Developing strategic partnerships in the supply chain: a practitioner perspective

The idea of managing supply chain partnerships for competitive advantage is receiving considerable interest amongst both academic researchers and industry executives. This article describes some current practices in several industries with respect to managing supply chain relationships. Focus group interviews and multiple case studies were conducted to gain insights into practitioners’ experiences. Six salient content themes are identified and structured into a managerial framework, to provide guidance to the increasing number of organisations that are now seeking to manage integrated supply chains.