Strategic supply and the management of inter- and intra-organisational relationships

As companies attempt to shed old habits and begin to view procurement as a strategic resource from which a competitive advantage can be gained, there is a great deal of corporate baggage that must be shed. More importantly, there is a new mindset that must be instilled both in procurement and across the firm. Strategic supply symbolizes the importance of enterprise wide thinking where functional units inside the firm and key suppliers from the firm's supply chain all work in concert to bring value to the marketplace. This paper presents data from the US and the UK that helps us better understand and address issues that are key to managing across independent supply chain partners. We also address some of the barriers to implementing such a supply strategy. These barriers exist inside the firm as well as between the firms at its key suppliers. Whilst we acknowledge that progress is being made, however the data suggest that the journey is far from over.