers. Overall, the study has established the viability of a new approach for understanding the complex topic of manufacturer-supplier partnerships. #

Shows that manufacturing companies place a strong emphasis on the role of supply‐chain management ‐ the management of supplies, suppliers, inventory and distribution. Much of the literature talks about the trend to reduce supplier base. Database analysis gave empirical evidence of this trend in UK manufacturing companies ‐ 201 companies from different industrial sectors cut their supplier base over the last four years, by 9 per cent in the household products sector and approximately 35 per cent in the process, engineering and electronics sectors. Reports on further research at four companies, looking at their experiences with suppliers and establishes that a key reason for supplier base reduction is to free time to manage the remaining suppliers more effectively. Identifies the criteria used for supplier selection and reasons why single‐sourcing was avoided. Suggests that these findings on supplier management have implications for both researchers and managers in industry.

Sciences (Germany) with a first class honours degree in marketing and finance, where he also lectured in business information systems. He holds an MBA from Oxford Brookes University (1996) and is currently studying on a part-time basis for a PhD in marketing at Cranfield.

Performance Trade-offs in Manufacturing PlantsIf manufacturing organisations are to remain competitive they must continuously improve their levels of operating performance. In order to do this, operations managers must understand which are the key drivers that are most effective at creating performance improvements and how the various measures of operating performance interact. The research addresses both of these issues. First it attempts to identify the key drivers that seem most effective in achieving increases in overall operating performance. Then it explores the relationship between the levels of performance for different operating measures in the same manufacturing plant.Finally, I would like to give a special thanks to my wife, Eleanor and my children, Emma, Richard and Sara for their encouragement and understanding during the several years that it has taken for this thesis to reach completion.

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to develop and test a procedure to enable organizations to establish a competitive capability to manufacture flexibly. Design/methodology/approach -A survey of manufacturing businesses and two case studies in separate plants of an international manufacturing company led to the design of a process to improve manufacturing flexibility. The proposed process was subsequently tested and refined in workshops and interviews in additional collaborating companies. Findings -Insight gained from the combination of case study and survey research has identified key steps in a process to improve manufacturing flexibility, which have not been emphasised previously. In addition a framework is proposed which matches operational capabilities with desired dimensions of flexibility; mix and/or volume. Research limitations/implications -Further trials of the proposed process in a range of manufacturing operations are required to establish its robustness and generic value. Originality/value -A new conceptual framework has been developed to improve manufacturing flexibility. The results of an initial trial of this framework are reported.