Collaboration Issues in Vendor Relations

by Brian J. Dooley

The continued development of business process outsourcing has combined with emerging processes and technologies to create a model for a new kind of modular firm that is capable of meeting today's demands for real-time flexibility. The first step in this type of reorganization is implementing collaborative strategies in vendor relationships. This Executive Report by Brian J. Dooley examines the growth and development of these newer collaborative vendor strategies; discusses the issues and benefits involved in implementing this type of strategy; lays out a plan for creating a collaborative organization; and provides four case studies that demonstrate how collaborative tools helped provide solutions to vendor problems.